Peak Rail General Discussion

Hi Ben, please don't feel I was being in any way critical of your fantastic efforts to re-create the ambiance at Darley Dale and soon to be at Matlock, a task you appear to be undertaking almost single-handedly. Likewise Dom and his S&T guys and the p-way gang too.

My problem with PR is the overall strategy at board level. Just what is the vision? It seems to have changed so many times since the mid 70's when I joined, and currently the impression I get is one of a Thomas type attraction. There seems to be very little to attract anyone without small children.

For instance, Rowsley is a lovely place aesthetically, the p-way is pristine, and the woodland setting Silvain. But where are the loco's? Are the public allowed to wander around the yard or not? And when I'm sat on the platform drinking my tea with my wife, I don't expect to be outnumbered by staff smoking and exchanging crude banter. It feels like you are intruding into a private club.

Darley Dale is still suffering from the decision to close the shop/cafe there, and currently looks like an un-manned halt. Hopefully it's fortunes will be transformed with the work you are doing, and of course the restoration of the main building - but that looks to be some years off right now.

Finally there's the journey itself, which is somewhat pedestrian to say the least. If you've never seen the view before it's probably OK at 10 miles/hour, but from an enthusiast's point of view it's pretty dire. I'm used to hearing engines work for their living and even my wife refuses to travel anymore even though we're on shareholders passes.

So again I'd ask the question, what is PR's vision and USP, because to me it's not at all obvious? It's all the more galling when you see how other lines have developed in the same or shorter timescales.

Iain

 

one thing its definatley missing is a good real ale pub or bar in close proximity, thatd get the punters in

maybe a case for one at Darley dale?

or when it gets to Rowsley village the Claret and grouse is close, another incentive to get there.

 

The one at Church Lane Crossing used to be good?

 

Have you got anything planed for the charter in may ??

 

in relation to the charter,do you mean side events,?

 

some sort of traction engine rally or classic vehicle/buses etc at Rowsley would be a good welcome

 

il try and find out boss.

the signs back up at rowsley on approach,thankyou mr council man !!

s and t ,started painting up the telephone cases to go on the matlock signals,put a door in the stores,fitted some more rods and fettled up some more besides on the matlock detectors,dropped another double wheel bench in too,thanks mr graves for help too!

did a whole load of other stuff besides too!

track to the matlock connection to the right level now and ballasted up too.

round the site, class 50,hst and Mr briddon snr/yngr (fitting piping to the planet)all working away hard,even collin said it must be something to do with the weather, oticed the narrow gauge gang out too and the gardens were being worked on approach to rowsley,nice new sign on the entrance too,lmsca about too working round the shed.


just a small update there!

 

good stuff

any date yet when the contractors start on the trackwork?

and hows the box getting on?

 

Glad that got sorted sharpish - not easy to find without it.

 

Any chance of a local Real Ale Festival for the weekend of the charter

 

According to the lastest mag and WEBSITE, Matlock station is to re-open on 2nd July, so expect to see some very rapid progress!

 

there is also a new timetable on the peak rail site,to start when Matlock is reached.
Im looking forward to this summer, parking up at Rowsley,steam train to Matlock,EMT from Matlock to Duffield, have a trip on the EVR and return

 

spent the day painting -repainting darleys gates, the footprint is known and we know where the roddings going now too,so time to get on with putting it up!

 

just reading back through some of my old books to get my head round everything again.

there was another turntable in the yard at Rowsley, in the marshalling yard between Rowsley south and north junctions near to the river. wonder if anyones come across it since? and also wondering over the subway at Rowsley 2nd station, if thats still there?

 

Mike,

Having spoken to a chap who used to rent the station premises before it was demolished, it seems he and his staff filled the subway with rubbish and dirt before sealing it up. It had been used for storage, and he told me that all the tiles had still been on the walls. When we get to Rowsley, it would be desirable to excavate the platforms and subway, with a view to using the materials to build a new station (very similar to the original if I have my way) at the height required for the new bridge. I'm not sure how easy it will be to extend the steps to the subway, or if it'll be better to rebuild it with the platforms. The original canopies were beautiful things, and it may be possible to rebuild canopies on the platforms, backed with timber like that on the Down platform. I think rebuilding the station building might be a big ask, unless we had an alternative use for it i.e. partly retail or holiday accommodation. We shall see.

Should be possible to recapture the feel of the place however, especially as its quite exposed, and will be a place where many people will end up waiting for some time.

Next question please!

Ben

 

thats something Id love to be able to be a part of, the digging out and clearing of tree's etc, hopefully my circumstances may change in the future and Id be able to lend a hand.
I always thought the use of the territorial army to clear the Rowsley shed site was a great idea.

Mention was made earlier that the council want to use the marshalling yard land, wonder if that would mean the line would either go straight through in a straight line on the original mainline formation with the council buildings on the river side and a road crossing required. or the line could follow the outer sidings route nearer to the river, I think id prefer the latter. if some of the trees next to the river where felled too it would make it very picturesque too.

just reading through my copy of the peak line by John M Stephenson from 1981.
he mentions the road bridge over the a6, saying it would need to be raised 1foot. but shouldnt be too much of a problem on the viaduct side as the line is on a gradient so would be flat and back to the original height by the time it meets the viaduct.

the second smaller bridge that is missing, was that an arch or metal bridge? had a look on google street view and cant quite decide.

anyway, peak rail have done it before, replacing the bridge in Buxton

also in the book there are some pics of 48624 and 92214 being restored at Buxton, come across some similar shots here..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8755708@N07/4780557259/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/3581304896/in/photostream/

mention is also made of BBC's blue peter filming in 1981, wonder if thats still out there somewhere?

 

I think it might be more like 4 or 5 feet to raise. Which is partly why an extension has not been hastily laid up to Rowsley, as the gradient will be better started closer to Northwood than an almighty ramp into the station! The height may be an issue on the other side, but it's surprising what can be done, and last I heard there was no engineering difficultly in crossing the A6, just a lot of pennies worth.

The mainline has already been built on. The restaurant by the A6 for a start, it's footings stand over the mainline, and then the next stretch has been boxed in my the adjacent compound.

The route for Peak Rail has been determined and surveyed, and the clearance work assessed. It will, I believe, take a course nearer the river as you suggest.

Might yet be clearance work to do on the trackbed to Rowsley, tho lets sort out Matlock first. Nice that we're all thinking ahead to the next stage!

 

cheers Ben

dont know if Ive already linked to this but its plenty of pics of the a6 bridge being demolished and replaced in 1965

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/r/rowsley/index51.shtml

 

Great post! What a lot of work for a bridge that only lasted 3 years or so. I can remember the old one better than the new one, though we didn't get down the A6 too often, living in Sheffield as we did.

 

I was thinking to save costs on the bridge, there are many dissused lines around the country, maybe source the retaining stones from one thats had its metal bridge removed would help?

and also regards the Matlock station signage, could this one be used again? http://www.peakrail.co.uk/Museum.html