Peak Rail General Discussion

Kestreleyes, went to the Bluebell Rly on Sunday. All the signals and points seem to be electrically operated. None of this point rodding malarky. LOL

 

That may be so...but aren't we supposed to be running a HERITAGE railway...????

 

I guess you missed his 'LOL' ?

 

Nah...I wouldn't do that.... I was always taught in school to read the question IN FULL....LOL!!

 

Heaven forbid that someone might make a comment about soft southerners LOL

Dave

 

When I wanted some channel rodding a couple of years ago, my search was in vain until the KESR offered me some. In the discussions surrounding all this, I was told that the KESR were replacing rodding with electric motors at many locations. The reason given was that most of their signalmen were relatively old and found it hard to do the longer 'pulls'. Replacing them with motors meant that they could carry on as signalmen. Sounded a sensible approach and I wonder whether the Bluebell have adopted a similar policy.

 

Hi

The kesr only has one box with electric point motors, thats Northiam, which is a new build (2000) and started out with electrically worked points and some of the signals. Rolvenden also has some electrically worked signals as well, as far as I am aware no rodding has been replaced with electric motors.

 

I was only quoting what Nick W told me. From what you say I guess this hasn't happened!

 

No problem there for us then as, Darbishire born an Darbishire bred, strong in t' arm an quick in t' head
Seriously though there is no electricity supply at or near Riverside so it has to be wires and rodding all the way

Pete

 

Well not yet anyway!

 

ooh i could always get a hamster powered generator on them motor points for you!

im told the bluebell went for motor points a lot as the box at Horstead Keynes being listed meant not much could be altered inside to run the job to start with so for ease motor points and some route selection was used which has become a norm as its a lot easier to do if you have the kit to boot.

this weekend we continued with the south end rodding run, i nipped upto Rowsley and some lads of the HST were working on bodywork on their collection and various peeps were working in the shed at Rowsley on locos,the queen Mary and other items,looked nice n busy.

 

Re the Bluebell see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pti/hkwork.html for information on their use of power operation.

 

many thanks boss!!!

on a different note on my first trip down to the Bluebell while looking around the gift shop i came across a perfectly good and very nice block shelf track circuit indicator in its large square glass case,all for twenty quid, couldnt believe it!!!!

 

On duty as guard last weekend....noticed that most (if not all?) of the point rodding is now in place....also the foundations for the signal box at Riverside have been laid....great progress...well done to all involved!! Looks like everything will be in place for next year's timetable including the use of Riverside loop to store the "spare" loco. One question though....how is it intended to transport the box from its current location at Rowsley South down to Riverside? I've heard various alternatives, each fraught with potential difficulties.

 

Itl be a combination of road and rail cranange there are several options all of which involve some messing around as you must consider bridges height restrictions an abutting wall and track layouts. Discussions with crane operators are in hand. Hopefully something with more bones will be reportable soon

Thanks for the kind response indeed most of the outside stuff is now in. Next job will be box blockwork and the lead off bench in the coming weeks. All the bits are waiting at rowsley to go in now

Elsewhere the shed at rowsleys looking busy,castlefield now painted is being lined out,Warrington is having stay work,mr Briddon is restoring one of his larger shunters ,I believe a fifty ton hunslet,Chris is continuing with work on the tank wagon,the queen mary continues to be stripped and worked upon and zebedee's framework continues

We returned to maintenance today and Retimbered rowsley north frame before doing some more on the rodding run at riverside

 

Dom: Does the weather station on top of the LMSCA shed work (assuming that it is a weather station) if so are the results / trends published.

Let me know about the signal box - would like to get some pictures (and add them to those of the Darley Dale Box move in the late 80's / early 90's

 

The lmsca's weather station works to a small display unit inside the building. I dare say if you hooked it upto a suitable programme on a pc and then connected it to the net you could download the results. One for the telecoms and tech lads there,I know the nearest weather station is near the church at darley bridge must admit I've used it myself as more accurate than BBC weather. Then again WeatherXC isn't bad either

Noted in passing today that the first train into Matlock was stood alongside the NR yellow peril train in Matlock also class 31 hauled, saw a few pics being taken so no doubt someone could put a link to any pics up on here please.

 

Just spotted this on another site - looks like PR lost the battle to gain access to the Haddon estate (and so on to Bakewell) to Sustrans - at least for the time being.

http://www.peakcyclelinks.org.uk/section11.html

If the Sustrans access comes with a significant lease period, then that looks like curtains for PR ever becoming a line from somewhere to somewhere. Makes you wonder if the local authorites might start to eye up the existing four PR miles with a view to further extensions of the cycle route now it will stretch from near Buxton to Rowsley - not far to go to connect two NR railheads now.

However, I wonder if NR have any say in the use of the old track bed from a strategic point of view? I guess not as IIRC the trackbed is now owned by local authorities and also the Haddon estate in this case, so for NR to rebuild the route would need compulsroy purchase orders - not something PR would be able to achieve I'm sure.

Looks like the end of a dream for me.

 

It's my opinion too unfortunately!
I have visited PR 3 times (in 1990, 1994, and in july 2011) lot of progress at Rowsley and of course the half mile extension to Matlock....... NetherthelessI hope, , that they willll reach Rowsley station..............one day!
ragards
noel