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Peak Rail General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by kestreleyes, Nov 22, 2009.

  1. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    No there isn't any news, we have been discussing the latest developments above and for the last few thread pages.
     
  2. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    Not heard anything of late myself but that doesn't mean things have been forgotten about,I know the charity was collecting for the sleeper etc ,obviously my own dept have started getting the control of the north end rowsley sorted under the box (
    ground frame) and apart from as you say the chat on here there are.in the background planning going on but that's more the board level at present,there's a few other jobs need doing first of greater importance. There may be some more news in the upcoming members mag,usually when we know youl know too on here ,I'm still waiting for the cycleway to get finished so we can see some.reaping of the extra visitors in the area.
     
  3. sussex scot

    sussex scot New Member

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    With reference to Dave's post of 21st Feb; one of the regular mobility scooter users of the trail (and of Peak Rail trains), Charlie Mardsen has died. He was an engineman based at Rowsley, and the best way to wind him up was to rubbish his favourite loco, a Crab. Hope he gets a fair road and good coal up above.
     
  4. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    image.jpeg image.jpeg Sorry to hear that and our thoughts to his family and relations ☹️

    Small wet update,yes derbyshires famous weather continues again

    Thepainting on D8 continues and the undercoat has now reached the far ends, Gordon tells me after its had a rub down it'l start being glossed, she's looking good.

    Out on shed the class 31,08 were being fuelled up and the steamer was simmering over, apologies for the poor pic but camera phone was suffering in the rain today .

    We were a bit busy out in that said rain doing signalling work, I note that one of the mark 1s is having its bogies replaced over too
     
  5. daveannjon

    daveannjon Well-Known Member

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    I'm very sorry to hear that, as Glynn Waite says, the number attending the Rowsley Association annual gathering inevitably declines each year. I'm sure he had good memories of a great team of locomen at Rowsley MPD.

    I was talking to a lady walking her dog at Nanny Goat crossing recently, and she told me her father was a driver at Rowsley who acquired the nickname 'Skipper' because earlier in his career he was firing to a driver who was taken badly in Dove Holes tunnel, and the driver said "you're the skipper now."

    Dave
     
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  6. Paul.Uni

    Paul.Uni Well-Known Member

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    I see that the events page has been updated for 2017 and the steam gala on 29th & 30th April has gone.
     
  7. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

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    Is that the Hudswell Clark "Jennifer" that used to be at the West Somerset many years ago?


    Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk
     
  8. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    Indeed, visiting from Llangollen.
     
  9. Woodster21

    Woodster21 Member

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    You're right - doesn't to be appear to be any change from previous years. A little disappointing when compared to one a few miles away
     
  10. sussex scot

    sussex scot New Member

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    I suppose that it is difficult holding a steam gala with one loco................
     
  11. petec

    petec New Member

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  12. petec

    petec New Member

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    Yes,dissapointing,but not surprising really.
    Mind you l am told that a railway,just afew miles away,had a £700k windfall about 6 months ago,which would make some difference as to what they could offer

    Peter
     
  13. daveannjon

    daveannjon Well-Known Member

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  14. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    S and t

    Andrew and myself finished off the point heater circuits today,just one mcb to replace to uprate it, then we replaced worn out woodwork on the cable runs and Darley walkway around the cabin,before heading off upto Rowsley

    church lane

    The gardens and lineside folks continue to deal with the hedge alongside the cycleway which they started the other week

    Darley dale

    Apart from the refurbished benches at the station Mr Briddon has been replacing a section of fence alongside the running line on his access road and 14901 has returned to his works at Darley after a spell at the CVR, ben continues the work on the up platform lamps.

    Rowsley

    Work continues on stripping down the Waterman trust loco in the shed,alongside the repainting of D8 and the contractors work on the centre dmu car and the education coach both of which are having bodywork repairs before the window units are returned into them.

    Keiron was busy with some eccentrics and I gave him a small hand before meeting one of our colleagues from the Foxfield to talk about incoming charters,but watch that space etcetera.

    We've recently had a contractor utilise the railway for a demonstration of a cable laying operation which has also benefitted the department with a substantial load of cable that will do for track circuiting,I'm told it was to do with oil pipeline laying of cables.

    Till next time
     

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  15. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    The Derwent valley branch meeting will be held at Darley Dale station at 1930hrs,on the 28th,Mick bond will do a talk on the railways of Cambodia and vietnam.
     
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  16. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    for a change whilst im not down this weekend I did call in on Friday and have a quick chat with folks so here for a change is some carriage updates;

    In the shed; Grinsty Rails chaps continue their good work on the old exhibition service coach no2, the right hand side having had some new steel panelling work, filling and other work undertaken on the bodywork prior to painting works ,pic attached.
    the other coach Grinsty` WP_20170322_17_05_21_Pro.jpg WP_20170322_17_06_28_Pro.jpg s chaps have been working upon is having its first coats applied and sanded down ready for the next coats again, its looking nice and shiny in maroon (pic attached)

    on our own side I managed to have a chat with Harvey, the set in the sidings that has had its bogie removed is having extensive overhaul on the bogie fittings and components and the buffet car was having an overhaul done on the catering side equipment while there was time between running dates.

    Ps ;I did get some s and t work done too ,but more on that next time :)

    elsewhere David has repainted the Darley signalbox nameboards and Ben and the gang have started to dig the foundations out on the old up platform lamp posts which are being replaced to match the correct style down side lamps recently installed as part of the overhaul of the heritage feel of Darley station, the down side Midland trespass sign is now painted up in its blue base, awaiting lettering painting up.
     
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  17. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    @kestreleyes - thank you for updates. In your image of 3 March is WRHT locomotive 5553, last I heard assessment on 5553 has started with its roof lifted off and cladding removed. Is there any further information of which you are aware?

    Thanks

    Patrick
     
  18. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    image.jpeg S and t

    Two days this week down the line ,both of which were quite busy for us, on Friday Andrew and myself looked at the stiffness in the gates at church lane, gate one nearest the box had twisted slightly,so needs pulling back in on the adjusting bars and gate 3 over the other side needed rising up, not an easy task when you have to keep pulling the gates across between cars and school traffic all day and it took a good few hours to do, I also yesterday ground a bit more of the gate padlock bolt on gate 4 as now the gates adjusted to suit the bolt catches in the hole.
    I double checked yesterday and they were working well even though a sunny warm day.

    On Friday I planned to do some woodwork repairs to a small section of the main signal post atop 13 signal at church lane but found that the rot above the operational bit of the post had spread down about four foot and to where the arm mechanism is ,so towards the end of this month the arm and lamp bracket will have to be moved down about four foot and the top cut off,whilst it slightly shortens the signal it doesn't affect sightlines of the signal, the rot appears to have been there since BR days as I noted some bracing at the top under the finial well hidden into the woodwork,likely water has got in under the finial and being wood has travelled downwards through the post.

    Il email all with a planned date on this in the coming week,see who is available to help.

    Back to Friday and just before finishing as usual we tried the motor point while there just to make sure it was working,it wasnt, a quick scan of the blockshelf noted that track A was occupied and holding the points, ironically after a quick check we found that one of the track cables had been inadvertently cut by the tree gang,that repaired we finished off and went home( ps if someone's lost a good pair hedge cutters...they're under church lane now,found them lineside)

    On Saturday after a check on the gates ,all ok, I went and replaced the tamper snapped bond wire noted while on maintenance then headed up to rowsley to repaint the loc there, there's a tiny fist sized but of rust through on the platform facing door bottom which il plate a piece of aluminium into and repaint over this month, I then went and had another look at the treadle bell which has been intermittently giving problems, all the circuitry works fine but I did note the bell relay chatters which is a sign the treadles not working right, after a quick check I noted two things, the damping oil inside which should keep the contact made long enough to energise the relay has no fluid in the dash pot, in fact it's all over the inside of the treadle, then I noted when the deisel goes over the sleeper attached to the treadle there's a fair bit of bounce, it's probably been missed under tamping so as not to damage the equipment, so when next down il call at church lane and pick up the treadle fluid and refill the dash pot and lift and hand pack the sleeper, hopefully that should sort it out.

    As a last note before I sign off, the steelwork for rowsley box legs is now being fabricated up in the shed, attached is a pic of the feet in progress.

    Locos

    Called into rowsley shed to see one of the guys machining up brake rigging for Royal pioneer,again nothing is lightweight on a loco is it , then popped across to John in the HST shed who was busy putting lighting wiring and holes for the shed plate on one of the shunters, I didn't get to chat to the Ashover guys which was a shame as they were about, though noted our Penyghent was now in dark green topcoat which is good, work on the carriages in the shed progresses with yet more painting and the Waterman trust locks continue to be stripped,I'm sure their boilers are outside now but I stand to be corrected if wrong.
     

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  19. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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  20. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg Largish update this week.

    Today started off early to avoid the heat and sun, the rust patch on the loc door at rowsley has been skinned with a stainless steel plate And both location cupboards completely repainted again, then it was a quick trip up to rowsley treadles to top them up,give them an internal clean and once over and the fault has now been cured, in the end I found the pressure chamber inside the treadle had.lost its oil through the seal inside as the vibration of the loco had loosened the three screws holding the seal in place.

    Following that it was a quick trip up to Darley to look at a fault with the staff key Brian had noticed as sticking, that was down to a small burr on the key itself,so a quick handfuls later and that's now fixed too, one brew ,a chat with Ben and with Pete Briddon and it was then of to riverside as Jack had. Opted one of the signal crosses had come off 12 shunt, I popped that back on before heading back to rowsley to paint up and fettle the signal platform to go on 13 at church lane when we shorten it later this month due to a rot patch at the top, that date is set for the 28th now.

    Apart from actually getting to chat with nearly every deisel group today ,plus loads of visitors,a steam experience chap who actually lives near me I managed to also chat with Ben regarding the plans for the footbridge whose staircase will require us to move the two cabinets at Darley crossing, the battery case is not an issue as its only one 2 core cable into that and it can be moved elsewhere but once we've sorted out removing the old steelwork rails and wood from the base of the old box base wel get just enough slack in the cables hopefully to move the signalling cabinet sideways to the track and out the way of the stairs towards the garden wall, so that will be the mainstay of next months work together with the rowsley box steelwork.


    The lamps at Darley were being repainted in primer having been concreted in now and cables all run in place and Ben was hard at it too.

    The class 50 chaps were busy fitting radiator grills now the radiator sets are out for repair,the HST gang had visitors, quite a large group who'd been over to Barrow hill in the morning and then come over to us, I think they were off up to Darley afterwards and mr Briddon tells me RS8 the yellow beast (ex Dinting) is due to be refurbished by Tarmac as it used to work the quarries round Buxton, I remember the loco from its early days up at Dinting railway centre,so will be nice to see it restored after being outside and plinthed for so long.
     
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