Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Encyclopedia
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, the headquarters of the railway centre around Wirksworth
Wirksworth
Wirksworth is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of over 9,000.The population of the Wirksworth area including Cromford, Bolehill and Middleton-by-Wirksworth is about 12,000. Wirksworth is listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Within it is the source of the River...
station and services operate between Wirksworth and Duffield and Wirksworth and Ravenstor. From April 2011 passengers have been able to board and alight heritage services at Duffield where in recent years a station platform (3) has been re-constructed. Heritage services are timed to connect with East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
Nottingham - Derby - Matlock service at the adjacent Duffield Network Rail platforms and therefore it is now possible for passengers to travel to and fromn Wirksworth by train from anywhere on the national network. The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is named after the River Ecclesbourne and the track follows the river from its source to its mouth at the Derbyshire village of Duffield.
Despite being a branch in itself, there is also a separate half-mile branch operating from Wirksworth Station Platform 3 to (for the National Stone Centre and High Peak Trail) on a 1 in 27 gradient incline.
It is currently one of only three heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
s that operates a whole branch line in its original form, the other two being the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a long branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway line in West Yorkshire, England. It runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the national rail network line at Keighley railway station...
in West Yorkshire and the West Somerset Railway
West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway is a railway line that originally linked and in Somerset, England.It opened in 1862 and was extended from Watchet to by the Minehead Railway in 1874. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the...
in Somerset.
The line is principally operated by one of the largest fleets of operational heritage Diesel Multiple Units in the UK, locomotive hauled trains operate on Enthusiast and special event days often alongside the DMU fleet.
Origin
The "Wirksworth Branch" was the product of early nineteenth century railway rivalry. Since 1835 Wirksworth's citizens had been promoting the idea, among others, for a branch line from the North Midland RailwayNorth Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
, later the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, at . The Midland was initially unenthusiastic, but then realised that the branch could be extended to Rowsley
Rowsley
Rowsley is a village on the A6 road in the English county of Derbyshire.It is at the point where the River Wye flows into the River Derwent and prospered from mills on both.-Overview:...
, albeit with difficulty, avoiding the section from , on its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
The Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway ran from a junction with the Midland Railway at Ambergate to Rowsley north of Matlock and thence to Buxton....
, which was shared with its rival the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
.
It is for this reason that all of the bridges along the line, including the one which simply has a head shunt under it (Cemetery Lane) are built to double-tracked grand Midland Railway style.
Construction
The 8.5 miles (13.7 km) line was surveyed in 1862 and received Parliamentary assent the following year. It would follow the valley of the River Ecclesbourne with no major obstacles apart from the final climb into Wirksworth. A cutting was required, and some buildings were demolished, while there was considerable upheaval in Duffield.The final inspection of the line was carried out by Colonel J.A. Rich of the Royal Engineers on 26 September 1867, who approved the line for opening.
The line was opened to Wirksworth on 1 October 1867 and was initially worked by the Staff System
Token (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
.
Under the original scheme, it would have descended from Wirksworth to Cromford
Cromford
Cromford is a village, two miles to the south of Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales district in Derbyshire, England. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright, and the Cromford Mill which he built here in 1771...
using a 1503 yards (1,374.3 m) tunnel and a 280 yards (256 m) long viaduct, and proceed parallel to the existing line, but on the west side of the river through Matlock to Rowsley. However when the lease expired on the original Ambergate line, the LNWR withdrew, and the Midland acquired complete control. Thus the section beyond Wirksworth was never built. The Midland was left with one of its few branch lines, and one which, it felt, was of questionable viability.
Operation
The presence of the line allowed Wirksworth's limestone business to develop, the carriage of which was its mainstay until the middle of the twentieth century. There was also farm produce, particularly milk, some 800000 imp gal (960,760 US gal; 3,636,872 l) daily, and a number of textile mills (Wirksworth had the dubious distinction of being the main supplier of red tape for the London Government Departments). It saw a regular passenger service, with stations at HazlewoodHazelwood, Derbyshire
Hazelwood is a village in Derbyshire at the lower end of the Pennines around five miles north of Derby, England. Ordnance Survey maps in the nineteenth century spelt it Hazzlewood....
(about half a mile from the village down a steep hill and originally called Windley
Windley
Windley is a small village in Derbyshire around six miles north of Derby, England, adjacent to the B5023 Duffield to Wirksworth road.It was formerly part of the parish of Duffield within Duffield Frith....
), Shottle
Shottle
Shottle is a village roughly west of Belper, Derbyshire England.In Norman times, the manor of Shottle, referred to as "Sothille" in the Domesday Survey, belonged to the Ferrers family.In 1086, the book notes that...
(originally Cowers Lane
Cowers Lane
Cowers Lane is a settlement in Derbyshire bordering Shottle near Belper, Derbyshire England along the A517 road.In Norman times, Shottle Park was one of the seven parks within Duffield Frith....
) and Idridgehay
Idridgehay
Idridgehay is a village in the English county of Derbyshire. -Geography:Idridehay lies south of the town Wirksworth west of the town of Belper in the valley of the River Ecclesbourne. Idridgehay Green is immediately to its west and the hamlet of Ireton Wood a mile to its south.-Transport:The...
.
There were three, rising to six, passenger trains from Derby each way, with one on Sunday, and two goods trains. By 1939, however milk was carried instead by road, and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
passenger travel was severely curtailed. There was also the hourly "number 37" bus, which led to a decline in passenger numbers. Passenger trains were temporarily suspended in 1947 and were officially ceased in 1949. In the latter part of the twentieth century, people increasingly travelled by car and even the direct bus service has disappeared.
In the early 1950s people near the line were treated to the eerie sight of a railway carriage ghosting along, apparently by itself. It must be said that there would be some who remembered the use of steam motor carriages from the Morecambe and Heysham Railway
Morecambe Branch Line
The Morecambe Branch Line is a railway line in Lancashire, England, from Lancaster to Morecambe and Heysham where services connect with the ferry service to Douglas on the Isle of Man. To reach Heysham, trains must reverse at Morecambe....
at the beginning of the century, and steam railmotors from the Yarmouth and North Norfolk Railway. However this was the test vehicle for the new diesel railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s being designed in Derby - nothing more than a standard coach with the mechanism fitted and a windscreen cut in each end for the driver - that presaged a major change in British rail travel. When the so-called Derby Lightweights
British Rail Derby Lightweight
The British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units, were the first such trains to be built en-masse for British Railways. The units were built at BR's Derby Works from 1954 to 1955. The units were built in various formations, including 12 power-twin 2-car units, 84 power-trailer 2-car units,...
were produced they were each tested on the line after leaving the workshop. One of the only three surviving of those originally built, M79900, has been converted from being the IRIS test car back to passenger carrying standard and now resides on the line on which she was originally tested nearly 60 years ago.
An accident occurred on 25 August 1981 when a fully laden freight train partially derailed 300 yards (274.3 m) south of Wirksworth.
Decline and closure
Although most of the goods had transferred to the roads, limestone traffic continued, including that formerly hauled by the Cromford and High Peak RailwayCromford and High Peak Railway
The Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire, England, was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge -Origins:...
, when it closed in 1967. Though the amount of traffic justified the installation of continuous welded rail in the eighties, production was increasingly of aggregate carried by road. In 1991 the quarries passed to Croxton and Garry Ltd (which later became Omya UK Ltd
Omya
Omya is a privately owned global producer of industrial minerals, mainly fillers and pigments derived from calcium carbonate, and a worldwide distributor of chemical products. The company's major markets are paper, plastics, coatings and adhesives....
) which no longer needed a rail link. Although its sidings, and the station goods yard, at Wirksworth are still listed by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, the connection to the main line at Duffield has been severed and fenced off, There is hope that one day the EVR could "once possible funding would be made" purchase and re-use both the goods yard and the sidings for further/extra space for some rolling stock and train storage.
Preservation
In 1996 WyvernRail were awarded a Light Railway OrderLight Railways Act 1896
The Light Railways Act 1896 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Before the Act each new railway line built in the country required a specific Act of Parliament to be obtained by the company that wished to construct it, which greatly added to the cost...
for the full length of the line.
Wirksworth station was reopened in 2002, with the first 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) of line between and Gorsey Bank opened for a DMU shuttle passenger service in 2004, followed by a new line to in 2005.
On 8 March 2008, the railway began to branch its passenger operations further south by holding a grand opening ceremony for the line between Wirksworth station
Wirksworth railway station
Wirksworth Railway Station is a heritage railway station that serves the town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire. It was the former terminus of the Midland Railway Wirksworth branch line, leaving the Midland Main Line at...
and Idridgehay station
Idridgehay railway station
Idridgehay Railway Station is an intermediate station on the former Midland Railway branch line to the town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire. The line is off the Midland Main Line at . The line is being reopened in stages as the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway...
- 3.5 miles of the line's total length.
In 2003 WyvernRail agreed a fifteen year lease-purchase deal with Network Rail. In May 2005 they completed the purchase early and bought almost the entire railway. The only portion still leased is an area of the station yard in Wirksworth which has been retained by Network Rail as a Strategic Rail Site and is on a rolling 3 year lease to WyvernRail.
In July 2005 WyvernRail adopted Duffield railway station
Duffield railway station
Duffield railway station is a railway station serving the village of Duffield in Derbyshire, England. The station is located on the Midland Main Line from Derby to Leeds...
under a scheme promoted by the Friends of the Derwent Valley Line
Derwent Valley Line
The Derwent Valley Line is a railway line from Derby to Matlock in Derbyshire.The line follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, which is just south of Ambergate railway station, continuing to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.*Derby*Duffield**Former branch line...
. They undertook to provide care and maintenance of the station on behalf of Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
who operated it at that time.
The line has now been brought up to passenger-carrying standards to allow trains to run through from Wirksworth to Duffield. At Duffield, passengers can change for mainline rail services by crossing from the branch platform (Platform 3) to one of the Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
platforms (either Platform 1 or Platform 2). Now that the line is open to Duffield it is the intention to revisit the larger Shottle
Shottle railway station
Shottle Railway Station is the second intermediate station on the former Midland Railway branch line to the small town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire. The line is off the Midland Main Line at Duffield railway station, the first being Hazelwood...
site and refurbish the platform and surrounding areas (which needs considerable work). In the meantime trains will simply run through the Shottle site on their way to Duffield. There may also be scope for reinstating the platform at Hazelwood
Hazelwood railway station
Hazelwood Railway Station is a disused railway station on the Wirksworth branch of the Midland Railway. It served the village of Hazelwood. The line has been reopened in stages as the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.-History:...
but as of 2011 there are no official plans.
Signalling and Line Operation
The railway principally operates on a TokenToken (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
system, with the Wirksworth to Duffield section currently holding one token in the form of an Annett's key
Annett's key
In railway signalling, an Annett’s key or Annett key is a large key that locks levers or other items of signalling apparatus, thereby functioning as a portable form of interlocking. When not in use, the key is normally held in an Annett's lock that is fixed to the lever or apparatus concerned...
. The Wirksworth to Ravenstor incline holds a different Annett's key, as does the shorter Wirksworth to Gorsey Bank section. Due to a ruling gradient on the line, the Wirksworth to Duffield section is protected by a trap-point just north of Wirksworth Station. The Wirksworth to Duffield token may change in the future as a run-round loop is being installed at Shottle. This is a very similar system to what the lines operated when it originally opened in 1867, preserving some of the heritage of the line.
An unusual piece of track work has been installed at Wirksworth (and can be seen at Platform 3). The track is interlaced (overlapping) to allow either the platform to be used for passenger trains or to allow wagons to collect stone from the adjacent dock. The interlaced section of track is operated by a manual tight point but still comes under the control of the Wirksworth to Ravenstor train token.
There are very few physical signals on the line, apart from indications at cross-overs. One semaphore signal
Railway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
is located almost underneath Cemetery Lane Bridge and it permanently exhibits a "Proceed with Caution" aspect to trains running in the up direction (to Wirksworth from Ravenstor). This is to warn drivers that they are approaching the station. Another electronic signal is located at Duffield station to warn that it is the end of the line. It is believed that this signal has been permanently lit for nearly forty years and is still powered from the main Duffield signalling station.
Film and TV appearances
The railway has seen various filming projects take place. The first filming venture came in the form of the Hellmann's Mayonnaise "Big Dollop" TV advert. The following year (2004) the railway was used again to film the National Geographic Channel'sNational Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
Seconds from Disaster
Seconds From Disaster
-By original broadcast date:National Geographic Channel has broadcast many episodes under multiple titles. The title currently or most recently listed on the NGC Calendar is shown first...
where their ex-Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
coaches were used to depict the Eschede train disaster
Eschede train disaster
The Eschede train disaster was the world's deadliest high-speed train accident. It occurred on 3 June 1998, near the village of Eschede in the Celle district of Lower Saxony, Germany. The toll of 101 people dead and 88 injured surpassed the 1971 Dahlerau train disaster as the deadliest accident in...
from 1998.
In 2006 a location just south of Wirksworth was used to film the ITV Drama "Mobile"
Mobile (TV series)
Mobile is a 3-part British television drama series with an interweaving plot based around a fictional mobile phone operator and the adverse-effect of mobile phone radiation to health. The series was screened by ITV in the UK, during March 2007. The cast includes Jamie Draven, Neil Fitzmaurice,...
whilst in June 2007 Wirksworth was used as the fictional station of Lightbourne in the BBC television series Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, season 22, episode 05.
The storyline of Casualty involved both the Gatwick Express stock that is located on site as well as 03158 acting as an approaching goods train. This locomotive has since departed for the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
The Lincolnshire Wolds Railway is a heritage railway based at Ludborough station, near Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England and the only standard gauge steam railway in Lincolnshire open to the public. The line is part of the original Great Northern Railway , a rail system that opened in 1848 and once...
in June 2009 but has since moved again to the Great Central Heritage Railway
Great Central Railway (preserved)
The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and...
.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
returned to the railway in August 2009 to shoot scenes for a new drama which aired between 1 and 5 March 2010 called "Five Days II" starring Suranne Jones
Suranne Jones
Suranne Jones is an English actress. She first rose to prominence playing the role of Karen McDonald in ITV1's soap opera Coronation Street over a period of four years...
, Anne Reid
Anne Reid
Anne Reid, MBE is a BAFTA Award-nominated English film and television actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, best known for her roles as Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street and Jean in dinnerladies....
, Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill is a British actor of film, stage and television. In a career spanning thirty years, he is best known for playing Yosser Hughes, the troubled 'hard man' whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking 1980s TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff...
, Matthew McNulty
Matthew McNulty
Matthew McNulty is an English actor of film and television.-Film:*Geography of the Hapless Heart as Jamie*Messengers 2: The Scarecrow as Deputy Milton...
and Ashley Walters. The station at Wirksworth was turned into the fictional station of Castlebury in Yorkshire. This time though it was the turn of the DMU to have a lead role, with Met-Camm
Metro Cammell
The Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company was a Birmingham, England based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, based in Saltley and subsequently Washwood Heath....
's E51505 and M51188 being used.
Filming took place on Saturday 28th August 2010 for an episode involving Derren Brown
Derren Brown
Derren Victor Brown is a British illusionist, mentalist, painter, writer and sceptic. He is known for his appearances in television specials, stage productions and British television series such as Trick of the Mind and Trick or Treat...
. The illusion aired on 08/09/10 and featured Class 122 M55006 at Shottle on the line.
Steam
Recently the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association funded, in conjunction with WyvernRail, the building of a temporary maintenance facility. This has enabled a few restoration projects to start. One of the two Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 steam locomotives has already been completely rebuilt and could be seen in use on the Ravenstor Incline during some days of the 2010 season. It is planned too give it more use in the 2011 season. The second larger one is being worked on in the shed a present. Progress with this will depend on funding, the major work being the boilers foundation ring. However there is a possibility that the locomotive may enter traffic during the 2011 season. Both of these projects have been funded by various grant funding as well as individuals and heritage lottery.Stored on site are two more locomotives both of which overhaul to working condition is likely to start. These are "Kathryn" currently painted blue and on display in a siding while it awaits funding, while Bagnal Austerity "The Duke" is due to begin its restoration sometime during the 2011 season. This is being done by the 8624 locomotive group.
Diesel Multiple Units
The only DMU being restored on site is at present is BR Class 119 DMU W51073 which has been stripped of useful parts. This is gradually being returned to its former glory although there is no target finish date. The unit contains mostly first class seating and it is hoped that it will form the front of some trains now that the line is opened to Duffield, whilst the huge Guards van which contains a luggage cage can be used in conjunction with a removable bar. A restoration progress diary is being kept on the railway's website.Carriages and Wagons
The LMS Carriage Association of Peak Rail has established a small workshop on the Wirksworth site in an effort to provide further public interest in its rolling-stock and enable more progress to be made on some of its rather substantial fleet.Since March 2010 LMS Period III Third Open 27162 has been undergoing internal reconstruction from a stripped state. This included not only the refurbishment of the remaining woodwork but the manufacture of many new fittings from scratch such as the seats and tables. The vehicle was the subject of a major fast-track overhaul to the bodywork structure at Shilden during 2009. Passengers were able to sample 27162 during April 2011 when locomotive hauled passenger trains returned on the line between Wirksworth and Duffield. Following the initial runs, the carriage was taken out of service to enable a full refinish including lining out of the exterior. During this work, the vehicle sustained major fire damage in the early hours of Monday 17th October 2011 due to an accident as a result of welding. The LMSCA are still hoping to restore this vehicle to full working order sometime in the future.
In the meantime it has been decided to focus on the next restoration project, the intended brake coach, an LMS period III Porthole BTK 27001 Restoration is likely to take around two years. The end result will be an open style interior similar to that of 27162 with provision made for disabled passengers and will emerge as a BTO (brake third open).
For the time being LMS Directors Inspection Saloon 999504999504 (On loan from Great Central Railway) will continue to be used as the brake coach for the immediate future.
In Addition to all of this, another brake coach in the form of MK1 BSK 34625 is undergoing a general repair in order to make it operational whilst 27001 is undergoing its full rebuild. This project is gathering momentum and it is hoped that it may be completed during 2012. The purpose is to provide extra seating capacity, a cycles area, disabled access and a through corridor to EVR loco-hauled services.
Stations
Stations of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, from north to south.| Location | Status | Opened | Closed | Notes | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| open | 1 September 2005 | New station built by the EVR, opened 1 September 2005. | |||
| open | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | Building demolished, platforms rebuilt. Reopened 1 October 2002. | ||
| open | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | Building in private ownership, platform survived. Reopened 8 March 2008. | ||
| closed | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | Building in private ownership, platform survived. Reopening 2012. | ||
| closed | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | Building in private ownership, platform demolished. Platform Re-instatement and Possible Restoration being considered. | ||
| open | 1841 | Buildings demolished, branch platform survived, main platforms still in use by Derwent Valley Line Derwent Valley Line The Derwent Valley Line is a railway line from Derby to Matlock in Derbyshire.The line follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, which is just south of Ambergate railway station, continuing to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.*Derby*Duffield**Former branch line... . Reopened 8 April 2011. |
Steam Locomotives
- Barclay 0-4-0T 2360 "Brian Harrison" (Ferrybridge No.3) - Operational, Boiler ticket expires end March 2020, often seen most weekends operating the push/pull service from Wirksworth (platform 3) to Ravenstor.
- Barclay 0-4-0T 2217 "Henry Ellison" - Under Restoration, Completion expected for 2012 season.
- Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0T No 102 (works number 1884 of 1955) Cathryn - Non Operational, plans are afoot to inspect boiler for understanding of the work required. - Bagnall Austerity 0-6-0ST 2746 "The Duke" - plans being formulated for overhaul - Fund raising for this continues. Carries bogus BRBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
identity 68012. - 8FLMS Stanier Class 8FThe London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
No. 48624 2-8-0 (On loan to other railways until 2012)
Diesel Locomotives
- BR A1A-A1A Class 31British Rail Class 31The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
no. 31414 - Occasional Use - BR Class 20British Rail Class 20The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same...
no. D8001 - Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
Class Steelman (works number 10275 of 1969) "LJ Breeze" - Operational - Ruston and Hornsby Class 165 "Now kown as Faraday" - Operational - Mainly used for Infastructure works trains
- Ruston and Hornsby Class 165 no. 11520 - Not operational
- Class 33British Rail Class 33The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
no. 33035 (D6553) - Following completion of work at Washwood Heath - The "Crompton" is expected to remain at the EVR for the immediate future.
Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Derby Lightweight Single Car UnitBritish Rail Derby LightweightThe British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units, were the first such trains to be built en-masse for British Railways. The units were built at BR's Derby Works from 1954 to 1955. The units were built in various formations, including 12 power-twin 2-car units, 84 power-trailer 2-car units,...
DMBS 79900 "Iris" - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
DMBS+TSL+DMCL 51188+59303+50170 - BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
DMSL 51505 - BR Class 108British Rail Class 108The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
DMBS 50599 - BR Class 117British Rail Class 117The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
DMBS 51360 - BR Class 119British Rail Class 119The British Rail Class 119 DMUs were used throughout the Western Region and on services in the Midlands sourced by Tyseley Depot. Shortly after their introduction, sets were transferred from Cardiff to serve the intermediate stations on outer suburban services from London Paddington to Oxford...
DMBC 51073 - Under Restoration - BR Class 122British Rail Class 122The British Rail Class 122 diesel mechanical multiple units were built by Gloucester RC&W in 1958. Twenty single-car driving motor vehicles, called "Bubble Cars", were built, numbered 55000–55019...
DMBS 55006
Carriages
- LMS StanierCoaches of the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayThe London, Midland and Scottish Railway inherited several styles of coaching stock from its constituents. Stock built by the LMS itself can be categorised into three separate periods, numbered I to III.-Coaches inherited from pre-grouping companies:...
Period III Third Open no. 27162 - LMS StanierCoaches of the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayThe London, Midland and Scottish Railway inherited several styles of coaching stock from its constituents. Stock built by the LMS itself can be categorised into three separate periods, numbered I to III.-Coaches inherited from pre-grouping companies:...
(BR built) Inspection Saloon no. 999504 - LMS StanierCoaches of the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayThe London, Midland and Scottish Railway inherited several styles of coaching stock from its constituents. Stock built by the LMS itself can be categorised into three separate periods, numbered I to III.-Coaches inherited from pre-grouping companies:...
(BR built) Brake Third Corridor (BTK) no. 27001 - BR Mk1 Second Corridor (SK) no. E26157
- BR Mk1 Brake Second Corridor (BSK) no. S34625
- BR Class 488/2British Rail Class 488The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from Mark 2F coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport....
unit 488202 (72501+72617) - BR Class 489British Rail Class 489The British Rail Class 489 is a type of electrical multiple unit, specially converted for use on Gatwick Express trains, from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport....
units 489101 (68500) and 489107 (68506)
WyvernRail
WyvernRail Limited was established in 1992 as a community-owned and locally-managed venture to restore and operate the Duffield to Wirksworth railway in DerbyshireDerbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England.
The initial plan was to lease the line from Railfreight Construction (the British Rail sector then responsible for the line) and operate a community railway service between Wirksworth and Derby using leased diesel units, probably Class 142 ‘Pacers’
British Rail Class 142
The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
. The model used was termed ‘Open Access’, a method of operation used by some operators today (most notably Hull Trains and Grand Central). The Railways Act 1993
Railways Act 1993
The Railways Act 1993 was introduced by John Major's Conservative government and passed on 5 November 1993. It provided for the restructuring of the British Railways Board , the public corporation that owned and operated the national railway system...
created the framework that would allow WyvernRail to start the process, but the industry structure the Act created also caused the whole process to slow down to a crawl.
The line’s saving grace was the designation of Wirksworth Station Yard as a Strategic Freight Site, which meant that the yard was protected for railway use, thus making closure of the line extremely difficult. The line had already had a ‘Near Death Experience’ in 1990 when a track lifting train began to lift approximately one mile of continuously welded track between Idridgehay and Shottle. Fortunately, the work was stopped by British Railways management as it was reported that there was the possibility of new stone traffic on the line. As a result, the line was mothballed and the strategic freight site designation meant that this status remains on the line to this day.
Changes to the structure of the industry following privatisation meant that for several years during the mid-1990s WyvernRail often experienced difficulty in maintaining a consistent relationship with the authorities responsible for the line. However, while progress was slow on the ground, WyvernRail remained active wherever possible. While the most significant achievement was the award of a Light Railway Order
Light Railways Act 1896
The Light Railways Act 1896 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Before the Act each new railway line built in the country required a specific Act of Parliament to be obtained by the company that wished to construct it, which greatly added to the cost...
for the line in 1996, WyvernRail also investigated other projects. During this period, the company’s approach changed from Open Access to a straight lease or purchase of the line.
In 1997, the Derby and Wirksworth Railway Association was formed in response to growing interest in WyvernRail’s activities. The Association grew slowly over the next three years but, after renaming itself the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association in 2000, membership took off when access to the line was finally granted.
For WyvernRail, progress began at accelerate in the Summer of 2000, when Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
management not only took an interest in the firm’s activities but provided a proactive and imaginative basis for negotiations, including granting the company’s volunteers access to the line. This approach led to the gradual restoration of the line, conversion to a plc
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
and the successful share launch of WyvernRail plc in April 2002.