Matlock Station Track Layout

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

On an all too rare trip back home to Derbyshire at the start of the month I was reminded that its not possible for loco's to run round Peak Rail trains at Matlock. Given the not inconsiderable amount of money that must have been spent in recent years by Peak Rail / Network Rail to alter the station layout surely it would have made sense to install the necessary point work at the same time?

Your thoughts on this would be very much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[MarkyT]

G'day everyone,

On an all too rare trip back home to Derbyshire at the start of the month I was reminded that its not possible for loco's to run round Peak Rail trains at Matlock. Given the not inconsiderable amount of money that must have been spent in recent years by Peak Rail / Network Rail to alter the station layout surely it would have made sense to install the necessary point work at the same time?

Your thoughts on this would be very much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

There's no room for an independent run-round loop between the two platform tracks without significant reconstruction as the site is very narrow and constrained by overbridges and hilly topography, and non-mainline certified rolling stock wouldn't be able to run-round using the NR platform track if an extra turnout was installed at the south end. Much simpler all round to keep the two platforms entirely separate. the NR service doesn't need to run round normally, and the heritage operation can propel back north a short way to run round clear of the station. I think they either change engines or use a second one to pilot the movement into the their own loop alongside Riverside station and hence release the haulage loco. The extra activity is interesting for visitors anyway.

 

[LowLevel]

Whenever I've seen them they usually run top and tail on Peak Rail. There's only about 15 minutes in the hour that the Matlock branch train staff is in at Ambergate which allowing for late running, a blockage for uncoupling and recoupling the loco etc isn't resilient enough to allow a run around via the up platform anyway.

 

[John Webb]

As I understand from postings on other websites, the method of working is that the first train of the day is topped and tailed. At Matlock the tailing engine becomes the lead engine, and leaves the original header engine behind as it takes the train out. The now light engine is shunted into a siding at the Rowsley end of Matlock, and takes over the next train when that is bought into Matlock, and the process is repeated until the last train of the day is topped and tailed to return the locos and train together.

While it would be possible to shunt back to Riverside and run round, I understand this could not be done with the passengers on board, and they'd have to get everyone off the train which would be highly inconvenient for all.

 

[MarkyT]

While it would be possible to shunt back to Riverside and run round, I understand this could not be done with the passengers on board, and they'd have to get everyone off the train which would be highly inconvenient for all.

Run-round at Riverside would also be rather time consuming as well, noting they only allow 10 to 13 minutes typically at Matlock Platform 2. Is the no passengers aboard rule a problem because quite a number of passengers do the trip out and back from Rowsley without actually alighting at Matlock? There must be quite a high cost in having the extra motive power running and manned to do the loco change every time, which is presumably why in Jan and Feb they choose to run into Riverside platform instead where a conventional run-round manoeuvre is still possible.

 

[DarloRich]

When i visited ( pictures on Flickr) the train was top and tailed. D8 "Penyghent" at the Rowsley end and Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 3883 "lord Phil" at the Matlock end.

There is a through connection from the NR station to Peak Rail but the two platforms are physically seperated.