https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/events/super-power-saturday.html
The public's first chance to actively support the Leek extension has been announced, with Super Power Saturday.
Starring 3x USATC S160's, the event will feature guest locomotive no. 2253 Omaha which is stopping off in Staffordshire during its transfer from commissioning on the NYMR to her long term base at Paignton.
Working alongside 2253 will be CVR residents nos. 5197 and 6046.
The final trip will see a triple header of American Muscle hauling the day's 8x coach service set and 2x Cromptons (equivalent weight of 13x coaches). This will be the first time such a sight has been possible in the UK, and the first occasion it has happened globally since 1963 during a Fort Eustis Military Railroad convention.
Sponsorship has been received covering the locomotive's hire and transport fees - meaning all monies raised on the day will go towards the Leek Appeal and the extension of the current CVR from Leekbrook into Leek itself.
And yet it's worked for Broadway, that involves a good 15-minute walk into Broadway itself from the GWSR station. Plus you've not checked the whole plans, as the additional planning application for the redevelopment of the brownfield land includes upgrading of Sunnyhills Rd and Barnfield Rd. Why? Because this upgrade will then enable the regular bus services to divert off the A53, and connect with a bus stop for both the new Marina and Railway Station. There will be a new car park on the Cornhill estate primarily for the railway, which is easily locatable from the main route - the A53 (and also included in the Barnfields redevelopment). Whilst Froghall has a decent car park, with plenty of overspill too, the A52 is not exactly a main route, and trying to get a bus to CVR is hard, especially on a Sunday & Bank Holiday!
The cattle market idea was a council led idea, however they hadn't taken into the consideration of the differences in land height and that the CVR is not a cliff railway. Once this realisation sunk in, and the associated costs for the earthworks were shown the idea was soon deemed as inappropriate.
Your Parkway suggestion is interesting. There are ideas but the biggest question is who would use it? At this precise moment the answer would be - no-one rally. CVR for all its good goes from Nowhere to Absolute-Nowhere. Leek though is somewhere, a destination and a start point for people to arrive at. The biggest market town in the area, with the biggest connections of local services. Re-opening the railway line should be just the start of extensions to Oakamoor/Moneystone, Waterhouses and you never know maybe even Stoke & Alton Towers - when a Parkway station would come into it's own. There's a long term plan that is finally starting to come to fruition for the line, all which is starting with the excitement of Super Power Saturday.
One long single line from Stoke to Cauldon. The signalling system is still in place officially at Stoke PSB with the line designated as a Strategic Freight Line, however I suspect they'd need more than the stated 72 hours to bring it back into use... Trains could return with the right investment, but for passenger services either a run-round loop and canti-levered platform will be needed over the Viaduct sidings or trains would need permission to run into Stoke current and then onto the sidings North of the station to run-round. Take your pick which is your preferred method... And that's if trains were to terminate at Stoke, if they were heading for Crewe or Manchester there be no such need.
CVR will re-instate the loop at Leekbrook at some point, beyond that though depends on what Network Rail agree to. However CVR is prioritising itself with Leek, before moving onto re-opening to Moneystone to connect with the proposed holiday park on the former sand quarry. After that Cauldon should get re-opened with talks progressing over Alton Towers and Waterhouses extensions too.