Is any ranger/rover worth the effort? In Scotland they market them at tourists just fine.
Glad you enjoyed your trip. You may he spotted yours's truly at Wirksworth or on the 1520 return in my big coat! The compartment vehicles was probably popular due to being the first ones you get to at Wirksworth and you are out the rain quicker.
For me, good connections at Duffield don't matter so much - and planned ones can easily go astray anyway - if there's something to help pass the time while waiting (watching the run-round, light refreshments/a shop/somewhere warm to wait and a welcoming face). What I don't want is to arrive at Duffield in the morning on the most suitable EMR train to find the EVR station barely open, or be dropped at Duffield at the end of the day and the EVR service goes back north, the station building is then closed up because the volunteer quite understandably wants to go home (I've been that volunteer elsewhere!) and there's still half an hour to wait for a main line train in a bleak bus shelter. A tricky one to resolve.
Ive still not managed to visit the EVR but are you able to reveal the percentages of passengers which join your services at Wirksworth and Duffield? for comparison on the K & ESR its around 85% Tenterden, 5% Northiam and 10% Bodiam
I don't know the exact numbers but the majority join at Wirksworth with a few from Duffield say on the first train returning on the last one giving almost 3 hours in Wirksworth. Normally Shottle and Idridgehay don't normally get anyone except on gala days.
Nice Micro bar in Duffield five minutes walk away, depending what day you travel
Doesn't Wirksworth have frequent bus services from Derby, Duffield Belpher and Matlock? All covered by the remarkably cheap Derbyshire fares and passes? I wouldn't describe that as "all but impossible" but best wishes to the EVR.
The sixes bus is indeed a very easy and cheap ride into Wirksworth.
That may be for you, but a 1 hr 50 mins total journey time doesn't make it' Virtually impossible"
Saturday is showing to Duffield Holloway Road so looks like a diesel crew has been found to top and tail.
BR Standard 2MTs 78018 and 78019 have been on loan to the EVR, and proved very suitable. I travelled behind 78018 on a very wet day in July 2019 and the engine handled the train extremely well. Not sure if a LMS 4F would be suitable on the line, did BR ever use them there in steam days?
Think it might depend on the load for how much it can handle. We had 6 coaches and the 14 on top and tail yesterday and it almost came to a stand after trying to accelerate out of a 5mph restriction in the wet.
A 4F would have a greater TE than a 2MT wouldn't it? Being a freight engine, probably better designed for slow and strong than the 2MT? Either way, I'm not here to purely advocate for the 4F - interested to know what else might be suitable.
A variety of BR steam power was used on the branch as far as Wirksworth exchange sidings until the mid-sixties, with quarry owned locos taking over from there. Class 8F, WD, Black 5, and the occasional 4F and 9F have been recorded on the stone and limestone traffic.
This is absolutely the crucial thing! I was just curious in an semi-idealogical way!
4F wise there is only 44422 at churnet valley railway which needs new driving wheels it did used to run at the west somerset railway out of ticket since at least 2018 and 43924 out of ticket back in the beginning of 2021 at K.V.W.R
I have just been reading a copy of ‘The Wirksworth Branch’ - Howard Sprenger, and it lists details of locos working the branch from observations made between 1963 and 1965. Two Fowler 4Fs 44454 and 44076 were recorded on limestone trains on 6/8/63 and 29/10/64 respectively, but the most numerous sightings were of 8Fs. The last reference to steam was a photograph of 8F 48003, taken in the yard at Wirksworth on 1/9/1965, a Kirkby in Ashfield allocated engine at the time.
www.e-v-r.com
Fantastic work, sadly I am unavailable on those dates, but I applaud your work from a distance and it sounds an impressive line up and event. I’m sure I will make a visit in on a steam day in the near future, having done diesel’s on my last two visits.
Thank you! We hope to have plenty of steam opportunities next year, so we look forward to seeing you!
