Ecclesbourne Valley Railway News & Updates

[jus363]

Is 44004 staying longer than today and Saturday ? would have gone Sunday but it's not a gala day

 

[nferguso]

I reccomend the Sizzling Pig, for what its worth.

The Hope & Anchor is another good option.

 

[The_Train]

Really enjoyable day out on the EVR and Peak Rail today. Got off to a ropey start with the delay to proceedings on the Peak Rail side (apparently the diesel delivery was an hour late) and I would definitely be recommending them having someone at Matlock to assist with passengers on the heritage side. We were a few mins late into Matlock on the first peak service and with no connecting bus in sight, we had no clue if it was just delayed in traffic or whether it had simply gone without waiting for the delayed train. Led to us having to fork out £15 for a taxi between the 2 railways so we could get to the EVR in time to meet the 73 working.

Things improved after that though with everything running to time by the end of the day. Two very scenic railways with some really great traction available - the 47 on EVR was in fine fettle and the double peaks on Peak Rail put in a superb performance to round off the day. Definitely goes down as a positive first experience overall and definitely 2 railways I will return to in the future

 

[xotGD]

I also had a good time yesterday - I went by car so didn't have to rely on the shuttle bus between the two railways.

All of the locos seemed to be working well, and the trip up the incline in a brake van being shoved by a Gronk was a novel experience.

And glorious sunshine too.

A couple of shots from the day:

The Crompton at Shottle:



Twin Peaks at Rowsley South:

 

[Iskra]

I also had a good time yesterday - I went by car so didn't have to rely on the shuttle bus between the two railways.

All of the locos seemed to be working well, and the trip up the incline in a brake van being shoved by a Gronk was a novel experience.

And glorious sunshine too.

A couple of shots from the day:

The Crompton at Shottle:

View attachment 178222

Twin Peaks at Rowsley South:

View attachment 178223

I love that bottom picture. Glad you all had a good time!

 

[xotGD]

I love that bottom picture. Glad you all had a good time!

Thanks! There must have been 20 of us standing in a row, all taking very similar shots of the pair of 44s.

 

[HOOVER29]

I wanted to go but decided on the SVR & enjoyed 50049 all day
Fantastic weather & well supported
A great laugh was had by all on the service

 

[satisnek]

I was there yesterday - a generally enjoyable day out but I don't know if the timetables could have been better co-ordinated, together with the bus service giving more consistent and workable connection times? The temporary traffic lights at Matlock Bath didn't help one bit (do temporary traffic lights ever help? Infernal things), but such eventualities could have been factored into the timings.

But it was an ambitious concept and all due credit must be given. It was also good to see more carriages in service on the EVR instead of dragging DMUs around, which was the case last time I went there.

 

[50002Superb]

Any chance of a Three Peak Challenge next year with the MRC being incorporated or does that spread too thinly?

 

[Iskra]

Would it perhaps be better to scrap the bus link and just ask EMR to do the honours between Matlock and Duffield?

 

[DDB]

E-V-R used to sync really well with EMR but don't anymore and Peak Rail never have.
I hope one day that they will attempt to sync again but there are rumours of big changes of the EMR regional routes in December so no point trying until any time changes on EMR are announced.

 

[m79900]

The temporary traffic lights at Matlock Bath didn't help one bit (do temporary traffic lights ever help? Infernal things), but such eventualities could have been factored into the timings.

.

I'd suggest sending the bus over Starkholmes. In the warmer months its often far quicker than Matlock Bath.

 

[43055]

Is 44004 staying longer than today and Saturday ? would have gone Sunday but it's not a gala day

Nothing in real time trains to say it has left yet.

I also had a good time yesterday - I went by car so didn't have to rely on the shuttle bus between the two railways.

All of the locos seemed to be working well, and the trip up the incline in a brake van being shoved by a Gronk was a novel experience.

And glorious sunshine too.

A couple of shots from the day:

The Crompton at Shottle:

View attachment 178222

Twin Peaks at Rowsley South:

View attachment 178223

Very nice pictures!

Any chance of a Three Peak Challenge next year with the MRC being incorporated or does that spread too thinly?

Probaly a bit far. At least with EVR & Peak Rail it is 'just over the hill' so to speak.

E-V-R used to sync really well with EMR but don't anymore and Peak Rail never have.
I hope one day that they will attempt to sync again but there are rumours of big changes of the EMR regional routes in December so no point trying until any time changes on EMR are announced.

The trouble is you can't really do a round trip in exactly 2 hours so at some point in the day the connections won't be ideal.

Lightwight ready for it's first public working with 55006.


The southern pair arriving into Shottle.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

Would it perhaps be better to scrap the bus link and just ask EMR to do the honours between Matlock and Duffield?

Not based on their performance on the Saturday afternoon! 1613 train from Matlock cancelled so an hour's wait for the next 2-car train which would have been barely adequate for comfort even without the cancellation. Sardine-can full so several groups couldn't board and things got worse down the line with time lost and more people left behind at each stop. The entire branch being single track means an hourly service is the best they can deliver and presumably there are few spare trains available to lengthen what they do run. The TrentBarton 6.1 bus was no better, partly I suppose due to the temporary lights, though that doesn't explain the mismatch between the so-called live running info and reality, with a bus apparently arriving and leaving while actually still 20 minutes away. Ho hum.

 

[50002Superb]

Nothing in real time trains to say it has left yet.

Very nice pictures!

Probaly a bit far. At least with EVR & Peak Rail it is 'just over the hill' so to speak.

The trouble is you can't really do a round trip in exactly 2 hours so at some point in the day the connections won't be ideal.

Lightwight ready for it's first public working with 55006.
View attachment 178337

The southern pair arriving into Shottle.
View attachment 178338

It’s only about 35 minutes by car from Rowsley to Butterley, 25 minutes from Wirksworth and 20 minutes from Duffield.

I think it would be a clever piece of marketing given how much “Three Peak Challenge” is googled.

 

[The_Train]

Can anybody ID this for me please

 

[43055]

Can anybody ID this for me please

Looks like DB977975 (W55027) according to our virtual engine shed page.

 

[The_Train]

Looks like DB977975 (W55027) according to our virtual engine shed page.

Thank you

 

[xotGD]

Looks like DB977975 (W55027) according to our virtual engine shed page.

The bottom photo on this web page looks very much like @The_Train 's photo:

977975 Details

The history of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs / railcars) in Britain.

www.railcar.co.uk

 

[The_Train]

The bottom photo on this web page looks very much like @The_Train 's photo:

977975 Details

The history of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs / railcars) in Britain.

www.railcar.co.uk

Yeah, that is definitely the one! Thanks a lot

 

[xotGD]

Yeah, that is definitely the one! Thanks a lot

Looking at the history of that unit, I may well have had it between Slough and Windsor back in the day.

 

[tram21]

Led to us having to fork out £15 for a taxi between the 2 railways so we could get to the EVR in time to meet the 73 working.

It's worth remembering for next year that trentbarton run a half hourly 'the sixes' bus between the two anyway which operates a good service.

 

[43055]

New event for 2025. Pints & Platforms on the evening of 6th June with 33103.

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway | Matlock

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth. 9,200 likes · 422 talking about this · 8,499 were here. We operate steam and heritage diesel trains on the line between Wirksworth and Duffield

www.facebook.com

*** NEW FOR 2025! ***
Join us on 6th June for our Pints & Platforms event!

There'll be a range of local ales and ciders with bars on the train as well as Wirksworth & Duffield platforms. You'll be able to choose from a table for 4, a compartment, or an individual person ticket

Plus, you'll enjoy live entertainment onboard the train (Act TBC)

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 17th April at 9am. More information about the event will be available on our website shortly (e-v-r.com)

 

[m79900]

@nferguso, have you ever considered the possibility of running brake van rides through the tunnel to the Big 'ole from Wirksworth yard? I'm unsure of the structure's condition clearly, and there'd probably be years of red tape to get allowed to run passengers through, but if it was at all feasable, I'm sure it'd have massive appeal.

 

[duffield]

@nferguso, have you ever considered the possibility of running brake van rides through the tunnel to the Big 'ole from Wirksworth yard? I'm unsure of the structure's condition clearly, and there'd probably be years of red tape to get allowed to run passengers through, but if it was at all feasable, I'm sure it'd have massive appeal.

Where exactly is this tunnel and this "Big 'ole" then? I've been on the EVR loads of times and not heard of them!

 

[m79900]

Where exactly is this tunnel and this "Big 'ole" then? I've been on the EVR loads of times and not heard of them!

There's a former railway tunnel which runs from the back end of Wirksworth yard under the town centre to Dale Quarry. You can see it, there's a gate to it and the 2ft gauge line runs in front of it.

 

[duffield]

There's a former railway tunnel which runs from the back end of Wirksworth yard under the town centre to Dale Quarry. You can see it, there's a gate to it and the 2ft gauge line runs in front of it.

Oh yes, I can see it on OpenRailwayMap.

(Link is to Open Railway Map, showing the former branch from Wirksworth Station Yard to Dale Quarry)

OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap - An OpenStreetMap-based project for creating a map of the world's railway infrastructure.

www.openrailwaymap.org

I'll look out for the tunnel entrance next time I'm there. And I agree it would be a great attraction if the tunnel is any condition to be opened, though sadly I'd fear it's not.

This 1899 OS map shows a little more detail, i.e. the sidings at the end of the line in the Quarry.

(Link is to 1899 25 inch to the mile OS map, ref Derbyshire XXXIV.14, showing the tunnel from Wirksworth Yard to Dale Quarry, and the sidings in Dale Quarry)

View map: Ordnance Survey, Derbyshire XXXIV.14 (Wirksworth) - Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, 1841-1952

I've found some interesting info about "The big 'ole" online but it's not clear to me when the last train ran through the tunnel, whether that was when the quarry closed or sometime before.

 

[43055]

Due to an issue with Moorbarrow, 33103 will be out this weekend in it's place. The 1050 from Wirksworth & 1150 return on Saturday though will be W55006.

 

[jus363]

Is 44004 staying longer than today and Saturday ? would have gone Sunday but it's not a gala day

To Answer my own question, Twin Peaks running day 10th May

Twin Peaks Running Day - Heritage Railway and Steam Train Rides Midlands, UK, Derbyshire Peak District

10th May

www.peakrail.co.uk

oin us at Peak Rail for a special Diesel Running Day celebrating the golden era of British diesel traction, headlined by our iconic “Peak” locomotives – Class 44 D8 “Penyghent” and a visiting Class 44 44004 ‘Great Gable’ – true giants of the mainline and legends of the Derbyshire landscape.

This is your chance to enjoy an immersive day of heritage diesel action along our scenic 4-mile preserved line between Rowsley South and Matlock, right in the heart of the Derwent Valley.

 

[Cross Fell]

To Answer my own question twin peaks running day 10th May

Twin Peaks Running Day - Heritage Railway and Steam Train Rides Midlands, UK, Derbyshire Peak District

10th May

www.peakrail.co.uk

Thanks for the headsup !