Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Wirksworth Station as it is today.
Locale	Derbyshire, England
Terminus	Wirksworth
Commercial operations
Name	Wirksworth branch
Built by	Midland Railway
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Operated by	WyvernRail plc
Stations	3 (to be 5)
Length	8.5 miles (13.7 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Opened	1867
Closed	1947 (passenger)
Preservation history
1996	Light Rail order granted
2004	0.5 mile passenger trains to Gorsey Bank begin
2005	0.75 mile passenger trains on the 1 in 27 Ravenstor Incline begin
2008	3.5 mile passenger trains to Idridgehay begin

Derby Lightweight, no. 79900, operating on the line on which she was originally tested when new some 55 years earlier, fully restored to passenger carrying standard from being former test car IRIS. The unit is now a unique example of a Derby Lightweight single car unit.

Class 122, no. 55006, operating away from home, at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway on 15th October 2004, whilst taking part in the Railcar 50 event. This unit is painted in original BR Green livery, and is usually based at Wirksworth.

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Cromford & High Peak Rly disused incline Ravenstor Stoneycroft Quarry Wirksworth Gorsey Bank level crossing Idridgehay level crossing Idridgehay Shottle A517 (Ashbourne Road) Hazelwood Duffield Tunnel (52 yards) A6 (Milford Road) Midland Main Line to Belper Duffield Midland Main Line to Derby

File:Evr.jpg

Route of the railway

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is an 8.5 mile heritage railway in Derbyshire, with operations based at Wirksworth station. It is currently planned to extend the railway along the former Midland Railway branch line which joined the main-line at Duffield. Despite being a branch in itself, there is also has a separate 3/4 mile branch operating from Wirksworth Station Platform 3 to Ravenstor (for the National Stone Centre and High Peak Trail) on a 1 in 27 gradient incline.

When complete it will be one of the few Heritage Railways that operates a whole branch line in its original form and entire length.

The line is principally operated by one of the largest fleets of operational heritage Diesel Multiple Units in the UK, with some locomotive hauled trains operating on special event days. There will be the introduction of a fully-rebuilt steam industrial locomotive during 2010.

History

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 Railway, later the Midland Railway, at Duffield. The Midland was initially unenthusiastic, but then realised that the branch could be extended to Rowsley, albeit with difficulty, avoiding the section from Ambergate, on its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, which was shared with its rival the London and North Western Railway.

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.

From Wirksworth it would descend to Cromford using a 1,503-yard (1,374 m) tunnel and a 280-yard (260 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 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. 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.

Operation

The presence of the line, however, 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 800,000 gallons 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 Hazlewood (about half a mile from the village down a steep hill and originally called Windley), Shottle (originally Cowers Lane) and Idridgehay.

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 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 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 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 railcars 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 were produced they were each tested on the line after leaving the workshop. One of the original's built of only three surviving, 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 (270 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 Railway, 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) which no longer needed a rail link. Although its sidings, and the station goods yard, at Wirksworth are still listed by Network Rail, the connection to the main line at Duffield has been severed and fenced off, effectively preventing the easy reinstatement of any future link.

Present day

Preservation

In 1996 WyvernRail were awarded a Light Railway Order for the full length of the line.

Wirksworth station was reopened in 2002, with the first 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of line between Wirksworth and Gorsey Bank opened for a DMU shuttle passenger service in 2004, followed by a new line to Ravenstor in 2005. On the 8th March 2008, the railway began to branch it's passenger operations further south by holding a grand opening ceremony for the line between Wirksworth station and Idridgehay station - 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 under a scheme promoted by the Friends of the Derwent Valley Line. They undertook to provide care and maintenance of the station on behalf of Central Trains who operated it at that time.

To the future: it is intended to extend the preserved operating line so that passenger trains can run along the whole length of the line. The line will initially be brought up to passenger-carrying standards to allow trains to run through from Wirksworth to Duffield. At Duffield, passengers will be able to change for mainline rail services by crossing from the branch platform (Platform 3) to one of the Network Rail platforms (either Platform 1 or Platform 2). Once the line is open to Duffield it is the intention to then revisit the larger Shottle 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 but as of 2009 there are no official plans.

Signalling and Line Operation

The railway principally operates on a Token system, with the Wirksworth to Duffield section currently holding one token in the form of an Annett's key. 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 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 trains that the station is approaching. 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's Seconds from Disaster where their ex-Gatwick Express coaches were used to depict the Eschede train disaster from 1998.
In 2006 a location just south of Wirksworth was used to film the ITV Drama "Mobile" whilst in June 2007 Wirksworth was used as the fictional station of Lightbourne in the BBC television series Casualty, 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 in June 2009 but has since moved again to the Great Central Railway.

The BBC returned to the railway in August 2009 to shoot scenes for a new drama to be aired in January 2010 called "Five Days II" starring Suranne Jones, Anne Reid, Bernard Hill, Matthew McNulty 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's E51505 and M51188 being used.

On-site Restoration Projects

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. The two Andrew Barclay steam locomotives are currently being completely rebuilt on-site so that they can work on the Ravenstor incline. This project has been funded by various grant funding as well as individuals.

Also being restored on site is Class 119 DMU W51073 which was stripped of useful parts at Gwent Demolition at Margham. 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 many trains once 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.

Stations

Stations of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, from north to south.

Location	Status	Opened	Closed	Notes	Photograph
Ravenstor	open	1 September 2005		New station built by the EVR, opened 1 September 2005.	Ravenstor Railway Station
Wirksworth	open	1 October 1867	16 June 1947	Building demolished, platforms rebuilt.	Wirksworth railway station
Idridgehay	open	1 October 1867	16 June 1947	Building in private ownership, platform survived. Reopened 8 March 2008.	Idridgehay railway station
Shottle	closed	1 October 1867	16 June 1947	Building in private ownership, platform survived.	Shottle railway station
Hazelwood	closed	1 October 1867	16 June 1947	Building in private ownership, platform demolished.	Hazelwood railway station
Duffield	open	1841		Buildings demolished, branch platform survived, main platforms still in use by Derwent Valley Line.	Duffield railway station

Rolling stock

Steam Locomotives

• Barclay 0-4-0T 2360 "Wee Yorkie" (No3 in Green Livery) - Under restoration
• Barclay 0-4-0T 2217 "Henry Ellison" (Sprayed in Oil) - Non Operational
• Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No 102 Cathryn - Non Operational

Diesel Locomotives

• BR A1A-A1A Class 31 no. 31414 - Not in Use
• BR Class 20 no. D8001
• Rolls-Royce Class Steelman "LJ Breeze"
• Thomas Hill Class Vanguard "Hydra" no. 6
• Thomas Hill Class Vanguard "Tommy" no. 8
• Ruston and Hornsby Class 165 "Sir Peter and Lady Hilton" - Not operational
• Ruston and Hornsby Class 165 no. 11520 - Not operational
• Ruston and Hornsby Class 165 "Kirtley" - Under repair

Diesel Multiple Units

Class 119, no. 51073, one of the first restoration projects to take place at the railway and one of only three surviving examples.

• BR Derby Lightweight Single Car Unit 79900 "Iris"
• BR Class 101 unit 51188+51505
• BR Class 108 DTCL no. 56224
• BR Class 117 unit 51360
• BR Class 119 DMBC no. 51073 - Under Restoration
• BR Class 122 no. 55006

Carriages

• BR Class 488/2 unit 488202 (72501+72617)
• BR Class 489 units 489101 (68500) and 489107 (68506)

Narrow Gauge

• RA Lister & Co Class R no. 26288

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 Derbyshire, 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’. 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 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 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 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 and the successful share launch of WyvernRail plc in April 2002.

External links

• Ecclesbourne Valley Railway official website
• Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association volunteers site.
• British Railways in 1960 - the Wirksworth branch
• British Railways in 1960 - the Wirksworth incline