'Peter' Battery operated loco. Start of walk up the quarry line to the carriage shed, which is at Dark Lane Quarry site.
THE STEEPLEHOUSE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY
(25th AUGUST 2012) Includes a short
video.
I had another visit to the High Peak Trail and
also took in a visit to the Steeple House Railway. I arrived a good hour before
opening time but was pleased to have an
invite
bythe staff to join them in their shuntingduties up to the Carriage shed, which
is built into a small quarry. Below are the photos and video clip
taken during the shunting moves.....
'Peter'
Battery operated
loco.
Start of walk up the quarry
line
to the carriage shed, which is at Dark Lane Quarry site.
Rear of loco shed with it's
traverser.
'Peter' preceded us to the carriage shed.
A walk through the tunnel
Killer's
(Middleton) quarry branch. Between Steeplehouse Jctn and Tunnel (Northwards). 1967. John
Marshall. N.B. The line was to Standard Guage.
Alost at the carriage
shed.
Plans are in hand to etend the
line up to Middleton quarry site. There appears to be plenty bf spare rail
available.
A Dark Lane Quarry
wagon.
At the three road carriage shed.
The track going off to
the end of the line. There is a small halt just up ahead, which is handy for the
recreational grounds nearby.
Work starts to shunt and build
up the two trains for the days' services.
Horwich joins in to assist in
the shunting and to form it's own train.
Peter is joined by aother
battery electric locomotive.
Interesting pointwork
sections.
Horwich awaits further shunt duties.
The vehicles are manually
pushed up to the
locomotives.
An old quarry vehicle at the head shunt of Dark Lane quarry.
Rails, and almost the boggies
and wagon are lost in the overgrowth.
The train is growing, in
locomotives, at least.
A diese/petro! loco is
now attached to the other two battery locos.
Riding on the completed train
and passing an old box van as we arrive at the loco shed and station site.
'Greenbat'. Controls and
opeating working instructions to the driver(s).
===================================================
Photos from the trips over the two quarry branch
After arrival back at the station end and having some refershents from the small shop I enjoyed a trip over the two branches. First on the longer branch to Middleton,
with Horwich in charge then on the short branch with Peter at the head.
Level crossing at the access road to the quarry. The flagman
goes to check that the road is clear and then gives the driver a green flag to cross the road
andgo qietly up to the stop
block. This is the end of the line for the moment but there are plans to extend the line further into the quarry.
Dogs also
enjoy the trip back to Steeplehouse.
Half way. Recreational Halt, as the name indicates leads to
the grounds close by.
==================================================
Trip along the short quarry branch
Peter at the stop blocks at the quarry end.
Ditto
While high up in the Dales it is interesting to find fosciles
in the stones that have been cut.
Iron sulphite seeps out of the rocks giving a red colour to
the otherwise gray quarry stone.
Cut stone lays in piles. Not only showing the amount of work
that took place here but of the terrible waste of workmanship in that these
stones
have never been used for anything.
I find it
sad that so much labour had gone into cutting these stones and for no
worthwhile reason whatsoever.
My thanks to the railway staff who kindly invited me to join them during the shunting work. Their kindness realy made my visit worthwhile.
===================================================================================================================
Video From 26th August 2012 Visit
Steeple House Railway web site
================================================
Back To SHEEP PASTURE TO MIDDLETON BOTTOM
My Thanks To.....
John Neave for his kind permission to use a number of his 1960's photographs when the railway was still in operation. Check out John's ''Going Loco'', which includes a C&HPR history. At....
http://goingloco.neave.com/Mark Norton for the use of 1940's photos by his late father Dennis J. D. Norton.
http://www.photobydjnorton.com/CHPR_Menu.html#LinksJohn Evens for the fantastic colour photos taken in April 1967 just prior to the line closing. John's photos can be viewed on Flickr under JodrelAviator.
Reading: "The Cromford & High Peak Railway" by John Marshall. Published by Martin Bairstow. Printed by The Amedeus Press 2011
Other Railway Walks....
The Dundee & Newtyle Railway The first passenger railway in Scotland built in 1831, which had three inclines operated by stationary steam engines. The main source of income was from
the numerous stone quarries in the area and local farming produce. Passenger numbers were always sparse.
The inclines were abandoned in the mid 1800's by new deviations that allowed through locomotive running.
The line also included the Dundee Law (Hill) tunnel built at 300ft above the City. Both the north & south portals of the tunnel are buried below modern housing schemes.
Passenger services ended in 1955 and the line closed completely in the mid 60's.
Unlike the C&HPR none of the Engine houses were preserved. The inclines can still be followed but sections have been back-filled or ploughed over
This web site tries to cover as much as possible.Boddam To Ellon Branchline Built by the GNSR in the latter part of the 20th century. The passenger service only lasted until 1934 but goods remained up to total closure in 1949.
The GNSR built a large Golf course and Hotel at Cruden Bay, with an electric tramway between the station and hotel. All that remains today is the Golf course.Other web pages....
Kittybrewster Memories. Kittybrewster Loco Depot, Aberdeen.
Tivoli Memories The Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen.
Hosted by www.theatreorgans.com