Staffordshire standard gauge steam
Cauldon Lowe reopens
13 November 2010
Stone traffic from Caldon Quarry last used the
railway down to Leek Brook junction, thence
to Stoke-on-Trent, in 1992. The original line
from Leek Brook was the Waterhouses branch,
where the Leek and Manifold 2'6" gauge line
then connected - the last short section to the
quarry forming a spur off the branch about a
mile from Waterhouses.
By 1994, the track was becoming well overgrown. The
undergrowth was cleared in early 1994, to enable a number of
railtours to travel up the branch. I travelled on the Branch Line
Society's "Caldon Peak" on 16th April of that year - a most
enjoyable outing (see "The Caldon Peak" on "Trips 'n Tours"). The
line was then left to nature - "mothballed" - and became
unusable.
In the intervening years, much has happened locally, and the
Churnet Valley Railway now runs to Leek Brook Junction. Then,
just a year or so ago, Moorland and City Railways was set up with
the prime objective of reopening
throughout from Stoke to Caldon Lowe,
with the intention of carrying stone once
again. The story is best told on their
website - suffice it to say that today's
events marked an important milestone in
that project.
The line is notable for its gradient profile - the steepest (short)
section is 1 in 40, with a long stretch at 1 in 45 followed by 1 in
59 to the summit near Ipstones - and then a descent at 1 in 61
towards the quarry. Definitely not an "XYZ Valley Railway"...
Several trains were advertised for public
service - topped and tailed in turn by
71000 "Duke of Gloucester", 34028
"Eddystone", 44767 "George Stephenson"
and the (controversially) red liveried 8F
8624. In the event, 71000 only completed
one return trip up the line*, and diesel 33
021 was pressed into service (sensibly on the "tail" of both trains
we saw). We arrived just in time to see an earlier unadvertised
service drifting back down the line, then photographed the four
trips which would run in daylight (only just, in the case of
8624...). Further trains would run during the hours of darkness -
and are planned for the next two weekends and a couple of
weekdays. I'd decided some time ago that today, weather
permitting (and it did - wonderful!), would be a day for
photography - but I will be back for a ride - that's a must!
Spelling note: Caldonlow quarry is at Caldon Low. Immediately north
of the quarry is Cauldon village - and immediately south is the
tumulus-topped Cauldon Lowe. Hmmm. M&CR use "Cauldon Lowe" - so
have I...
*71000 note: The story - I've no idea whether it's true - was that he
used much more water than expected on the first run - and there are
limited facilities for watering...
Valve gear note: It can't be often that three different types of valve
gear can be seen (as in outside motion) operating in one day -
Walschaerts, Caprotti (71000) and Stephenson's link motion (44767).
(Shame it wasn't an unrebuilt Bulleid pacific...)
Link:
•
The Churnet Valley Railway
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
