© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011
We started at Gowhole, site of the former
sidings. A substantial footbridge used to cross
the site, making an excellent photographic
viewpoint. It had gone! The viewpoint was now
less than ideal, the bushes were getting in the
way - when the light went, so did we.
We moved a little further east, taking up position
on the footbridge near Chinley station, where another class 31
passed with an eastbound passenger. At the triangular Chinley
junction, the class 31 and its train would take the north to east
route, now the "main line" between Manchester and Sheffield.
The stone trains would continue along the north to south route -
once the Midland main line from Manchester to Derby, now
freight only. (The south to east link was removed many years
ago, but in more recent times has been reinstated to allow
direct access to the quarry lines from the east). First point of
call along this route, south of Dove Holes tunnel, is Peak Forest,
home to the RMC Roadstone Holderness Limeworks.
A pair of cl 37s arrived light, and later departed with a loaded
train - the stone dust is starting to fly as they approach Dove
Holes tunnel. The fine Sentinel bearing the legend "Peakstone"
made a few movements as we waited.
Tunstead is another busy spot - there was plenty
of activity for us that day. First illustrated is a
pair of 37s heading up the bank with a train of
empties, then, at the same spot, 47 333 (again)
with a heavy loaded train, banked by 37 259.
Lastly, another pair of 37s (687 leading) arrived
to take a line of empty wagons into the Tunstead
complex.
The light would probably not last a lot longer, so we left the
quarries to take a quick look at Buxton. Keeping company with
37s and 47s was 45 041, probably in the last months of its life.
Lastly, a backlit snap of the station, where a couple of DMUs
stand idling, awaiting their next trip down the LNWR route to
Manchester. And that was it - time for home.
Link:
Dave Homer Video
Dave specialises in fairground video, but also offers some
DVDs of railway action in the Buxton area - and a cab ride
video from an ICI stone train recorded in Feb 1990