Fordbank

And in no particular numerical order…. Train #14 - MEA Box Wagons 60081 "Isambard Kingdom Brunel" with a rake of MEAs in one of the sidings at Peak Forest on 29/08/02 Photo Steve Jones The humble two axle MEA box wagon was a Peak Forest staple prior to the millenium charge towards ever longer trains of bogie box wagons. The MEAs were converted in several batches from redundant HEA coal and other wagons from 1990 onwards by RFS Engineering at Doncaster and later by Marcroft Engineering and others. Early wagons were ordered by Railfreight Coal, but these were followed by further conversions for the shadow freight compaies Loadhaul and Mainline Freight. After these wagons transferred to EWS, the latter company ordered further batches which were delivered new in EWS maroon livery. By 1998 EWS had 573 MEAs in traffic. The result was rakes of wagons in a colourful mix of liveries often adorned with a variety of logos betraying their individual origins.* 5-4-2006 Great Rocks Jct. 60038 on 6H59 Peak Forest - Dowlow empty MEAs Photo Robert Catterson from Flickr. ‘4th May 2004. 60029 passes the Train Crew Depot located in the former station building with 6H59 the empty box wagons from Ashburys S.S.' ‘4-05-2004. Peak Forest. 60029 on 6H59 with its train of MEA box wagons heads to Dowlow for reloading. 60077 stands at the fuel point ’ Stone from the Peak District quarries was conveyed in MEA box wagons for the extension of the M60 motorway and the construction of the second runway at Manchester Airport. Trains, from Dove Holes to Manchester Airport used MEAs prior to the opening of the hopper discharge drops in January 1998. The Airport trains often featured class 56 traction. ‘23rd August 1997. 56059 arrives at Peak Forest from Manchester Airport with its train of empty box wagons. The wagons will be left on the stabling sidings until they are taken across to Dove Holes quarry for re-loading.’ ‘23rd August 1997. 56059 shunts its train into the stabling sidings at Peak Forest.’ Peak Forest 1-7-06 EWS had recently started putting large EWS transfers on the sides of their locos which brightened up the plain grey locos such as 60013 seen stabled over the week-end on a rake of MEAs in the sidings next to Dove Holes Quarry Photo John Catterson On Peak Forest Revived the MEA wagons will in the future also provide plenty of scope for some interesting weathering:- Photo Jon Gavin from Flickr. *My thanks to Paul Harrison and his informative book ‘Wagons in the Peak District’.

I have tried to find a photo of the old power station when it was still operational, but without success. I also fancied modelling the remains of the power station next to Railside but Peak Forest Revived lacks the space. Of course I cheated with the old lime kilns by moving them across to the stabling sidings, They add too much to the atmosphere of Peak Forest to omit. Modellers' license.

Train #3 – JGA Buxton Lime Industries Bogie Hopper Wagons Twenty bogie hopper wagons were built for Buxton Lime Industries in 1994 by Tatrastroj Poprad of Slovakia for limestone traffic from Tunstead. The wagons were primarily utilised to transport limestone to coal fired power stations for the flue gas desulphurisation process, and to convey limestone quarried at Tunstead the short distance to the cement and lime works at Hindlow as limestone extraction had been halted there. Toton 14-6-96 60032 passes on the Ratcliffe-Tunstead empty stone working using the new Buxton Lime Industries wagons. Photo John Catterson 'Peak Forest, 21st June 1996. 60077 arrives from Ratcliffe power station and passes Peak Forest South Signal Box with its train of empty limestone hoppers.' 17-4-98 Great Rocks Jct. 60030 awaits the signal to draw its empty limestone train from Hindlow into Tunstead quarry. Photo: Robert Catterson '6th June 1998. Having arrived from Hindlow and run round its train of empty hoppers, 60029 departs down the grade to Tunstead for reloading.' On the real Peak Forest loaded trains leaving Tunstead quarry on workings to Hindlow leave Great Rocks Junction towards Peak Forest and use the Up/Down loop to run around their train before heading south to Buxton URS where they will run around a second time before taking the old High Peak line to the quarries at Hindlow and Dowlow. Peak Forest Revived, having less space than the real world, trains pathed from Tunstead to Hindlow have to run round at Peak Forest itself. In normal operation a train from Tunstead will cross onto Railside adjacent to the down main line and the train engine will use the Down Main to run around before heading back in the direction of Great Rocks Junction. However as in the real world Peak Forest Revived can be conjested and the use of Railside to shunt trains loading at Dove Holes quarry can mean that Railside is unavailable as a run round loop. In this case trains needing to run round in order to access Tunstead do so using the shorter freight loop adjacent to the Up Main directly in front of the signal box. 60029 in the photo above has used exactly this pathing. Great Rocks Junction 15-4-07 (SUN) 60059 leaves the loop on the empties from Hindlow for Tunstead Quarry Photo: John Catterson '12th May 2001, 60007, having run round its empty train from Hindlow, departs Railside towards Great Rocks Junction and Tunstead quarry.' Buxton URS 30-3-03 (SUN) 60044 has just dropped off its empty BLI hoppers in Buxton URS in order to run-round the Sunday Hindlow-Tunstead empties. Photo; John Catterson '14th April 2003. 60078 still in Mainline livery, has arrived from Tunstead and run round its loaded limestone hoppers on Railside. It is seen recoupling to its train before rolling down the 1in 100 grade to Great Rocks Junction where it will pick up the token for the line via Ashwood Dale to Buxton.' '14th April 2003. 60078 lifts its train of loaded BLi hoppers off Railside and departs for Buxton URS.' Footnote. It was the introduction of the Bachmann BLi hoppers which provided the first inspiration to model Peak Forest. Thus the rake of blue JGA wagons now constitute Train #3 on Peak Forest Revived.

Back to 4mm:1 Foot - A little bit of modelling: some aggregate loads for JGA wagons. If aggregate trains are to depart Peak Forest Revived as well as to arrive then the wagons need to appear loaded. However making stone loads for the two rakes of JGAs on PFR is made a bit trickier than for the PHV limestone hoppers (see post November 20th 2018 above) due to the inwardly overhanging tops of the sides on JGAs. Unless the loads are to become permanent features of the wagons then they need to be no wider than the top opening of the hopper. In order not to leave a gap down each side of the load it is necessary to be precise in modelling the height of the aggregate load to just below the lip of the wagon top, whilst simultaneously not making it totally flat topped since the aggregate loads in the real wagons generally have several shallow peaks caused by the overhead filling hoppers. Not difficult just a bit fiddly to carve in polystyrene. Fortunatel it is possible to get away with a single set of JGA wagon loads for both the RMC “Cherry” rake, and the Bli rake of hoppers. They just can’t be pathed to depart Peak Forest Revived at the same time! The not-quite-finished loads - a bit of touching up the ballast remains. Of course removable loads means the they not only have to fit in the wagons but also have to be easy to take out. My chosen solution is to utilise the force generated in matter by the motion of electrons within its atoms. Magnetism! Or to put it another way – shove a metal screw into the polystyrene:- The green ball in the photo above is simply a handy fridge magnet. Works a treat.

End of an Era? #4 - And Then There Was One. DB Cargo having withdrawn its class 60s from Peak Forest workings, and GB Railfreight preferring to utilise class 66s for its aggregate trains out of Dove Holes quarry means that currently there remains just one regular class 60 powered stone working passing through Peak Forest. DCRail 60046 "William Wilberforce" ….. on 6Z82 Peak Forest / Dove Holes Cemex - Brandon Down Sidings at Peak Forest, departed 9 Early at 13:50 29/02/2024 Photo: Jon Gavin from Flickr During March 2019, DCR acquired four Class 60 diesel locomotives from the freight operator DB Cargo UK. Prior to entering service, these were overhauled by DB Cargo at Toton TMD; 60046 was the first to enter service with DCR in November 2019. Both 60028 and 60055 joined the fleet during December 2019 while 60029 arrived in 2020. DC Rail also bought eight additional redundant class 60s from DB Cargo ( 60008, 60009, 60038, 60061, 60064, 60070, 60080, 60090 ) but to the best of my knowledge these reside untouched on the tarmac apron outside the former Brush factory in Loughborough having been transferred by road from from Toton. Peak Forest Revived - Post Script. Time to call a halt. The planned release of the Cavalex class 60 in DCR livery together with the forthcoming release of MMR wagons in an appropriate blue livery will enable a future model of the 6Z82 Peak Forest / Dove Holes Cemex - Brandon Down Sidings working to be replicated on Peak Forest Revived. However attractive as the proposition seems such a recreation would likely be a train too far in terms of the time period of Peak Forest Revived, and more pertinently in terms of the bank balance! But who knows what the future holds….. Peak Forest 20-7-23 60029 draws its train out of Dove Holes quarry into the "Long Siding" at Peak Forest. The 60 will then work 6Z27 Peak Forest-Brandon service. Photo: John Catterson. Taken from a tree (of course!).

End of an Era? #3 During the 1990s it was quite possible to see six or more Class 60s, together with newer 66s, and older class 37s, all stabled in the Up Holding Sidings at Peak Forest. Resources were sweated less vigorously then. ‘EWS Class 60s: 60074.60053.60011.60012.60033.and 60094 stabled at Peak Forest on the 17th April 2005’ Photo David Burrell from Flickr. '27th April 2003. EWS liveried 60029 stands in front of 60077, 60078, and with 60007 just visible behind' 60045 on the fuelling point at Peak Forest, 14th July 2012. Photo Dave Wragg from Flickr. ‘10th December 2014. EWS 60029 ‘Clitheroe Castle’ stands on the fuelling point at Peak Forest. Ten years later 60029 would be one of the very last DB Cargo owned class 60s to work to Peak Forest’ Such was the importance of class 60s as key motive power for limestone aggregate traffic from Tunstead and Dove Holes that they became the location of appropriate naming ceremonies. ‘16th December 2015. Having returned to the Peak District following its naming ceremony two days earlier, 60044 ‘Dowlow’ waits at the DB Schenker traincrew offices located in the old station building at Peak Forest.’ ‘On 27th April 2015, a small ceremony at the Cemex Dove Holes quarry saw 60039 named "Dove Holes" in recognition of the relationship between the quarry and the railways, which over the years have moved so much stone from here. The loco and some of the quarry staff pose for the official photographers.’ Photo: Down to Nowhere from Flickr

End of an era? #2 - A Tribute to Peak Forest Tugs The Class 60s might all but have deserted the real Peak Forest but they continue to enliven Peak Forest Revived. ‘26th January 1998. Loadhaul liveried 60007 arrives at Peak Forest from Washwood Heath with a rake of empty RMC hoppers’ Peak Forest 21-2-98. 60008 is seen stabling its train of empty RMC hoppers from Washwood Heath in the sidings alongside the mainline. Photo John Catterson from Flickr. ‘30th March 2003. Having refuelled at the fuel point 60078 sets back into the Up holding sidings before picking up its rake of loaded limestone hoppers from Tunstead for the short haul up to Hindlow.’ '60011 starts up on Railside at Peak Forest, 23rd Oct 2010.' Photo Dave Wragg from Flickr One day soon (lol) I will repaint and detail this rake of Yeoman JGAs to reflect the ageing wagons which stood in for the PHV hoppers until the replacement Bruner Mond JEAs arrived. Until then they will have to go back in their box! ‘2nd April 1998. Still in Mainline livery 60077 waits at Peak Forest for a driver change before it departs for Northwich with its loaded PGAs.’ Peak Forest 30-5-98. 60077 passes on the Saturday morning empty PGAs returning from Northwich to Tunstead Photo John Catterson from Flickr.

End of an era? #1 - A Long Goodbye to Class 60s at Peak Forest. On 17th January 2024 the last of DB Cargo’s Class 60s were withdrawn from service. It would be seriously remiss for Reflections not to mark the occasion. Just days before withdrawal by DB Cargo, “Clitheroe Castle” 60024 with 6H02 09:30 Warrington Arpley - Tunstead Quarry Sdgs consisting of the Brunner Mond JEA hoppers approaching Chinley Nth Junc. Photo: Vincent Hardy from Flickr. For over 30 years Peak Forest has been a bastion for the Type 5 heavy freight locomotive built by Brush Traction in Loughborough. Class 60s were first regularly seen at Peak Forest in 1989 hauling the new KPA bogie hopper wagons owned by Tiphook Rail. ‘18-9-94 Great Rocks Jct. 60082 pulls out of the loop on Hindlow - Tunstead empty limestone train’ made up of Tiphook KPA wagons.’ Photo Robert Catterson from Flickr. When the old four wheel 27ton tippler wagons were replaced by newer JGA bogie hoppers belonging to RMC, it was class 60s, still in their original Railfreight sector liveries, which also took over these workings out of Dove Holes Quarry. Peak Forest 1-5-97 60088 reverse into Dove Holes Quarry on empty RMC hoppers from Hope Street stone terminal Photo John Catterson from Flickr December 1997 saw the end of the iconic PHV hoppers working through Peak Forest between Tunstead Quarry and Bruner Mond at Northwich in Cheshire. In their latter days the PHV hoppers were haiuled by class 37s often working in pairs due to the need for traction to be equipped with vacuum brakes. The PHV hoppers were however replaced temporarily by ex Yeoman four wheel PGA hoppers and with them and their air brakes came more class 60s. The ageing PGAs were themselves replaced in 2001 by Bruner Mond Ltd. with 27 new JEA wagons and here too class 60s would become the staple motive power for the next 23 years.

Lovely model of the station building, and I'd like to see more of Peak Forest North Box. You've clearly got lots of space. I think the layout deserves its own thread on its merits to truly show it off. And as we have been talking Dove Holes Cutting, an opportunity to share this fabulous photo by Adrian Nicholls:- '60015 emerging from the ice cave.08.032018.' Photo by Adrian Nicholls on Flickr.

And a bit of detail:-

Glad to see you are modelling Dove Holes Cutting. It's a really special feature. You're right it does not lend itself to using cast sections. My work in progress also uses polystyrene and pollyfilla. You may find the photos below useful - they were taken as reference for my own cutting:-

Is this the area you are think I've probably got the area pretty well covered ( even a choice of seasons !). I would be happy to email you a folder or post half a dozen on your thread. Let me know.

Sorry not to respond earlier, Joseph. The rock faces are plaster taken from Woodland Scenics moulds. They are rarely used whole but refashioned jigsaw like to create a wider variety of faces and to maintain an appearance unique to lthe limestone of the area. Lots of photos of limestone rock were used to guide the painting. Sadly the darker shading has now faded somewhat, but a few washes of something more long lasting than the kids' poster paint will probably restore the appearance. The Woodland Scenics moulds can be expensive but if you want to have a go at using them I would be happy to send you a good selection on the understanding they were posted back when you have finished with them. They are doing no good stuck in the cupboard! For me creating a passable likeness to the local scenery is the most satisfying part of modelling and key to creating the sense of place.

As has been stated many times above on this thread - no, you are not expected to read all 94 pages - the Cavalex 56 has a very wide range of lighting and sound functions which no "off the shelf" decoder can fully exploit. The ESU Lokpilot and Loksound simply need pre-setting to the specific functions of the Cavalex model. @RBE has posted that a dedicated bespoke ESU will be made available soon, and IIRC Rails of Sheffield will pre-figure an ESU decoder for the Cavalex 56 if requested.

I fully appreciate there are some difficult design compromises to be made. In the meantime thanks for a great model, and I look forward to a new class 60 perhaps even with a new design kinematic.

On Peak Forest Revived the primary task of 56077 is to act as the heavy shunter to propel trains brought in by class 60s or 66s , and previously class 37s, into Dove Holes Quarry. The coupling on 56077 therefore needs to match those on the mainline locos which have hauled the hopper and box wagon trains from various destinations. On the fleet at Peak Forest revivived there are four class 66s, eleven class 37s, and seven class 60s (re-fitted with brass wire couplings). Moreover were I to change to a more solid coupling than a tension lock it would also require changing the lead and sometimes rear coupling on all the rakes of wagons hauled by the mainline locos. Thus changing to a different and possibly better coupling, although having been considered isn't really a viable option. Besides which the tension locks work perfectly well with the 66s, 37s, and the occasional class 31. On the lengthy tests of the Hornby class 60s I tried adding additional weight to the lead wagon but provided the train loco could pull the rake it was able to pull the lead wagon off the rails when the first point after a curve was encountered. Indeed the more weight on the train the more frequently a kinematic coupling tends to derail the lead wagon ass the greater the side force on the coupling. The class 60 fleet during the replacement of the kinematic couplings. (Apologies for posting a picture of seven 60s on this class 56 thread!) From a design perspective the ideal solution would be to have the possibility of locking a kinematic coupling on locomotives required to haul heavy trains. However this would doubtless throw up complications from the point of view of locating the coupling on bogie or chassis. For myself the big question remains: will Cavalex have found a solution to The Kinematic Coupling Problem on the much anticipated new class 60? Come on RBE!

The coupling issue. Feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of having to drill holes in the body of my lovely new model of 56077. Thrilled with the running, appearance, and sound, but after extensive testing I am forced to conclude that if 56077 is to work for its living I am going to have to replace the kinematic couplings with with a brass wire bar which will necessitate the (slightly scary ) job of drilling two holes in each buffer beam of my most expensive loco to date. I fully accept that there is no manafacturing fault with the couplings; it is unreasonable to expect a spring to be strong enough to re-centre the coupling on a heavy train after coming off a curve, but at the same time be weak enough to allow the coupling to move sideways when entering a similar curve with the same train. As modellers we clearly want to eat our (close coupling) cake and keep it. However I need a loco which will pull 12 Bachmann JGAs/Accurascale HYAs and cope with a 2nd radius curve without causing the bogie of the leading wagon to derail. Extensive testing of the kinematic coupling on the class 56 has shown that - just like the notorious Hornby class 60 - the kinematic coupling cannot deliver on a 'heavy' train. I am now resigned to having to replace the kinematic couplings on 56077. I live in hope however that Cavalex can engineer a coupling on the forthcoming Class 60 which will not necessitate a similar modification as was required on all eight of my Hornby Class 60s.

New Buffer Stops I like buffer stops. No idea why: I just do. Somewhat random, and often delapidated: the buffer stops at the end of Up Sidings. The Up Sidings at Peak Forest South have demonstrated over the years a ramshackle variety of buffer stops. I am aware of at least five subtle variations, but the most common variant has been the standard LMS design: - Since the LMS design is available from Lanarkshire Model Supplies as a whitemetal kit it seemed timely to replace the existing Peco buffers on Peak Forest Revived with something a little more accurate. The whitemetal kit is a bit fiddly to assemble ( I chickened out and used super glue rather than solder) but it builds into a solid and attractive structure. They now await painting before installation. For much of the 1990s and 2000s these buffers had their railside faces painted white. It was not the most carefully applied or attractive of colour schemes but it would be protoypical. I would have preferred the smart red, black, and white of the more recently renovated lbuffer in ‘The Sand Pit’ – the headshunt in the Cemex quarry. Ah well, the price of fidelity.....

And they're here, too! The brilliant Cavalex Class 56 arrives at Peak Forest Revived:- Even Kevin and Jim are impressed with this model - and having been standing here for the last ten years they should know a good'un.

Merry Christmas Photo Loose_grip_99 And a big Thank You to everyone who has followed or contributed to Reflections on Peak Forest. Special thanks to those who have provided photographs of the real railway.

Train #2 - JGA RMC bogie hopper wagons. '60007 , Washwood Heath to Peak Forest draws its train of RMC empty limestone hoppers onto Railside. 14th February 1998' 'Having dropped the empty hoppers on Railside, 60007 runs round its train.' '60007 propels the RMC hoppers back into the reception siding at Dove Holes Quarry. When the hopper wagons can be loaded directly the loco will cross to the stabling sidings and leave its train to be pushed back for loading against 'the wall' or under the loading hopper by the resident shunter.' The fleet of bogie hoppers used by Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) operating from Peak Forest wear a distinctive bright orange livery and until 2007 could be seen running in block formations carrying limestone from the quarry at Peak Forest near Buxton. The total of 89 wagons covers four batches built to three main designs over a period of 13 years, and trains often feature several or all of the variants. 'Peak Forest 21-2-98 60008 is seen stabling its train of empty RMC hoppers from Washwood Heath in the sidings alongside the Main-line.To perform this movement the train has to first draw down past the box and then reverse up onto the "wrong-line"to access the cross-over into the sidings as usually trains only depart from these sidings not arrive' Photo John Catterson Built at Tatrastroj Poprad, Slovakia 1997, and fresh out the box & logoless RMC JGA 19226 sits in the reception sidings at Dove Holes Quarry on 31st March 1997. Behind sit RMC hoppers from two of the earlier batches. Photo Robert Catterson Train Number 2 on Peak Forest Revived features only the last of these variants as modelled by Bachmann in RTR form. This fourth batch was built in Slovakia by Tatrastroj Poprad in 1997 and featured straight-sided hoppers with more angled-in tops and bottoms than the RFS batch. 'With their logos recently applied the newly delivered RMC JGA hoppers are pictured at Peak Forest. 3rd May 1997' 60019 arrives at Peak Forest with its train of empty limestone hoppers. Photo Trevor Plackett '60029 halts at Peak Forest with its train of empty RMC JGA hoppers from Hope Street stone terminal in Salford. 15th May 1997.' In 2007 the RMC JGA wagons, now owned by Cemex the new owners of Dove Holes Quarry, were taken over by EWS as part of a deal with Cemex to replace the JGAs with new HOA wagons. Thereafter the RMC JGAs could be seen working together with similar JGAs from the former Bli fleet most of which appear to have been repainted into VTG grey. '60062, Samuel Johnson, sits at Peak Forest during a crew change before its departure to Stourton. 4th September 1997' Five years previously with its train of hoppers from the earlier builds, 60095 'Crib Goch' 6E51 Peak Forest to Selby waits its departure time at Peak Forest 12-10-92. Photo Colin Peter Hobson Further information and a brief outline of the history of the RMC hoppers can be found here:- https://www.ltsv.com/rd/profile_detail.php?id=13

Thanks for the expert input Robert. There are many ways to 'reflect' on Peak Forest and all are very welcome on this thread. I have corrected the mistake with the captions. Must try harder.

National Power Class 59s at Peak Forest Further to the post earlier today...... Sadly there are no photos to be found of the National Power Class 59s on power station workings at Peak Forest Revived. I have thought about modelling this train in the past as models are available of both the loco and the HKA hoppers in National Power livery. However in reality both space and funds are limited so that current planning has imposed a future limit of just two more wagon rakes. The good news is that @eatus-maximus has provided an excuse to include a couple of excellent photos of the real thing by Robert Catterson:- '59201 works the afternoon Tunstead - Drax loaded limestone train formed of a half rake of wagons. 29th March 1995.' '59201 approaches Great Rocks Junction on 6E56 06:39 Tunstead - Drax loaded limestone train. 1st June 1964.' Photo Robert Catterson.

Mick, you've probably looked it up already, but a good excuse to post something not yet modelled on PFR... Stored 'Dutch' Class 31/1, 31159 Stabled on the same road at one of Tinsley's independent snow ploughs, Civil Engineers 'Dutch' liveried Class 31/1, No. 31159 was seen stored at Peak Forest on the 31st March 1996. The loco had been involved in a heavy shunt, which had seen the cab damaged, giving the 'droop' effect. Stored due to the damage the loco never worked again, and went for scrap. Photo "Dalzell" from Flickr. Some "heavy shunt"! It reminds me of when kids say, "I've had a slight bump in the car."