Wickham Railcar question

[highpeakman]

I was looking through some photos of the LNWR line from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne and, in a couple of photos of Hartington Station, I was surprised to see a Railcar in the bay. I now understand it to be a Wickham type.

See photos below. (I can't credit pictures as I have no details). 

I understand that most of the Wickhams went to Scotland so I assume this is the additional railcar that was always used as a departmental unit by the Derby rail laboratory and is now in preservation please (on the Lavender line I believe)? It is not in standard livery so I did presume it is that one at first but cannot be sure.

 

I wondered what it was doing at Hartington. There is no information on the Wickham web site so I can only assume it was there as part of its normal work. However this line would be due for closure shortly so probably not track testing but I guess their work covered more than that.

 

I was already aware that a Park Royal unit worked the Buxton - Millers Dale service for a time and had initially wondered if it was that one but, of course, the livery is wrong and then I found out it is a Wickham not Park Royal. 

 

If anyone knows the story here it would help to assuage my curiosity please. Thanks.

 

[Moxy]

It is the departmental Track Recording Coach, before it was renamed Laboratory 20.

 

Some details here

 

https://railcar.co.uk/images/wickham-railbus/departmental

[highpeakman]

1 hour ago, Moxy said:

It is the departmental Track Recording Coach, before it was renamed Laboratory 20.

 

Some details here

 

https://railcar.co.uk/images/wickham-railbus/departmental

Thanks. 

I was curious though as to what it was doing at Hartington as the line was due to close shortly and I would not have thought they would be track testing there. 

[jim.snowdon]

19 minutes ago, highpeakman said:

Thanks. 

I was curious though as to what it was doing at Hartington as the line was due to close shortly and I would not have thought they would be track testing there. 

Testing, or training?

[Nearholmer]

Did the High Peak Line still have rails at this date? Would have made a truly marvellous playground for things like adhesion trials on very steep gradients.

[highpeakman]

13 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

Testing, or training?

Good point.

[highpeakman]

12 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Did the High Peak Line still have rails at this date? Would have made a truly marvellous playground for things like adhesion trials on very steep gradients.

Hartington was on the Ashbourne line that parted from the C&HPR just after Parsley Hay so no major gradients (as far as I am aware). 

[Nearholmer]

But, could they still access the C&HP from there at this date?

[highpeakman]

1 minute ago, Nearholmer said:

But, could they still access the C&HP from there at this date?

Yes, if it travelled back to Parsley Hay, certainly. So, Yes, it could indeed (possibly) have worked on that section of the C&HPR itself. I need to check back in my books for confirmation but I think that section of the C&HPR closed after the Ashbourne line had closed. Happy to be corrected.

 

Also, of course, it may have been doing some testing of the C&HPR from Parsley Hay back to Buxton but that would have been the later LNWR line into Buxton (the section to Dowlow is still in use) so that's another possibility I guess. 

 

Could be many reasons of course. Just my curiosity set me wondering if anyone knows. 

 

[Butler Henderson]

Buxton to Hartington remained open until 2 Oct 1967 ; the C&HPR was been fully closed by spring 1967.

 

[Moxy]

I've done a bit more digging. The date is 4 September 1962 and it's an SLS railtour.  The steam loco is 42343.

 

There are a couple more pictures here

 

http://www.sutherland.davenportstation.org.uk/aaprint/ash.html

 

Pictures ash-62-24 & ash-62-25.

 

It still doesn't explain what the Wickham was doing there though.

[Butler Henderson]

Presumably en route track recording, the line was a diversionary route.

[highpeakman]

22 hours ago, Moxy said:

I've done a bit more digging. The date is 4 September 1962 and it's an SLS railtour.  The steam loco is 42343.

 

There are a couple more pictures here

 

http://www.sutherland.davenportstation.org.uk/aaprint/ash.html

 

Pictures ash-62-24 & ash-62-25.

 

It still doesn't explain what the Wickham was doing there though.

That's a really great set of photos that I haven't seen before. Thank you for posting that.

 

I can actually remember seeing Tissington Station and some of the others on that route. Should have taken more notice but I was very young and could not afford film anyway.

Edited December 29, 2021 by highpeakman
Adding text.

[highpeakman]

20 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

Presumably en route track recording, the line was a diversionary route.

OK. I wasn't aware of it being classed as a diversionary route. Thanks for the info.