RMweb Gold highpeakman Posted October 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 29, 2013 Hi I just wondered if someone can help with an operating question please? I am modelling a layout which is loosely (very) based on the Wirksworth Branch. I have Howard Sprengers excellent book about the line but I am not clear on one operational detail. The exchange sidings with Middlepeak Quarries were further up the branch from the old station and yard. Were the wagons worked between the main yard and those exchange sidings by BR locos or the quarry locos? I have assumed it was BR locos that worked up the incline from the main yard as the description of the sidings were "exchange sidings" after all and the book appears to suggest this without an absolute statement. Confirmation would be greatly appreciated. Was there a BR shunter engine used for this purpose? The book indicates that a shunter was used in the yard until about 1980 but what was used in the 60s? Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Old Bruce Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 AFAIK the train engine worked up to the exchange sidings on what is now the Ravenstor incline. I managed to blag a couple of days out on the DMU test trains in 1965 while I was serving my apprenticeship. The DMUs laid up at Wirksworth station for lunch while the empty wagons came up the line, on both occasions when I was there it was a 8F. No BR shunter was provided at Wirksworth, the quarry engines brought the loads down to the exchange sidings and the BR train engine took them from there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold highpeakman Posted October 30, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 30, 2013 AFAIK the train engine worked up to the exchange sidings on what is now the Ravenstor incline. I managed to blag a couple of days out on the DMU test trains in 1965 while I was serving my apprenticeship. The DMUs laid up at Wirksworth station for lunch while the empty wagons came up the line, on both occasions when I was there it was a 8F. No BR shunter was provided at Wirksworth, the quarry engines brought the loads down to the exchange sidings and the BR train engine took them from there. Thank you very much for the reply. It has confirmed a key point for me I have been to Wirksworth station but have never (so far) walked up or by the incline to the site of the exchange sidings so I wasn't sure if it was passable for the larger train engines which is why I raised the question. Especially the larger ones like 8Fs. According to Sprengers book, it seems that, technically, nothing larger than class 5 was supposed to go to Wirksworth but I am aware that 8F and, indeed, 9Fs regularly worked it. Thanks again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplinewalker Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Hi there Highpeakman ,, im a Newbie and Wirksworth branch caught my eye,,, im not sure if this breaks any protocols but if you reply to my email alan.plumb3@ntlworld.com I can send you some old photos of Wirksworth that you may not have seen and may be of interest. I passed them on to martin the manager of wirksworth line and there were several he had never seen,,,, Cheers Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold highpeakman Posted October 18, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 18, 2014 Hi there Highpeakman ,, im a Newbie and Wirksworth branch caught my eye,,, im not sure if this breaks any protocols but if you reply to my email alan.plumb3@ntlworld.com I can send you some old photos of Wirksworth that you may not have seen and may be of interest. I passed them on to martin the manager of wirksworth line and there were several he had never seen,,,, Cheers Alan Hi So sorry to have taken so long to have responded to this post. Somehow did not notice this recent posting. I have PM'd you re the photos. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.