Fordbank

And don't I know it! I had an early Bachman 37/5 lined up for re-livery and re-numbering, but having seen the Accurascale 37 at close quarters, I am determined that a loco as iconic for Peak Forest as 37688 Great Rocks should be up there with the best. It looks therefore that I am condemned to await a suitable 37/5 from Accurascale. Representations have been made.

Peak Forest Revived Competition Time The Big 6F67 Quiz 1. When was the first Dowlow to Warrington trip working? 2. When was the last Dowlow to Warrington trip working ( or are they still going on)? Rules (NB small print) Some kind of evidence (preferably photographic )should be provided to support your entry. Excluding entries based on toy trains may be excluded at the discretion of the judging panel. Entry requirements: just about anyone, Closing date: Some vague time in the future. For starters another great photo from John Catterson:- Peak Forest 8-7-87 37678+688 have hitched a ride round from Buxton on the front of the Dowlow trip hauled by 47145 to save a path and time on the single track line to Great Rocks Junction. The 37s will later work to Hope St. on the "Peakstone" rake of wagons.

Storm Babet A seriously wet day on Friday forced me to hunker down in the garage. I arrived just in time to see 47840 emerge from Great Rocks tunnel with what looked suspiciously like a 6F67 consist in tow. But this was surely Speedfreight times. It got me wondering....... '47840 appears to have been relegated to lowly freight duties as it emerges from Great Rocks tunnel on 7th July 1987. The class 47 will have picked up the Gas Oil loco fuel TTA tanks from Buxton TMD as it returns them empty to Warrington Arpley.' In March 1965 47849 had been named NORTH STAR at London Paddington. .....as the rain kept falling I wondered when was the first 6F67? If as it now seemed likely to have been before the birth of Enterprise services created by Transrail, then when was the first (and last) Dowlow to Warrington wagonload service? So...... Competition Time !

6H67 Again? Yes its the train ID that can't stop giving..... 56120 passes Peak Forest on 6H67 the Warrington - Dowlow trip on the morning of 15th May 1998. Photo Neil Harvey from Flickr '56059 heads for Buxton on its way from Warrington to Dowlow 6H67 with the empty lime polybulks. 12th May 1998'

Wordless Wednesday

Two Trains, and Four Choppers. '20088 and 20090 now united with their RHTT wagons head north through Peak Forest to their base at York Thrall for their leaf busting circuits. 4th October 2012.' 'A year previously red stripe liveried 20090 had been paired with matching Railfreight red stripe 20132 for the start of the RHTT season. Here the duo are seen passing Peak Forest on 27th September 2011.' The matching BR Blue and Red Stripe pairs of 20s perform very well as a consist on Peak Forest Revived helped no doubt by similar matching decoders in each pairing. I have yet to try 20088 running in a consist with another 20; 20088 is fitted with its original sound decoder and I suspect from its different driving characteristics it may require a fair bit of fiddling with CVs to achieve a matching speed profile. As far as RHTT consists go therefore, 20088 is on photographic duties only.

Heaven or Hell? A consist of five class 20s could surely only be one of two things: a last convoy to CF Booth in Rotherham, or a last Autumn hurrah on raihead treatment. '20088 leads a consist of 20192, 20058, 20132, & 20090 through Peak Forest, as five of the the last remaining of the 228 class 20 locomotives built by English Electric emerge from warm storage to begin their annual rail head treatment duties. 22nd September 2011' Even in the real world the class 20s would continue to defy the Grim Reaper. The remnants of the class would do a further two seasons on RHTT trains, and DRS class 20/3s would be providing the traction on RHTT sets until the winter of 2019. Moreover guess what popped up at Dove Holes quarry in 2022 to fill the heavy shunter spot left vacant by 37716.

Dodgy Trackwork - Not Mine! The real thing. DB Cargo Class 60 No. 60007 'The Spirit of Tom Kendell' and Class 66 No. 66060 stand in the Peak Forest Holding Sidings Photo courtesy Brian Creasey from Flickr 'DB Cargo class 60 60044 'Dowlow' and class 66135 stand in PeaK Forest stabling sidings. 10th October 2019' Network Rail relaid the arrivals sidings t'other side of the bridge at Dove Holes quarry this year. However the stabling sidings at Peak Forest South appear to have slipped off the renewals schedule. For the past thirty or forty years....at least! Reflecting this bit of prototype trackwork would have guaranteed some rubbish running on PFR.

A Recent Reflection 37901, Mirrlees Pioneer, on the headshunt at Dove Holes. 7th October 2023. Photo courtesy of VarlyRoger2002 from Flickr. Reflections on Peak Forest usually focuses on past events, but the prospect of a ROG liveried class 37 providing the shunting duties at Dove Holes would be appealing. Not that it would be an image that could be mirrored on Peak Forest Revived at present, but it would certainly brighten up the scene in a similar way to 37716 did last year. Hopefully not just a flying visit then. Time perhaps to get back to considering the past. Not sure reflecting the future is even possible...

Where once there was water.... ......... we now have a proper culvert, a re-inforced water channel, a safe walking route, and a vast profusion of yellow handrail ( which is not due to arrive at a layout near here). And timely improvements they have been given the climate crisis deluge that has fallen on north west England this past month. After heavy rain water flows down the Up main line in January 2016. More Grand Rapids than Great Rocks. Having clearly not read this thread or visited Peak Forest in winter, some bright spark decided to construct a second refuelling siding ( presumably for Freightliner) alongside Railside. Stopped in its tracks by the persistent flooding. Eventually Network Rail built a culvert instead. 11th January 2016.

On Railtrack/Network Rail MPVs Whilst the Windhoff MPV was busy clearing leaves on Peak Forest Revived I was reminded what a fantastic model the Bachmann MPV is. It runs beautifully and smoothly, and looks a million dolars straight out of its cassette. I need to consider what other excuses I can find to run an MPV on Peak Forest outside of the RHTT season. 'DR98910 & DR 98960 pull away from Peak Forest after its driver change. 6th October 2004.' Network Rail MPVs Nos. DR98932 & DR98982 restart from Peak Forest after a crew change. Photo by PowerPhoto UK from Flickr Behind the MPV can be seen the 470m long yellow railings installed during Covid to create a safe walking route between Long Siding and Dove Holes quarry. Regular followers of developments at Peak Forest will recall that in winter the walking route was often underwater as indeed was the Up main line after heavy rain, ( See earlier on this thread)*. But all these Network Rail improvements make it hard to keep up on Peak Forest Revived. *Apparently since The Great Picture Outage there isn't much to see in terms of flooding earlier on this thread (Post January 12th 2016). An excuse to insert some missing of the missing photos then?

And even at Peak Forest Revived Autumn arrives every year. Network Rail MPVs Nos. DR98932 & DR98982 arrive at Peak Forest for a crew change as they work the 3S50 05:04 Wigan L.I.P. to Crewe railhead treatment train on 22nd November 2022. Photo by PowerPhotoUK from Flickr 'Windhoff MPVs have been utilised intermittently for railhead treatment duties at Peak Forest for more than ten years. DR98910 & DR 98960, still in Railtrack livery await their driver to finish his conversation' 'It is noticeable how much nature has reclaimed the old workings around Peak Forest in the last decade or so: how the trees have grown! EWS has been busy too, replacing windows in the old station building and repainting the refuelling depot into DB Schenker red.'

No More Mystery - Autumn has clearly arrived. And come the Autumn, come the leaves. 'Having completed the necessary driver training, 37688 and 37510 return to Peak Forest as part of their RHTT circuit. RHTT wagons will only be this clean after their summer service.3rd October 2009.' I know I'm very behind on the weathering front at Peak Forest Revived, but surely these wagons can't go on looking this clean. More pressure on the airbrush schedule over the winter....

56003 has been busy. It's not all about Enterprise workings.... '56003 snakes a long rake of MEAs into Up Sidings ready to be loaded in Dove Holes Quarry with aggregate to build the second runway at Manchester Airport. 2nd October 1998.'

The Strangers Return. 'Having passed through Peak Forest two days previously on their way to Derby RTC, DRS 37688 and 37510 are back at Peak Forest carrying out a reversal in front of the signal box en route to Hindlow from where they will take the LNWR line to Stockport before returning via Buxton to Peak Forest and thence back to Derby RTC.' It seems the strangers fom Carlisle may be getting ready for Autumn.

Grids at Peak Forest: Act 1 Twenty years before the second coming of the class 56 as heavyweight heritage shunters in 2019/20 (see two above posts), there was another minor flourish of 56s. Peak Forest had never seen 56s in any great numbers when the class was first introduced between 1976 and 1984. The primary purpose of the 56s was as motive power for the delivery of coal to the power stations. Up in The Peak double headed class 20s were being replaced by class 37s which for the next decade would claim Buxton and Peak Forest as very much their own turf. Nevertheless the privatisaion of British Rail saw a number of 56's transferred to the newly created Transrail and Loadhaul freight companies, and in 1995 the entire class transferred to EWS. Wthdrawals commenced almost immediately: the last EWS class 56 lasting until March 2004. The class 66s had taken over. At Peak Forest the ex-Loadhaul and Transrail Grids had largely found employment replacing duties that had been carried out by class 37s, but their lack of vacuum brake equipment ensured that the iconic PHV workings from Tunstead to Northwhich remained the preserve of the 37s. Peak Forest 29-7-99 56110 has just arrived at Peak Forest on 6H66 Warrington Arpley-Dowlow Enterprise trip with additional wagons that it will shunt into the Railside siding before going on to Dowlow with the Polybulks at the front of the train Photo John Catterson The daily Enterprise trip from Warrington Arpley to Dowlow was one working where the 56s began to muscle in on the 37s, but the 37s hung on and were still working the Polybulks to Warrington years after the last EWS 56 had been placed in store. '56004 arrives at Peak Forest with the 6H67 from Warrington Arpley. The Grid will set back the additional wagons into the Railside Long Siding before taking the two Polybulks on to Dowlow. 30th September 1999' '56004 propels the Roadstone JGA and the two container flats into Long Siding.' '56004 leaves Peak Forest and heads towards Great Rocks on the way to dropping the empty limestone hoppers at Dowlow. 30th September 1999' Gas Oil in TTA tanks for Buxton shed or latterly Peak Forest fueling point, were regularly added to the regular Enterprise trip from Warrington Arpley; so too were hopper wagons on repair. However container flats were a real rarity. Any ideas why they had been added to 6F67 on 27th July 1999?

Mystery Strangers 'DRS 37688 Kingsmoor TMD and 37510 pass Peak Forest signal box en route from Carlisle to Derby RTC. 27th September 2009'.

A Flourish of Fifty Sixes. It was this photo of 56098 and 56302 on 'railside' on 13 October 2019 which sparked this brief focus on the recent activity of the class at Peak Forest. Photo courtesy Kevin Murphy from Flickr In 2017 and 2019 no less than six Grid's found themselves deployed at the Cemex works at Dove Holes quarry. Whilst this was a boon for enthusiasts of heritage diesels, their abundance was not a response to their resounding success as heavyweight shunters. In fact it was quite the contrary: the 56s struggled to cope with the long periods of idling and slow running and had to be replaced almost as fast as they arrived at Peak Forest. At times it was hard to tell which of the locos was waiting to be towed back to Leicester LIP and which had arrived to replace it. But so much colour and interest to mirror in model form. 56312 56081 56098 at Dove Holes on March 7th 2019 Photo courtesy of John Gavin Photo courtesy of John Gavin 56312 was the shunter on 24th August 2020 Photo courtesy of John Gavin Colas 56113 setting back at Dove Holes. 56113 had been sent to replace the failed 56105 which was still awaiting collection. Photo courtesy of John Gavin At Peak Forest Revived class 56 shunting duties are undertaken by 56049 and ex-Fastline 56302. 'On Railside 56049 and 56302 await their next shunting duty. 13th October 2019'

Photo courtesy of Frank Richards from Flickr.

56049 I like the look of class 56's, and believe that they wear several liveries particularly well. Fortunately at Peak Forest class 56 locos have been frequent visitors in both their original heyday and more recently as deployed by UK Rail Leasing as heavy shunters on contract for Cemex at Dove Holes quarry. 56081 & 56312 at Dove Holes 20/03/2020 Photo Jon Gavin, Flickr Although 56049 was in reality never a part of UK Rail Leasing's small fleet of 16 class 56 locomotives it is was regularly seen on Peak Forest Revived shunting hopper wagons at Dove Holes quarry. '56049 propels a rake of Railfreight IIA ex coal hoppers under the loader which had arrived as 6J46 from Salford Hope St earlier in the day. 10th May 2018' '56049 is seen moving two MMA wagons from the end of the Dove Holes reception sidings across to the stabling sidings where they will presumably await transfer via Warrington Arpley to the Marcroft wagon works Stoke for further attention. 17 th March 2019.' 'Having brought the two MMA's across from Rail Side, 56049 runs around the wagons before dropping them in the stabling sidings.' '56049 awaits its next duties behind Peak Forest South signal box' The Hornby model of 56049 has been a better runner on PFR than a couple of other Hornby class 56s. Like all the Hornby 56s it benefits from lubrication of its brass bearings after a winter layoff, but so far the rubber belt to its fans remains intact. It would probably be a tad smoother after 'the snip'.

Back to its roots: Peak Forest Revived and 37026 on The Hoppers "37026 and 37415 having left the stabling sidings head off down to Tunstead to collect another load of high grade limestone for the soda ash plant at Northwich. 10th September 1995" Peak Forest 23-4-95 (SUN) 37426+026 had just worked the morning empty ICI hoppers from Northwich to Tunstead and were stabled waiting for the afternoon trip. Photo John Catterson from Flickr "37026, Shapfell, and 37415 carrying its unofficial volcano name of Mt Etna, approach Peak Forest with the afternoon limestone working from Tunstead to Northwich. 10/09/1995." 37026 and 37416 climb towards Peak forest with a heavy load of PHV hoppers bound for Northwich. Photo courtesy of Andy_K, Flickr. Hopefully before too long Accurascale's excellent model of 37026 will receive some significant weathering, and additional black headcode boxes, to resemble more closely the real condition of Shapfell as it appeared around Peak Forest in 1995/6.

Another pic of a heavy light engine move.... In the photo by Robert Catterson (post above) are the two 37s pushing the 60s up the climb, or are all four locomotives under power?

Light Engine Move? "09-04-95, 60080, 60077, 37425 & 37026 arrive at Peak Forest light engine from Buxton TMD to Peak Forest stabling point" It seemed a somewhat unlikely consist, but here it is caught by Robert Catterson a few minutes earlier as it climbs up towards Peak Forest from Great Rocks junction. Photo Robert Catterson - uploaded fromFlickr Such an opportunity and such a great photo of the real thing was too much to ignore. My thanks to Robert Catterson for being there.

Sleeping Beauty. Caroline is a bit tired after al the trailing around (and around...and around.). So time for a rest. Since the fiddle yard is somewhat crowded such a fine model needs a fine home, so Caroline has been crafted her own cassette with padded sides to protect the paintwork and solebar detailing. Caroline is pushed back into her cassette for a rest. Doubtless Caroline will be reawaken soon enough, not least should Lord Hinton turn up on Peak Forest posing as Prince Philip.

Class 60s Revived! In recent years Peak Forest has become a welcome (and final?) bastion for the class 60. Peak Forest revived would be a pretty poor reflection without a class 60 or two. Luckily Hornby took the trouble to produce a very nicely performing model in a fair range of liveries, and consequently several found their way to Peak Forest Revived. But as many modellers soon realised all was not well. Hornby’s class 60 could not haul anything. Well not if you wanted it to stay on the rails. A multitude of modelling modifications are doubtless to be found on more relevant threads on RMWeb, but the chosen route to a successful solution on PFR was the replacement of the troublesome tension hook with a simple brass wire bar. Peak Forest Revived's Class 60 fleet line up to show off their new coupling bars The bars are still waiting some matt black paint to render them a little less conspicuous, prior to adding some buffer beam detail. The results were excellent. Whereas previously every Hornby class 60 was sidelined from any running session, they now perform faultlessly and their fine running characteristics are now brought to the fore. Thus modified all the 60s on Peak Forest Revived have given hours of effective hauling through all of the pointwork, crossovers and second radius curves in the off scene. Any limitations? Well, yes. Whilst the simple bar couplings haul perfectly they are less effective at propelling when the locomotive is required to push back a heavy rake of wagons. On straight track and through large radius points buffer to buffer contact is fine; but through small or medium crossovers or around the tightest curves on the layout the buffers interlock and a derailment ensues. The plan is not to modify the bar coupling on the loco but to adapt the tension lock on the first wagon of the rake. The idea is to increase the depth of the tension lock bar to ensure that it engages with the wire bar on the loco. Will it work? We’ll see. …and in the meantime I’m now happy with my fleet of hauling 60s. PS A particular thanks to @Newbryford who, by taking the trouble to explain exactly where to drill on the buffer beam, gave me the confidence to apply power tools to valued models.