Ecclesbourne Valley Railway facts for kids
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a special railway in Derbyshire, England. It's about 9-mile (14.5 km) long and is known as a heritage railway. This means old trains run on it, giving people a taste of how railways used to be. The main hub of the railway is at Wirksworth Station. Trains travel from Wirksworth to Duffield in one direction, and from Wirksworth up to Ravenstor in the other.
You can get on and off these old trains at Duffield. A platform there was reopened in 2011. This station is shared with modern trains that run between Sheffield and London. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway trains to Wirksworth use Platform 3. The station is right in the middle of Duffield village, close to shops and cafes.
The railway gets its name from the River Ecclesbourne. The tracks follow this river from where it starts all the way to where it joins the River Derwent in Duffield.
There's even a shorter 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) branch line from Platform 3 at Wirksworth Station. It goes up a steep hill to Ravenstor. This stop is handy for visiting the National Stone Centre and the High Peak Trail.
The railway uses both old steam and diesel trains. One of the steam engines is called "The Duke." Diesel engines include a BRCW Type 3 and a Brush Type 2.
Quick facts for kids Ecclesbourne Valley Railway |
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Wirksworth Station in 2007
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| Locale | Derbyshire, England |
| Terminus | Ravenstor Duffield |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Wirksworth branch |
| Built by | Midland Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | WyvernRail plc |
| Stations | 5 (to be 6) |
| Length | 9 miles (14 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1867 |
| Closed to passengers | 1947 |
| Closed | 1964 (freight) 1989 (completely) |
| Preservation history | |
| 1992 | WyvernRail is formed |
| 1996 | Light Rail order granted |
| 1997 | Derby and Wirksworth Railway Association is formed (later to become EVR) |
| 2000 | Volunteers start clearing vegetation from the line |
| 1 October 2002 | Wirksworth re-opens and its passenger trains begin |
| 2003 | WyvernRail and Network Rail agree fifteen-year lease-purchase deal |
| 2004 | Gorsey bank reopens and 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km), passenger trains begin |
| 1 September 2005 | Ravenstor opens and 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) passenger trains on 1 in 27 (3.7 %) incline (of the same name) begin |
| 2007 | Iridgehay level crossing reinstated and later reopened |
| 8 March 2008 | Idridgehay reopens and 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) passenger trains begin |
| 8 April 2011 | Duffield reopens and 10 miles (16 km) passenger trains begin |
| 9 August 2014 | Shottle reopens (after more than 65 years out of use) |
| Headquarters | Wirksworth |
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Contents
History of the Railway
How the Line Started
The "Wirksworth Branch" railway line was built because of a competition between railway companies in the 1800s. People in Wirksworth wanted a railway line from Duffield since 1835. The Midland Railway company wasn't very keen at first. But then they saw a chance to extend the line to Rowsley. This would help them avoid sharing tracks with their rival, the London and North Western Railway (LNWR).
Because of this big plan, all the bridges along the line were built very grandly. They were even wide enough for two tracks, even if only one was ever laid.
Building the Railway
The railway line, about 8+1⁄2-mile (13.7 km) long, was planned in 1862. Parliament approved it the next year. It was designed to follow the River Ecclesbourne valley. There weren't many big problems, except for the last climb into Wirksworth. Some buildings had to be taken down, and there was a lot of work in Duffield.
An official inspection of the line happened on 26 September 1867. The railway was approved to open. It officially opened to Wirksworth on 1 October 1867.
The original plan was to extend the line past Wirksworth to Cromford and then to Rowsley. However, the Midland Railway gained full control of the existing line. So, the part of the railway beyond Wirksworth was never built. This left the Midland Railway with a branch line they weren't sure would be very busy.
How the Railway Operated
The railway helped Wirksworth's limestone business grow. Carrying limestone was the main job of the railway until the mid-1900s. The line also carried farm products, especially milk. In 1906, it carried about 800,000 imp gal (960,760 US gal; 3,636,872 L) of milk! There were also textile mills in Wirksworth.
The line had regular passenger trains. There were stations at Hazlewood, Shottle, and Idridgehay. By 1939, milk was being carried by road instead. During World War II, passenger travel was cut back a lot. Buses also became popular, which led to fewer people using the trains. Passenger trains stopped running in 1947.
In the 1950s, people near the line saw a strange sight: a train carriage moving by itself! This was a test vehicle for new diesel trains being designed in Derby. When the new Derby Lightweights were built, each one was tested on this very line. One of these original trains, M79900, has been restored and is now back on the line where it was first tested.
Railway Accident
On 25 August 1981, a freight train partly went off the tracks about 300 yards (270 m) south of Wirksworth.
Decline and Closure
Most goods started moving by road, but limestone traffic continued. In the 1980s, new tracks were even put in. However, by 1991, the quarries no longer needed the railway. Even though the railway sidings at Wirksworth are still listed, the connection to the main line at Duffield has been cut off. There is hope that one day the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway might be able to use these areas again for storing trains.
The Railway Today
Saving the Railway
In 1996, a company called WyvernRail was given permission to restore and operate the entire line.
Wirksworth station reopened in 2002. Then, the first 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) of the line between Wirksworth and Gorsey Bank reopened for passenger trains in 2004. A new line to Ravenstor opened in 2005.
On 8 March 2008, the railway started running passenger trains further south, between Wirksworth and Idridgehay. This added 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) to the line's total length.
In 2003, WyvernRail made a deal to lease and then buy almost the entire railway. They completed the purchase early in May 2005. Only a small part of the station yard in Wirksworth is still leased.
In July 2005, WyvernRail also took on the care of Duffield railway station. They help look after the station.
Now, the line is ready for trains to run all the way from Wirksworth to Duffield. At Duffield, you can switch to mainline trains. There are also stations at Idridgehay and Shottle.
How Trains are Controlled
The railway mainly uses a special "token" system to control trains. This means a train driver must have a physical token to be allowed on a section of track. This helps keep trains safe. The line from Wirksworth to Duffield has one token. The Wirksworth to Ravenstor line has a different token.
There used to be a special track at Wirksworth Platform 3. It was "interlaced," meaning the tracks overlapped. This allowed the platform to be used for passengers or for wagons to collect stone. This feature has since been removed.
There are not many physical signals on the line. One old-fashioned signal was moved to Shottle station. Another electronic signal at Duffield station warns that it's the end of the line.
Filming Locations
The railway has been used for various TV shows and adverts!
- In 2003, it was used for a Hellmann's Mayonnaise TV advert.
- In 2004, the National Geographic Channel filmed parts of Seconds from Disaster here. They used old Gatwick Express coaches to show a train accident.
- In 2006, a spot near Wirksworth was used for the ITV drama Mobile.
- In June 2007, Wirksworth was used as a fictional station called 'Lightbourne' in the BBC show Casualty.
Stations
Here are the stations on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, listed from north to south.
| Location | Status | Opened | Closed | Notes | Photograph |
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| Ravenstor | open | 1 September 2005 | A new station built by the EVR. |  |
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| Wirksworth | open | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | The old building was taken down, but platforms were rebuilt. Reopened 1 October 2002. |  |
| Idridgehay | open | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | The station building is privately owned. The platform was saved. Reopened 8 March 2008. |  |
| Shottle | open | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | The station building is privately owned. The platform was saved. Reopened 9 August 2014. |  |
| Hazelwood | closed | 1 October 1867 | 16 June 1947 | The building is privately owned. The platform was taken down. They are thinking about rebuilding the platform. |  |
| Duffield | open | 1841 | Buildings were taken down. The branch platform survived. Main platforms are still used by other trains. Reopened 8 April 2011. |  |
Rolling Stock
This is a list of some of the trains and engines the railway has.
Steam Locomotives
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T 2360 Brian Harrison (Ferrybridge No.3) built in 1954. – This engine is being checked and fixed up.
- Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No 102 (works number 1884 of 1955) Cathryn built in 1944 – This engine is being restored.
- Bagnall Austerity 0-6-0ST 2746 The Duke built in 1944 – This engine is also being checked and fixed up. It has a fake BR number, 68012.
- BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T no. 80080 built in 1954 – This engine is working and is on loan from the Midland Railway – Butterley.
WyvernRail
WyvernRail Limited started in 1992. It's a company owned by the community and managed locally. Its goal is to bring back and run the railway line from Duffield to Wirksworth in Derbyshire, England.
At first, the plan was to rent the line and run a community train service. The idea was to use leased diesel trains. The company faced challenges because of changes in how the railway industry was set up.
A good thing for the line was that Wirksworth Station Yard was marked as a "Strategic Freight Site." This meant the yard had to be kept for railway use, making it very hard to close the line completely. The line almost closed in 1990 when workers started taking up tracks. Luckily, the work was stopped because there was a chance of new stone traffic. So, the line was put on hold, and it still has this special status today.
After the railway industry changed, WyvernRail had trouble keeping a steady relationship with the authorities. But they kept working hard. A big success was getting permission to run a "Light Railway" on the line in 1996. The company's plan changed from renting the line to buying it.
In 1997, the Derby and Wirksworth Railway Association was formed. This group grew slowly, but after changing its name to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association in 2000, more people joined. This happened when volunteers were finally allowed to access the line.
Things started to speed up for WyvernRail in the summer of 2000. The railway management became interested and helped them. This led to the line being slowly restored. WyvernRail became a public limited company (plc) and launched a successful share sale in April 2002.
