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Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a 9-mile (14.5 km) long heritage railway based at Wirksworth station in Derbyshire, England. It operates passenger services between Duffield and Wirksworth, with occasional services to Ravenstor.
Passengers can board and alight heritage services at Duffield, where a platform was reopened in 2011. The station is shared with National Rail services on the Midland Main Line between Sheffield and London St Pancras, with local services between Newark Castle, Nottingham, Derby and Matlock, which call at platforms 1 and 2; EVR trains to Wirksworth use platform 3. The station is sited in Duffield village centre, just a few minutes from shops, cafés and pubs.
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is named after the River Ecclesbourne and the track follows the river from its source to its confluence with the River Derwent at the Derbyshire village of Duffield.
Despite being a branch in itself, there is also a separate 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) branch operating from platform 3 at Wirksworth, up a 4% incline to Ravenstor (for the National Stone Centre and the High Peak Trail).
The line is operated by heritage steam locomotives, including no. 2746 Bagnall saddle tank engine The Duke, and diesels include a BRCW Type 3 and a Brush Type 2.
The Wirksworth Branch was the product of early 19th century railway rivalry. Since 1835, Wirksworth's citizens had been promoting various ideas for a branch line from the North Midland Railway, later the Midland Railway, at Duffield. The Midland was initially unenthusiastic, but then realised that the branch could be extended to Rowsley, albeit with difficulty, avoiding the section from Ambergate, on its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, which was shared with its rival the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). It is for this reason that all of the bridges along the line, including the one which simply has a head shunt under it (Cemetery Lane), are built to the double-tracked grand Midland Railway style.
The 8+1⁄2-mile (13.7 km) line was surveyed in 1862 and received Parliamentary assent in the following year. It would follow the valley of the River Ecclesbourne with no major obstacles apart from the final climb into Wirksworth. A cutting was required and some buildings were demolished, while there was considerable upheaval in Duffield.
The final inspection of the line was carried out by Colonel J.A. Rich of the Royal Engineers on 26 September 1867, who approved the line for opening.
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Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a 9-mile (14.5 km) long heritage railway based at Wirksworth station in Derbyshire, England. It operates passenger services between Duffield and Wirksworth, with occasional services to Ravenstor.
Passengers can board and alight heritage services at Duffield, where a platform was reopened in 2011. The station is shared with National Rail services on the Midland Main Line between Sheffield and London St Pancras, with local services between Newark Castle, Nottingham, Derby and Matlock, which call at platforms 1 and 2; EVR trains to Wirksworth use platform 3. The station is sited in Duffield village centre, just a few minutes from shops, cafés and pubs.
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is named after the River Ecclesbourne and the track follows the river from its source to its confluence with the River Derwent at the Derbyshire village of Duffield.
Despite being a branch in itself, there is also a separate 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) branch operating from platform 3 at Wirksworth, up a 4% incline to Ravenstor (for the National Stone Centre and the High Peak Trail).
The line is operated by heritage steam locomotives, including no. 2746 Bagnall saddle tank engine The Duke, and diesels include a BRCW Type 3 and a Brush Type 2.
The Wirksworth Branch was the product of early 19th century railway rivalry. Since 1835, Wirksworth's citizens had been promoting various ideas for a branch line from the North Midland Railway, later the Midland Railway, at Duffield. The Midland was initially unenthusiastic, but then realised that the branch could be extended to Rowsley, albeit with difficulty, avoiding the section from Ambergate, on its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, which was shared with its rival the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). It is for this reason that all of the bridges along the line, including the one which simply has a head shunt under it (Cemetery Lane), are built to the double-tracked grand Midland Railway style.
The 8+1⁄2-mile (13.7 km) line was surveyed in 1862 and received Parliamentary assent in the following year. It would follow the valley of the River Ecclesbourne with no major obstacles apart from the final climb into Wirksworth. A cutting was required and some buildings were demolished, while there was considerable upheaval in Duffield.
The final inspection of the line was carried out by Colonel J.A. Rich of the Royal Engineers on 26 September 1867, who approved the line for opening.