Re-open the Woodhead Line

XMAS FUN QUIZ - Monday 19th December 2011 @ Glossop Labour Club 7.30pm

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:55:00 +0000

FUN QUIZ
MONDAY 19TH DECEMBER 7.30PM - GLOSSOP LABOUR CLUB

Map of Venue

Hi Folks,

All in all it's been a busy year for the Re-open the Woodhead Line group, what with it being the 30th Anniversary year of the closure of the line. On St. Patrick's Day we held a slideshow on the history of the Woodhead line and followed that up in May with a Rail Users Forum at which no less than 2 M.P.'s were in attendance (Angela Smith & Shadow Rail Mnister, Andrew Gwynne).

July involved much courting of the media to publicise the then forthcoming anniversary celebrations/commiserations?! This paid fine dividends with our wreath laying ceremony at Manchester Piccadilly (in memory of those who lost their lives in building the tunnels) meriting coverage on both the BBC and ITN news programs.

Then of course the autumn saw the Woodhead Special, a whole day of Woodhead related material presented by the Great Central Railway Society, providing a veritable feast of information for Woodhead enthusiasts.

So by way of giving ourselves and yourselves a chance to wind down for the year's end, we present a fun quiz that does not involve trains, railways, gauges, anoraks or even nerdy related questions that allude to a certain form of transport.

No. This will be a fun quiz to provide a light hearted finale to what has been a hard year of campaigning. So come along for a beer and a laugh and to participate in a fun quiz, regardless of whether you are a member or supporter or otherwise.

There may be food on the evening or there may be not. There may be a prize for the winner or there may be not. What I can definately guarantee is that there will be a fun quiz, there will be me, the quizmaster and hopefully: there will be you too - and that's all we need. See you there.

MONDAY 19TH DECEMBER 7.30PM - GLOSSOP LABOUR CLUB
Map of Venue

XMAS FUN QUIZ - Monday 19th December - Glossop Labour Club 7.30pm

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:53:00 +0000

NOVEMBER MONTHLY MEETING - Thursday 17th

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:38:00 +0000

Hi everyone, all aboard,

As Thursday 17th November is the third Thursday in the month, it means we will be holding the regular monthly meeting of the Re-open Woodhead Line, same time, same place, namely, Glossop Labour Club, Chapel St at 7.30pm, just behind the outdoor market square. Please feel free to come by and drop in, all welcome.

For no reason whatsoever, except it's a beautiful photo and I took it, here's a snap of the steam train used to mark the opening of the Rowsley to Matlock railway on 2nd of July this year. Here's a link to copy and paste into your browser if you want more details:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14003558

As it's my photo and I own the copyright, please feel free to copy and paste it to your own site or your desktop with my permission. I'm not arsy about such things and I know how difficult it can be to get good photos for your blogs.

Hope to see some of you at the meeting.

AUTUMN MEETING - The Woodhead Special

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:55:00 +0000

SATURDAY 22ND OCTOBER 2011 - The WOODHEAD SPECIAL at St. John's Community Centre, Church St, Penistone.

Hi Folks,

As our members and regular readers will know by now, we normally meet at Glossop Labour Club on the third Thursday of each month. This month however is an exception to that rule and there will be no October meeting of the Re-Open Woodhead Line group until November, when we will be putting on a presentation regarding the future options for Woodhead. Details of that event will be posted nearer the time.

Instead we are encouraging our members and supporters to attend a special Woodhead event that has been organised by the Great Central Railway Society, details of which can be found below:

Autumn Meeting 2011: "The Woodhead Special"

Saturday 22 October 2011
at St.John's Community Centre, Church Street, Penistone, South Yorkshire S36 6AR.
5 minutes from the railway station.

10:30 - Doors open
11:00 - Talk by John Quick: "The Woodhead Line"
12:30 - Lunch break with displays and sales stand.
14:00 - Talk by Stephen Gay: "Woodhead: The Lost Railway"
16:15 - Meeting ends

The venue (pictured) is quite easy to find in the centre of Penistone and near the church, the giveaway being that it is located on Church St! For anyone coming from outside the area that is unfamiliar with the Penistone area, click the link below to get your bearings, then zoom in. Basically, we're talking the Woodhead side of Barnsley.

Map of Venue

The lovely town of Penistone is very accessible from the Sheffield side but not from the Manchester-Glossop area (that is to say by train of course) which is the whole raison d'etre of the Re-Open Woodhead Line group, namely to rectify this glaring transport inadequacy between two of England's major cities.

This special event features two of the best known and authorative speakers on the subject on Woodhead namely John Quick who gave a presentation for us in Glossop last St. Patrick's day and Stephen Gay, whose name goes before him and is synonymous with Woodhead itself.

The day will serve up a veritable feast for Woodhead enthusiasts and we encourage anyone who can attend this special event to do so - it deserves your support and promises to be a day to remember.

Woodhead route in Rail Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:41:00 +0000

There is a six page profile of the Woodhead route and our campaign in the latest edition of Rail Magazine, find out more here: http://www.railmagazine.com/news/default.asp?storyID=7

Re-open the Woodhead Line on Facebook and Flickr

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:41:00 +0000

Re-open the Woodhead Line now has Facebook and Flickr accounts. If you use any of these social media sites pay us a visit and 'like' us or 'friend' us. It's an easy way to show your support and keep in touch with latest developments.

On Facebook we're here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Re-open-the-Woodhead-Line/249704815040215?sk=wall

On Flickr we're here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/woodheadcampaign/

30th Anniversary events

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 08:54:00 +0000

Saturday 16th July 2011 saw Re-open the Woodhead Line mark 30 years since the closure of the Manchester-Sheffield rail route.

The day began with simultaneous wreath laying ceremonies at Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield Victoria to remember those navvies who died in the construction of the Woodhead Tunnel and route. In Manchester, Shadow Rail Secretary Andrew Gwynne MP made a short speech before Re-open the Woodhead Line treasurer Steve Bagshaw laid a wreath below the plaque at platform 1 that once lay at the entrance to the Woodhead Tunnel. In Sheffield, members of the Don Valley Railway laid a wreath at Sheffield Victoria, the now closed station that used to be the terminus for Woodhead services.

Campaigners then made their way towards a meeting point above the Woodhead Tunnel. On the train from Manchester out to the route's current terminus at Hadfield, passengers enjoyed an impromptu folk train performance from singer songwriter Aidan Jolly.

Demonstrating the lengths required to make it along the Woodhead route without a railway service, people then made their way to the tunnel mid-point, by cycle, car and on foot.

Three hours later the intrepid few, braved (un)seasonable stormy weather to meet on the moor above the Woodhead Tunnel's mid-point. Campaigners who had made their way from Sheffield and Manchester shook hands and celebrated the event with a few pints of specially brewed Tunnel Vision ale.

The events commemorated the route's closure but also highlighted the real need for it's re-opening. 30 years after the decision was made to close the line it seems the political will may now be there to push for it's re-opening. Meanwhile campaigners on both sides of the Pennines will keep making the case.

See you Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:29:00 +0000

We've had lots of interest about Saturday's events including a fair bit of press coverage.

You can meet us at several points:
9.30 Platform 1, Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station
11am Hadfield Station (walk/cycle)
11.30 Deepcar Station (with Don Valley Railway)
2.30pm at the mid-point on the moor above the Woodhead Tunnel (car park on the map below, at the 'P' by Salter's Brook Bridge on the A628)

Sat 16th July 2011: Events marking 30 years since the closure of the Woodhead Line

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:22:00 +0000

For the sake of sixteen miles!

09.30 - Platform 1, Manchester Piccadilly Station
11.00 - Cycle and walk from Hadfield Station to Woodhead
12.30 - Congregate at Tunnelhead entrance at Woodhead
14.30 - Meeting on moor with campaigners from Yorkshire

Calling for the re-opening of the Woodhead line!

Saturday 16th July 2011 marks exactly 30 years since the last train ran along the Woodhead line from Manchester to Sheffield. To commemorate this sad milestone Re-open the Woodhead Tunnel Route campaign are staging a series of events.

Help us lay a wreath at Piccadilly Station where the tunnel’s entrance plaque is now sited, take a walk from Hadfield station along the old route bed or meet us on the moor at the tunnel’s midpoint. This event is not only about looking back but calling for the route’s re-opening and campaigning for it’s future use.

Come and join us!

Re-open the Woodhead Line Campaign
http://savethewoodheadtunnel.blogspot.com
email: reopenthewoodheadline at gmail.com

Sip a taste of 'Tunnel Vision Bitter'

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Don Valley Railway have brought you with the help of the Brew Company 'Tunnel Vision Bitter'. This is delivered right on time to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the closure of the Woodhead Route. It is 4.2 percent proof.

Having sampled it, it is a bitter bitter! It has a real kick to it. It is possibly the best £2.60 I've ever spent! Its available in Sheffield at The Harlequin, The Hillsborough Hotel, The Riverside and The Kelham Island Tavern, and should shortly be arriving at the Rutland and The University Arms. It is available far and wide across the country with orders coming in from as far away as Berwick upon Tweed.

Chris Bell,
Don Valley Railway Campaign

30 Years and counting - Woodhead Anniversary events

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:42:00 +0000

For the sake of sixteen miles!

Saturday 16th July 2011 marks exactly 30 years since the last train ran along the Woodhead line from Manchester to Sheffield. To commemorate this sad milestone Re-open the Woodhead Tunnel Route campaign are staging a series of events including a wreath laying at Manchester Piccadilly, a walk/cycle to the tunnel and a symbolic meeting with our friends from the Sheffield side on the moors above the mid-point of the tunnel.

In making our way to the route's mid-point we are demonstrating the extreme lengths people go to for the sake of sixteen miles of missing track.

Provisional details are listed below but we'll be confirming arrangements in the next few weeks. If you'd like to help out or get involved with the event please contact us: reopenthewoodheadline@gmail.com

Oh, and did I mention, there will also be an especially brewed real ale, 'Tunnel Vision' a mid brown 4% strength session beer has been produced by Pete Roberts, micro-brewer and landlord of the Harlequin Pub, Nursery Street, Sheffield and should be available in real ale pubs in Sheffield, Huddersfield, Manchester and at many locations across the north of England.

Many thanks to our good friends from Don Valley Railway for organising the beer, we will meet representatives from their group on the moor above the Woodhead Tunnel mid-point.

Saturday 16th July 2011 (exact details tbc)

9.30am - meet Platform 1, Manchester Piccadilly Station

10.18am - Train to Hadfield (hopefully a folk train)

10.59 - Arrive Hadfield

11.00 - For the Sake of Sixteen Miles... Cycle and walk to Woodhead (car lifts on request)

12.30 - Congregate at Woodhead Tunnel entrance, Woodhead

2.30 - Meeting on moor with Don Valley Railway representatives

Rail Campaigner's Summit report

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:17:00 +0000

Rail Campaigner's Summit – Guide Bridge Theatre - 26^th May 2011

Over 40 rail campaigners attended the event organised by the Re-open the Woodhead Line Campaign at Guide Bridge Theatre on 26^th May 2011.

Dave Shaw welcomed everybody and recognised the support the Woodhead group had received from Railfuture in funding the event.

The opening speech was given by Andrew Gwynne who made an appeal to grass-root rail campaigners to support the development of the Opposition's rail and wider transport strategy. Andrew set out the national context for rail developments, including the reduced budget for rail developments. The plans to bring a regular service back to Reddish South and Denton had his strong support, as well as the need for more rail capacity between Manchester and Sheffield and he believed a re-opened Woodhead line could be part of the solution.

Northern Rail provided an informative presentation about their Route 28 strategy. This is a low cost / high impact strategy to improve the facilities and appearance of stations on two historic lines out of Manchester to Liverpool (via Chat Moss) and Glossop / Hadfield. Dwayne Wells, Service Quality Manager from Northern, spoke particularly about his aspirations for Hadfield Station.

This led nicely into the next presentation which was from Steve Bagshaw, one of the members of the Campaign to Re-open the Woodhead Line group. Steve made an important announcement – the setting up of a Friends of Hadfield Station group (FoHS). This would be in partnership with Northern Rail and the partnership was consequently christened 'Friends and FoHS'.

Steve also recounted his trip to deliver an important consignment to the HQ of his local authority by rail. This involved exiting and re-entering the county four times, travelling from Glossop via Manchester, Sheffield and Derby before heading NORTH to Matlock. A distance of 38 miles which took 9.5 hours for the return journey!

A series of presentations followed from local campaign groups; first of all Kim Burrows and Dot Ashworth spoke of the campaign by the Friends of Reddish South station to get a regular service re-instated between Reddish, Denton and Manchester Victoria. This had received endorsement from Stockport Borough Council, Travelwatch Northwest and nationally by Railfuture. Both spoke of the importance of engaging the wider community in their campaign. The station was undergoing a transformation, as plants and flowers set last year were coming into bloom and importantly two excursion trains had decided make Reddish South a pick up / drop off point.

Alan Jones added to this from the Denton perspective and gave notice of a community open day on 2^nd July 2011 when they would be manning a stall in the foyer of Sainburys to raise awareness of the station group and recruit new members. The group had recently received the alarming news from Network Rail that the platforms were slowly collapsing onto the track and that this may bring about the stations demise. Assurances had been received from Andrew Gwynne, prior to the conference that this was not an option.

The summit next focused on Woodhead proper with a presentation from the Don Valley Railway and their proposals for the re-instating of a passenger commuter service on the stretch of line currently open for freight only, between Sheffield Victoria and Stocksbridge. Originally an 11 minute non-stop journey between Stocksbridge and Sheffield had been regarded as the most cost-effective, however the need to engage with all the communities along the line of route had brought a recognition that the DVR could not ignore the wishes of these communities to see their stations re-opened. DVR also stated its long term aims of pressing for re-opening of the route as far as Penistone and its support of the Woodhead group in their campaign to re-open the whole line.

A presentation on behalf of the Woodhead group was delivered by David Bryson and Colin Elliff. This firmly set the campaign in the context of the wider environmental agenda and the need for a contingency rail route between the country's 3^rd and 4^th largest cities. It was unacceptable that passengers were put on buses everytime the Hope Valley Line was closed for engineering work. The essential connectivity which the line could provide across the North was outlined. In engineering terms a re-opened Woodhead line offered the most cost-effective means of increasing rail capacity, as well as allowing for electrification, between East and West ports.

Jim Bamford delivered an extremely interesting presentation demonstrating how line speed improvements on the Robin Hood Line had vastly improved reliability and was prising open the door for a potential route extension to Ollerton. Jim emphasised the importance of best utilisation of diesel trains as few new units were likely to be built. In addition line speed improvements could reduce the number of units required to operate routes and consequently improve their cost efficiency. The need to have local authorities on board was emphasised and how holding regular conversations with network Rail could reduce scheme costs.

Angela Smith closed the conference commending all the groups for their presentations, but particularly pointing out the way in which Kim and Dot from Reddish South had illustrated the valuable roles that women could play in rail campaigns and better engagement with the local community. Angela restated her support for the DVR proposals and promised to work hard to see them come to fruition. She also supported the need to ensure that the rest of the Woodhead line was safeguarded for re-opening. However greater political pressure was required at this time as the dialogue between Network rail and National Grid over the situation at Woodhead had stopped and Angela stated there was a danger of the re-opening scheme being kicked into the long grass by Government, in view of the financial situation. National Grid had offered to sell the old tunnels for a nominal sum, however the costs of upkeep, reckoned to be in the region of £500k per annum, would not be taken on by the National Park and consequently the old tunnels could end up being sealed off. She urged all the groups to engage with the political process to ensure that the need for re-opening was given a far hearing within the DfT.

REMINDER - 26th MAY Local Railway Campaign Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Fri, 20 May 2011 08:27:00 +0000

Hi Folks,

Just a quick reminder that the Campaign to Re-open the Woodhead Line are organising a Rail Campaigner's Summit to take place 7pm to 9.30pm on Thursday 26th May 2011 at Guide Bridge Theatre.

The event features a vision for Woodhead presented by the Re-Open the Woodhead Line Campaign as well as a presentation from Jim Bamford - Rail Officer Notts County Council - on the success of the Robin Hood Line re-opening and the broader lessons for rail campaigns.

The summit will include representation from campaigns from Reddish North Station, Denton Station and Don Valley Railway as part of a 'market place' showcasing local rail campaigns, there'll also be '5 minutes of Fame' with feedback from local groups on successes, challenges and lessons learned.

David Bryson, Chair of Re-open the Woodhead Line campaign says:

“We're really looking forward to a chance to meet and network with other local groups and demonstrate the passion and commitment shown by local campaigners.

With our campaign commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Woodhead route's closure we believe there's a strong, vibrant network of people working to revitalise and re-open local railways and stations.”

Entry is free, but there will be an opportunity to donate towards event costs, refreshments available, including a licensed bar.

The venue is very close to Guide Bridge Station, with regular services to Manchester and Glossop. Parking is also available.

For further information contact: Jonathan Atkinson, 0782 861 7933

Re-Open the Woodhead Line AGM

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:27:00 +0000

Re-open the Woodhead Line Annual General Meeting
7.30pm, Thursday 21st April 2011
Glossop Labour Club, Chapel Street, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 8AT
All welcome

Greater Manchester campaigns come together in community rail summit

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:23:00 +0000

Campaign to Re-open the Woodhead Line are organising a Rail Campaigner's Summit to take place 7pm to 9.30pm on Thursday 26th May 2011 at Guide Bridge Theatre.

David Bryson, Chair of Re-open the Woodhead Line campaign says:

“We're really looking forward to a chance to meet and network with other local groups and demonstrate the passion and commitment shown by local campaigners.

With our campaign commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Woodhead route's closure we believe there's a strong, vibrant network of people working to revitalise and re-open local railways and stations.”

Entry is free, but there will be an opportunity to donate towards event costs, refreshments available, including a licensed bar.

The venue is very close to Guide Bridge Station, with regular services to Manchester and Glossop. Parking is also available.

For further information contact: Jonathan Atkinson, 0782 861 7933

FRIENDS OF HADFIELD STATION?

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Earlier this month, on the afternoon of Thursday 7^th April to be precise, I met Theo McLaughlan, the Regional Station Manager for Northern Rail and Dwayne Wells, the Service Quality Manager for the same company at Hadfield station.

The meeting was arranged, of course, by the ubiquitous Dave Shaw who arrived bang on time (14:59) with Theo and Dwayne in tow, on the inwardly bound train from Piccadilly.

The point of the mission was to have an inaugural discussion/site visit/meeting of minds as to how we might spruce up the station and put it on the map, so to speak, and how this might fit within the aims and remit of our own ultimate mission, which is to re-open the Woodhead Line.

Before coming back to this question a few casual observations might be helpful. I like to think of myself as a casual observer and where better to casually observe Hadfield Station than the railway bridge at the end of the platform.

Spending any length of time here the casual observer would notice that the station is well used, most noticeably at rush hour naturally but throughout the day generally as well, it would be fair to say. Also the platform is quite lengthy for a small town station, not sure why but it has plenty of scope for enhancement, however form that might take.

The most noticeable and yet the most unfortunate observation though, is that when you arrive at Hadfield you really do hit the buffers. This is the terminus, though for no obvious reason. This isn’t Lands End, or a natural coastal cul-de-sac.

Rather, Hadfield is perhaps as far from a huge expanse of water as one is likely to be in England, notwithstanding the eight miles of reservoirs that flood the Longdendale valley! Moreover it lies between two of the largest cities in the country, with Manchester and Sheffield having a combined population of over one million people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield

Armed with this knowledge our casual observer may begin to ask why indeed is

Hadfield a dead end, a railway cul-de-sac, the end of the line, or the Last Stop as the pub on the platform used to be called - before an image enhancement led it to be renamed Edwards Wine Bar (a misnomer if its sales of wine to lager ratio is anything to go by – just an observation!)

Meanwhile back at our meeting and having walked the length of the platform making casual observations, Theo explained that a ‘Friends of…’ group would be a logical way forward. Though it would be a slow process to establish a group in order to lever the fundraising/grants needed to make steady improvements to the place, it can be done, as regular users of Glossop Station will have witnessed.

Whilst nothing can be done about litter, that is the job of Network Rail who own the buildings and the track, (though Hadfield isn’t currently that bad), Northern are as Dwayne explained, responsible for basically everything that the passenger comes into contact with. The platform concourse, benches, notice boards, etc

Notice boards? Yes, Theo confirmed. There aren’t any at Hadfield but there’s plenty of room for at least two. A Friends group could display information about what they’re doing and how to get involved, publicise events and another could explain the history of the line for instance.

Now hanging baskets, planters and a good lick of paint will do wonders for brightening the old place up, especially on a typically grey drizzly day in Hadfield midsummer! A notice board on the other hand, depicting the travesty of the line closure - that could make people think. It might even spark discussions about how the past was and how the future might be….now that’s worth its weight in railway sleepers.

Friends of Hadfield Station, doesn’t exist yet and possibly never will but I don’t see why not. Whilst neither the best nor the worst of stations, it could benefit from a manicure, as could most. From the point of view of re-opening the Woodhead Line it is one small step perhaps towards re-igniting interest and publicity regarding the past, present and (potential) future of the line.

Definately Maybe as that Manc band would have it, or to confuse the words of an historical figure, a well known rock star and a mildly famous philosopher to create a quote of my own:

“Friends (of Hadfield Station), rovers, railwaymen,

The future (of the line) is unwritten, we have nothing to lose but our terminus.”

“Sounds more like Stuart Hall to me” said the casual observer!

“Well that would be most appropriate. Don’t you know that his parents had the cake shop on Station Road for donkey’s years? Yes, a fact and only a stone’s throw away from the station yard!” replied the local sage.

Woodhead memory – the summer of ’76

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:14:00 +0000

During the long, hot summer of 1976, I was a signalman at Woodhead. Being remote, posts at the signal box were hard to fill. The other signalman was Dick Gibbs who lived in one of the former railway cottages at Woodhead. I lived in Newton (for Hyde) at the time and enjoyed the run to and from work, especially coming in for early turn or going home after a night turn when the A628 through the Longdendale Valley was virtually traffic-free.

Working 12-hour turns had been good for my bank balance and towards the end of the summer I bought a brand new Triumph Bonneville 750cc motorbike for £954 (I still needed to borrow some of the money). The bike handled brilliantly and I learned the trick of tightening the locking screw on the throttle so that it stayed open when I released the twist grip. On a pair of Dunlop TT100s, the bike would handle itself and my party piece was to set the throttle, remove my hands from the handlebars and ride as far as I could along the curving valley road, steering, literally, by the seat of my pants; what a machine!

Dick and I were on regular 12-hour shifts, alternating days and nights, week by week. Saturday was a good day, as the line closed after the 06.00 to 14.00 turn. Generally, the last train cleared the section by 12.00, more often than not a light engine movement. One of my colleagues in an adjacent box would phone the Control Office (I didn’t have the nerve) and check that nothing else was en-route. Then it was 7-5-5 all round on the block bells and the weekend had begun – the line was closed on Sundays.

Of course, by 1976 the Woodhead Line was freight-only with an occasional passenger diversion if the Hope Valley route was closed for engineering work or due to an emergency. The advent of a passenger train caused a bit of excitement, albeit that it would almost inevitably consist of a humble DMU on our all-electric railway. Very occasionally, the Harwich Boat Train would come our way. Fittingly, this train still conveyed a 6-wheel bogie teak Gresley buffet car, very appropriate for this outpost of the former LNER.

However, freight trains were our regular fare plus any number of light engine movements. It was common for train crews to haul their load over Pennines and return empty-handed; bad for economics but good for footplate jobs. On a good day we would average four trains an hour in each direction. Yorkshire coal for Fiddlers Ferry power station was a staple traffic, Merry-Go-Round trains headed by a pair of air-braked class 76s in multiple. Plenty of steel also came out of the east, emerging blinking into the sunlight at Woodhead. New 100-ton air-braked wagons were slowly replacing the old vacuum-braked bogie bolsters at this time.

One baking-hot day, the British Oxygen Company train came to a stand on the Up line at Woodhead signal box, a couple of hundred yards short of the tunnel entrance. The double-headed train consisted of twelve 100-ton bogie gas tanks filled with liquid nitrogen; this was a crack train in the world of freight. Having axles with roller bearings, we had little trouble with the train but today a wagon wheel bearing was running hot and the wagon had to be detached. The only option was for the train to draw forward into the tunnel and then set back into the sidings to put the wagon off.

Woodhead had some sidings which were used by an occasional tamping machine and a few engineer’s ballast wagons but it was many years since anything this long or heavy (25-ton axle load) had been inside them. The sidings disappeared into heather and bracken after a few yards and buffer stops were not much in evidence. A phone call to the local Permanent Way Supervisor at Dinting (the locally legendary Arnold Simpson) met with a curt (and hurt) response – of course the sidings were usable and in good fettle – back the train inside!

The train drew forward into the tunnel. The driver couldn’t see the dolly signal from his cab so I arranged with him that when I flicked the tunnel lights off and on a few times (Woodhead Tunnel was illuminated throughout), that would be his signal to stop and set back. All duly went to plan and after some cavorting in the sidings, the wagon was detached. The train proceeded towards Yorkshire and Woodhead returned to its peaceful summer doze with a bright and shiny new guest – a white BOC tanker with an orange stripe along the side and 50 tons of liquid nitrogen on board, slowly cooking in the midday sunshine.

As the afternoon drew on and there was a break in traffic, curiosity got the better of me and I wandered down from the signal box to the patch of moorland that was Woodhead sidings. The wagon gleamed in the sunlight – the BOC tankers were always clean – and a wisp of steam swirled up from underneath the tank. Only it wasn’t steam, it was nitrogen escaping from the tank, converting from liquid to gas and then dispersing in a few seconds. What was I to do? Was this supposed to happen? Should I tell someone?

The answer came quickly. As I peered under the belly of the tank, there was a huge blast of gas – imagine a steam locomotive safety valve blowing off upside down. With a roar in my ears, I ran (as I thought it) for my life; as far as I know, I still hold the Peak District record for 100 yards in Doctor Marten’s boots. By the time I reached the signal box, the noise had stopped, the gas had gone and all was tranquil again.

Bravely, I stuck at my post, sending 6-bells (“Obstruction Danger”) to Dunford West and Torside signal boxes, preventing any trains approaching Woodhead. About half an hour later, the Control rang to tell me to re-open the line. They’d been in touch with BOC who said that there was nothing to worry about – the tank was venting its expanding contents through its safety valve and nitrogen is an inert gas. Reminded of my schoolboy chemistry lessons, I felt relieved to hear this information.

A couple of hours later, a small white van with red lettering came bumping down the track from the main road to the signal box - the man from BOC had arrived. He assured me that he would sort things out and all would be well, then off he strolled to visit Woodhead’s latest tourist attraction. I quickly realised that “sorting things out” meant opening the wagon’s discharge valve and dumping 50 tons of liquid nitrogen into the hot, still afternoon air. The valley filled with a white mist to a depth of about six feet over several hundred yards between the wagon and the tunnel mouth – much to consternation of the crew of a west bound coal train that I had allowed to approach at caution. As soon as the locomotive stuck its nose out of the tunnel, the driver slammed on the brakes – it didn’t look safe to continue as far as he was concerned - and fancy words like “inert” were not going to convince him otherwise!

Eventually, the mist cleared, the BOC man went home and the next day the wagon was repaired and a locomotive arrived to take it away. All that was left was a frozen patch where the liquid gas (at -196°C) had been discharged – it took 48 hours for the ground to thaw. The story of my selfless courage was recounted many times (by me) over a pint or three of Boddington’s Bitter in the Star Inn next to Glossop station, only to fade, like the Woodhead line itself, into the (inert) mists of time.

© Andy Jones 2011

An Illustrated Talk - a big thanks...

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who made it out to Glossop Labour Club, we had a packed house for the event. We'll be back in April with our AGM and in May with a Local Rail Campaign Summit at Guide Bridge Theatre.

PUBLIC MEETING/SLIDE SHOW - 7.30pm Thursday 17th March, 2011, Labour Club, Chapel St, Glossop, SK13 8AT

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:10:00 +0000

Reopen the Woodhead Line would like to remind our readers, members and supporters of our imminent Public Meeting/Slide Show, the details of which are outlined in the poster below. You are all cordially invited and we hope to see as many of you there as possible.

For directions to the venue, click here.

The Labour Club, despite its name is politically unaffiliated.

Please be on time as the event will start at 7.30pm sharp

PLEASE CLICK ON POSTER BELOW TO ENLARGE

Nottingham Model Railway Exhibition 2011 - Quadruple treat for Woodhead enthusiasts

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:00:00 +0000

The Nottingham East Midlands Model Railway Exhibition 2011 is serving up a real treat for Woodhead enthusiasts. It will feature not one, not two, not even three but no less than 4 Woodhead themed layouts, all from the 1970's.

The Woodhead themed grouping features:-

Mini-MSW (Alan Whitehouse)
Deepcar (Nottingham MRS)
Netherwood Sidings (Graham Clark)
Gamesley Staff Halt (Gary Atkinson)

The event details are as follows:

SATURDAY 19TH MARCH - SUNDAY20TH MARCH

HARVEY HADDON SPORTS COMPLEX

BILBOROUGH PARK

NOTTINGHAM

NG8 4PB

OPENING HOURS are as follows:

SATURDAY 9.30AM TO 5.30PM

SUNDAY 10.00AM TO 5.00PM

Saturday is the busiest day so they do recommend visiting on the Sunday if you have a choice.

The list of Traders and Specialist Manufacturers expected to be at the Exhibition is immense and very impressive. Too many to list so just follow the link above. Don't forget the club stand either...

The NMRS Club Sales Stand - WOW !
Lots of unbelievable Secondhand bargains on the club stand ! Locomotives ! + Coaches ! + Wagons ! + Bits ! + Parts ! + Components ! + Kits ! + Part-made Kits ! + Hardly-started Kits ! + Collectors Items ! + Bin Mens' Items ! + Magazines ! + More Magazines ! ..... And ..... yet More Magazines !

You can check the home page of the website here. A quick tip before browsing the website though.

Whilst the site itself is rich with links, most of the links to other pages within the site are right at the bottom of each page, so are easily missed. You really need to scroll right down to the bottom to be sure of not missing out on some of the pages.

Hope some of our readers will make the event and support the huge effort put in here.

An Illustrated History of the Woodhead Line - Thursday 17th March 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:19:00 +0000

The Re-open the Woodhead Line Campaign are pleased to announce a very special event, 'An Illustrated History of the Woodhead Line' with John Quick a member of the Great Central Railway Society.

The event will take place at Glossop Labour Club in Chapel Street, Glossop, on Thursday 17th March (Think St Patrick's Day as an aide memoire) and commences 7.30pm sharp.

Accompanied by an in depth slide show John will guide us through the history of one of the most iconic railway routes in the country, from establishment and the construction of the famous tunnels, through its hey day and decline.

Once more,whilst you reach for your diary - Thursday 17th March 2011, at Glossop Labour Club - show starts: 7:30pm, ends: 10pm, with intermission, no entry charge but any donations on the night will be welcome .

Woodhead Railway Line Books/DVD's

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Hi Folks,

Just to bring your attention to a few Woodhead related items for sale on various sites that I have chanced upon, which may be of interest to some of you:-

I have copied the following review straight from the 'On Track' website but I'm sure they won't mind now that I've given them a mention and linked through to it in the header, besides they might make a few sales out of it.

=============================================

The Woodhead Route - DVD or Video [AZ 156.CP113]

The Woodhead Route	£19.49 Suggested Retail Price: £19.95

The Pennines presented a formidable obstacle to potential railway builders hoping to link the Manchester area with Sheffield. Many schemes were drawn up but few trans-Pennine lines were built to link Lancashire and Yorkshire. So it is little wonder that enthusiasts fondly remember the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MSLR) route via the summit at Woodhead.

The railway changed its name when it built an extension as far as London, and it became the Great Central Railway (GCR). Later it became part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). The principal traffic was coal, and this remained true right up to closure in 1981.

Forty-one miles of line made up the Woodhead route. It was steam operated until the 1950s when electrification at 1500 volts DC was completed. The locomotives used on this route were unique in Britain, consisting of Bo-Bo electric locomotives of what was to become class 76 and the express passenger version, the Co-Co class 77.

Perhaps the best known part of the route is the famous Woodhead Tunnel. The original tunnel was two track, but capacity was doubled by the addition of a second two-track tunnel.

This archive film programme showcases trains on the route and is supplemented by footage from the 1970s and very early 1980s, when class 76 Bo-Bo electric locomotives based at Reddish depot were pre-eminent on freight trains.

Format: DVD or video
Film Type: Black & White and colour
Duration: 60 minutes


Reference:	[AZ 156.CP113]

And here is the link to the On Track website from where I have shamelessly culled the review from.

=============================================

Next up is a (used) book currently available on e-bay auction until 1st March, entitled "Main Line Across The Pennines". Here is a full description of the item, which currently is available for a measly 99p + £1.36p postage:-

Main Line Across The Pennines - Woodhead in the Shadows - A pictorial survey of the final years, by C.M.Corroy and A.R.Kaye, published by Lowlander Publications in the early 1980s.

Picture book with a small amount of text, describing the final years of the former Great Central Railway and London & North Eastern Railway Woodhead route between Manchester and Sheffield. Most pictures are of Class 76 electric locomotives, also featured are diesel locomotives and a few pictures of steam at work in the 1960s.

48 page booklet with card covers, A5 size.

Good condition.

===========================================

Finally, e-bay again for a book from our well known friend Alan Whitehouse's 'Rails Through Barnsley'. I have to say that an opening ask bid of £24.99p for a used (but good condition) book seems like a lot but if the seller is correct, this book is "very scarce". So I suppose it's worth it if it's something that's missing from your collection and saves a lot of hassle finding it using the J.R. Hartley method!

RAILS THROUGH BARNSLEY

ALAN WHITEHOUSE

Wharncliffe Publishing Limited 1988

160 pages of detailed text and prolific rare photographs of Barnsley and the surrounding area (including the Woodhead route).

This book is very scarce indeed and difficult to find

The book is in very good condition

Measures a large 12 x 10 in. 158 pages.

=========================

That's all for now. Bye folks.

Re-open Woodhead Line - Monthly Meeting Thursday 17th February

noreply@blogger.com (Concrete Blonde) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:55:00 +0000

A reminder for all our members and supporters that Thursday 17th February is the third Thursday in the month, which means that the Re-open Woodhead Line group meeting takes place on this date.

The venue is as per usual - the Labour Club in Chapel Street, Glossop, starting at 7.30 p.m.

The Labour Club, despite its name is politically unaffiliated.

ALL WELCOME

30 Years and Counting - Re-open the Woodhead Line Calendar for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Woodhead Station and tunnel

2011 marks 30 years since the cessation of the Woodhead line. To commemorate this anniversary the Re-open the Woodhead Line group have a bumper line up of activity planned - for the first time including collaborations with other rail campaigns on both sides of the Pennines.

Attend one of our planning meetings or come along to an event if you want to get involved with the campaign and help us achieve our aims.

7.30pm, Thursday 17th February 2011
OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING
Glossop Labour Club

7.30pm Thursday 17th March 2011
SLIDE SHOW/VIDEO PRESENTATION ON HISTORY OF WOODHEAD LINE,
(followed by open campaign meeting), Glossop Labour Club

Thursday 17th April 2011
Spring Newsletter copy deadline

7.30pm, Thursday 21st April 2011
OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING
Glossop Labour Club

7.30pm, Thursday 26th May 2011
PUBLIC MEETING AT GUIDE BRIDGE with Friends of Reddish South Station (FoRSS) and Friends of Denton Station railway campaigns
Guide Bridge Theatre (tbc)

Thursday 9th June 2011
Summer newsletter copy deadline

June 2011
Presentation and OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING with Don Valley Railway
in Penistone/Sheffield date and location tbc

Saturday 16th July 2011
EVENT: COMMEMORATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOODHEAD LINE CLOSURE
Wreath laying at Manchester Piccadilly, folk train, cycle/walk to line's mid-point, all details tbc

Thursday 11th August 2011
Autumn Newsletter copy deadline

7.30pm, Thursday 18th August 2011
OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING,
Glossop Labour Club

August/September 2011
GEOLOGICAL/HISTORY WALK over Woodhead
Details TBC

7.30pm Thursday 15th September 2011
OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING

September 2011
Penistone Show stall

7.30pm Thursday 20th October 2011
OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING

Sat 22nd October 2011
Joint event with Don Valley Railway at the GCRS day in Penistone.
See http://www.gcrsociety.co.uk/events.html
"The Woodhead Special" at St. John's Community Centre, Church Street, Penistone, South Yorkshire S36 6AR
  
10:30 - Doors open 
11:00 - Talk by John Quick: "The Woodhead Line" 
12:30 - Lunch break 
14:00 - Talk by Stephen Gay: "Woodhead: The Lost Railway"
 16:15 - Meeting ends

Thursday 10th November 2011
Winter Newsletter copy deadline

7.30pm Thursday 17th November 2011
OPEN CAMPAIGN MEETING

December 2011
Woodhead CHRISTMAS QUIZ/SOCIAL

Closer links with Don Valley Railway

noreply@blogger.com (Navvy) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Sheffield Victoria where the Don Valley/Woodhead line terminates

Chris Bell introduces the Don Valley Railway project and plans for closer ties with the Woodhead campaign.

The Don Valley Railway is a project, began back in September 2003, by Dave Goodison, to restore a passenger rail link along the section of the Woodhead Railway Line that runs between Sheffield and Deepcar and then on the into Stocksbridge via the route that stills serves the freight needs of Corus Steelworks there. We have created Don Valley Railway Ltd. as a not for profit company and are a registered charity.

Over the years we have looked into the possibility of introducing a commuter rail service as well as steam and heritage services onto the route.

Looking at the economics, the route appeared unlikely to meet the business case for the creation of National Rail franchised services. However we had got much local support, illustrated by a petition with 2000 signatures, and the freight line stretching towards Sheffield, which is generally only used once every night, seemed to offer a possible solution to the ever-increasing problems of commuting to Sheffield from the upper Don Valley.

So the project was set up to look at how we could make the railway happen.

We set up a fundraising function, and raised funds towards raising awareness and doing work and studies that would increase the capacity of the project. Previous efforts have included lottery bids and attempts to get funding from many public bodies and from the support of the heritage rail industry.

In late 2009, after many varied efforts to take the project forward, and discussions with Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive we commissioned Ove Arup and Partners Ltd to produce an engineering feasibility study to evaluate the potential for operating a reliable commuter rail service along the route between Sheffield and Stocksbridge which it is hoped will contribute to creating a business case for the re-opening of passenger services on the rail link.

Arup recommended that the most cost effective option is a simple shuttle between a station close to the site of the former Sheffield Victoria and Deepcar. This could operate utilising a single train vehicle offering 2 services in each direction per hour basis with no intermediate stops,. Diesel-powered rolling stock is seen as the most suitable for the operation of the line.

This option is also potentially the easiest to get into operation. Enhancements could be made in the future as funds allow to extend into the centre of Stocksbridge, additional stations at Oughtibridge and Wadsley Bridge, and extensions towards Penistone

A previous study put the cost of works required to cost £18million. Arup’s study found that that the permanent way was in very good condition and would not require a great deal of work to return the line to passenger operation. Armed with the study of the track, Arup now forecast the cost will be £4million.

At our meeting on 24th January 2011 we received unanimous support from our members to join forces in some way with the Re-Open Woodhead Campaign, after initial talks.

As a campaign you seek to open the whole route, we support you in that aim. After we’ve got passenger trains operating to Stocksbridge, it is our intention to keep going to Penistone, Woodhead and eventually Manchester.

Don Valley is a project, whereas Re-Open Woodhead is a campaign. We approach our mutual aim in different ways and as organizations we have different skills. Don Valley has set about doing what we can to get things done, where Re-Open Woodhead has succeeded at raising awareness. Don Valley could benefit from your publicity skills, and we hope your campaign could benefit from our attempt to open our bit of the route. We hope there is some synergy between the two groups.

As an initial collaboration, we are going to support yourselves in your commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the removal of the track over Woodhead this summer, and look forward to working with you successfully in the future.

We are fortunate that the landlord of our current home for meetings, the Harlequin Inn, in Sheffield, which incidentally was originally called the Manchester Railway Tavern after our railway, also runs a micro brewery. He has told me that he will produce a special ale to commemorate the 30th anniverary.

So I hope we can work together.

Chris Bell – Don Valley Railway