Tall tale from the High Peak
An (almost) contemporary image taken in early autumn last year catches DB Cargo's Maritime-livered Shed, 66162 'Maritime Intermodal Five', starting away from the High-Peak quarry complex with the 1.07pm Dowlow - Ashburys (6H52) loaded aggregate.
Now single-track this line was once part of the cross country route from Buxton to Ashbourne, as well as the Cromford and High Peak Railway (C&HPR), which joined the line at Parsley Hay a few miles south of this spot.
The former, boasting the delightful station name of Thorpe Cloud along its route, closed to regular passenger services in 1954 and closed totally in 1963. The latter hung on a few years longer, helped by local quarry traffic, before closing in 1967.
Happily both routes were converted to walking / cycle paths (the Tissington Trail and Cromford & High Peak Trail respectively) and make for a fabulous day out in any weather with plenty of industrial and railway architecture and great views to keep everyone happy.
In this shot, the driver is just powering up after negotiating his train over the pointwork in the complex, and now has a steady run downhill into Buxton where a reversal will be required. On the left is the fixed distant signal board - which I've snapped on several occasions but none of the attempts have yet made it on to Flickr for one reason or another, until now that is.
I decided to frame the image around the tall tree whose structural elegance, I thought, deserved to be centre of attention. Sun-on-the-front lovers might want to move along!
22nd September 2020
Tall tale from the High Peak
An (almost) contemporary image taken in early autumn last year catches DB Cargo's Maritime-livered Shed, 66162 'Maritime Intermodal Five', starting away from the High-Peak quarry complex with the 1.07pm Dowlow - Ashburys (6H52) loaded aggregate.
Now single-track this line was once part of the cross country route from Buxton to Ashbourne, as well as the Cromford and High Peak Railway (C&HPR), which joined the line at Parsley Hay a few miles south of this spot.
The former, boasting the delightful station name of Thorpe Cloud along its route, closed to regular passenger services in 1954 and closed totally in 1963. The latter hung on a few years longer, helped by local quarry traffic, before closing in 1967.
Happily both routes were converted to walking / cycle paths (the Tissington Trail and Cromford & High Peak Trail respectively) and make for a fabulous day out in any weather with plenty of industrial and railway architecture and great views to keep everyone happy.
In this shot, the driver is just powering up after negotiating his train over the pointwork in the complex, and now has a steady run downhill into Buxton where a reversal will be required. On the left is the fixed distant signal board - which I've snapped on several occasions but none of the attempts have yet made it on to Flickr for one reason or another, until now that is.
I decided to frame the image around the tall tree whose structural elegance, I thought, deserved to be centre of attention. Sun-on-the-front lovers might want to move along!
22nd September 2020