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View Full Version : Archived: CROMFORD & HIGH PEAK RAILWAY- (Cromford to Sheep Pasture Incline) NOVEMBER 2010



Tankman
14-11-2010, 01:20 AM
Was up in the Peak district of Derbyshire last weekend. The place is full of remains of its former industrial past:thumb One such area that is worth looking over is at Cromford. Here the C&HP Rlwy meets the Cromford canal at its transhipment dock. Apart from numerous remains of the old abandoned canal there is a restored pump House that use to draw water up from the River Derwent for the canal.
The area is listed as a World Heritage site because of its rich industrial past:thumb

Of particular interest to me though was the remains of the railway:thumb
Lets start at Cromford Junction and walk up the incline to Sheep Pasture Engine House:smile


http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/45045/2397718360033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2397718360033241453rxbUtF)


The old workshops have been restored and are well worth looking over.


http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/47895/2913663790033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2913663790033241453ucxLGp)


Outside the workshops the start of the line which now forms "The High Peak Trail" can be walked all the way to "Parsley Hay" (where it meets up with the "Tissington Trail") if you like! But be warned there are nine incline plains along its route:thumb its these inclines that makes this old line unique:smile


http://inlinethumb11.webshots.com/44426/2194543950033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2194543950033241453YxUpZD)


Two restored guards vans marks the start of the trail:thumb


The inclines were so steep that wagons were hauled up attached to a big cable that was powered by steam engine houses at the top of the inclines. The first incline was at Cromford.


http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/6680/2266957820033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2266957820033241453KFVQyF)


The original water tower is preserved along with the remains of the winding cable drum
that is located in the pit ahead.


http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/13849/2931504360033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2931504360033241453mgUZoW)


Beneath the tracks the remains of the cable drum
that use to haul the wagons up the Cromford incline can still be seen.


http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/40321/2865234070033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2865234070033241453AmADlM)


Original photo of the start of the Cromford Incline, wagons were attached to the cable that ran up the middle of the tracks.


Just beyond the bridge the tracks run around a "Catch Pit" that was dug into the middle of the incline to stop "Runaway" wagons crashing down into Cromford Junction. The pit was used several times over the course of the lines existence, the last wagon to run into the pit was in 1965, when a single coal truck broke loose. It ended up crashing into the wall, where it can still be seen today:thumb


http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/40401/2646323310033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2646323310033241453vkxvIS)


The "Catch Pit" looking down towards Cromford Junction, circa 1962.


http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/42723/2957374290033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2957374290033241453NTetVZ)


The same location! Circa 2010.


http://inlinethumb39.webshots.com/16998/2957151270033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2957151270033241453UOXoVe)


The 1965 "Runaway" coal truck that crashed into the wall lays at rest in the Catch Pit.


http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/36148/2442626820033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2442626820033241453PyzNFZ)


As you walk up the incline, there are numerous remains of the industrial past that litter the line side! This old crane lays alongside the line and was used in a small stone quarry.


http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/47093/2864656090033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2864656090033241453xDnOaf)


Old photo of Sheep Pasture Incline looking towards the Sheep Pasture Engine house, circa 1960.


http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/45593/2185809210033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2185809210033241453VVeoRE)


The same view today circa 2010.


At the top of Sheep Pasture incline was the first of the steam driven engine houses that pulled the wagons up from Cromford Junction. The Engine house was built in 1828 and operated until the lines closure in 1967.


http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/47872/2045825300033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2045825300033241453oVqYiR)


Sheep Pasture Engine House circa 1962.


http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/48127/2114960430033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2114960430033241453ErHofq)


Sheep Pasture Engine House circa 2010.


The engine House now lays abandoned, but you can explore its interior and see numerous remains of its former use still in situ. from here the line runs on a level plain for a short distance before taking the lines 2nd incline up to "Middleton Top"


But thats another explore!
Hope you have enjoyed this journey:coffee
Full History of the line can be read here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromford_and_High_Peak_Railway


Thanks for looking:thumb