Category: Uncategorised

A “Peak Class” Loco stands at the “Up” (towards London) Platform 2023 “The Tip” and it’s associated trees now block much of the trackbed. The “down” platform edge stones are still visible.. Maybe when the line was unused in the 70’s , people took the opportunity to dump (a lot) of stuff down the side…

seen here from Station Road. Not much trouble getting a parking space back then! It seems odd that the “Bakewell Station” sign appears precariously attached to “the gutter” (perhaps it was too wide for that central gable?) The prominent tree on the skyline features in a number of historic (and current!) photos 1970s The “Bakewell…

A Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) pulls into the station in the penultimate year of passenger operations. There was a fine looking footbridge just in front of Station Rd Bridge until the line closed. One wonders if it was re-purposed or… more likely just scrapped? The extra flight of steps seen on the left, was a…

The Canopy on the southbound platform has gone and the weeds are getting established.. 2023 The trackbed has been filled in although most of the platform edge stones are still there. A large crack has appeared in the Station Wall on the left, hence the fencing. The bridge is still there.. just hidden behind “The…

The Shed is now disused. In the foreground are the two main line tracks and a siding 2023 The Goods shed is still here… but very well hidden! From this angle it’s only possible to see a section of the roofThere is now a substantial “lean to” and it’s almost completely surrounded by other buildings..

A “Class 44”, appropriately known as a “Peak” locomotive, hauls a passenger train uphill out of Bakewell and towards Manchester A patriotic resident sportingly displays both the flags of The Union Jack and the Flag of Derbyshire (yes, there is one!) a nearby viewpoint from Google Streetview

The passenger station closed in 1942 whilst the Goods Yard remained in use for another two decades. Seen here from the B6001 bridge. Some goods carriages can be seen in the goods yard. Beyond the carriages is the signal box and beyond that is the goods shed. The Stationmasters house is on the right.Not many…

Apparently there was initially some debate as to whether this station should have been named “Thornbridge” presumably because it was next door to it! Seen here looking East 2023 The station buildings still exist as a private residence. A fence (and vegetation) along the top of the southern “down”, platform a nearby viewpoint from Google…

This is the eastern approach to the Headstone Tunnel. You’d think this scene was straight out of a dystopian horror film! How did the car get here? How come its upside down? Was this all down to the leaded petrol we had then? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadcrime_hypothesis If anyone has any more info, please let me know ;)…

The late David Hey was a great railway photographer. You can see his photos at his memorial website: https://davidheyscollection.myshopblocks.com/ (opens in new tab) He was also a fine painter! I particularly like this dramatic oil painting which graces the front of the book “Through Limestone Hills” by Bill Hudson (who was also another fine railway…

The camerman did a really good job here, capturing: the viaduct , a steam train going over it, men repairing a wall and people swimming .. It’s all going on! ;) Not many trees… 2023 Lots of trees…

The original name for the viaduct was the Headstone Viaduct. (taken from the name of the adjacent tunnel) Seen here from behind Netherdale Cottage. Early maps show a “footpath” which traverses the hillside at the same height as the Headstone tunnel portal and this appears prominently in this photo. The most westerly pillar is about…

This really was a tiny station for passenger traffic. A horse waits patiently for… There was a mine (headstock just visible) Putwell Hill Mine and a quarry, Monsaldale Spar Mine nearby which will have supplied materials to the siding which is on the other side of the far platform fence (some wagons visible). Because the…

One of the most dramatic situations on the Monsal Trail. Seen here, the western portal of the Cressbrook tunnel. The line continued on the edge of a cliff, for just another 200m before entering into the Litton Tunnel. Passengers would have caught a very quick glimpse of this dramatic scene 2023 a lot more trees..

This was a fantastic viewpoint of these two grade II listed viaducts. The nearer one is the original and perhaps the more graceful of the two with it’s three 29m wrought iron spans, it was completed in 1866. Increasing traffic necessitated the 2nd viaduct to be constructed in 1905. It is now really difficult to…

A wintry scene. The quarry on the skyline is prominent. In its heyday the station had 5 platforms, quite remarkable considering its remote location. It was where people needed to change from the mainline services to get local trains particularly to Buxton 2023 – The only station building which survives is now open as a…

The print below of a Midland Pullman has been commissioned by the (“not for profit”) reincarnation of the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company ( brcw.co ) which is hoping to raise funds to build a wooden mock up of the cab. See the news article here. You can buy a print here or a…

This is a screenshot from a wonderful 2 minute free film clip from the British Film Institute (BFI). Watch this fantastic video at: player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-through-millers-dale-near-buxton-derbyshire-midland-railway-1898-online (opens in new tab). (Those telegraph poles are wonderful too!). The telegraph poles have gone to be replaced by…. trees a nearby vewpoint from Google Streetview

Millers Dale Junction is the eastern point of the “triangle” of junctions around Blackwell Mill. Seen here looking Eastwards. Direct trains towards Manchester will take the same path as that of the train below.. 2023 – fortunately most of the rock faces are still visible whilst the junction itself and the viaduct are hidden by…

looking north westwards, the Blackwell Mill cottages are dominated by the huge limestone quarry and processing plant 2023 That particular quarry has largely been filled in, presumably by overburden from excavations elsewhere. There is virtually no visible evidence of the processing plant.. lots more trees! a nearby vewpoint from Google Streetview

Always very evocative… Advertising for the railways – a view from Monsal Head (They love the viaduct so much… its been removed!) The hill in the background is Fin Cop (opens in new tab) which was the site of an iron age fort On the side of Fin Cop is a group of rocks known…

Midland Pullmans compared with High Speed Trains There were only 5 Midland Pullmans made which seems such a shame when it was such a good looking train. There were only two trainsets which operated on the St Pancras to Manchester route. There were 6 carriages and they were all 1st Class! (talk about elitism eh?!)…

A proposal to run a narrow gauge railway alongside the Monsal Trail. Click monsal-rail.org for more details (opens in new tab)