Saturday, 30 November 2013
Daily Report Sat 30th November 21013
Friday, 29 November 2013
Progress Report Friday the 29th of November 2013
Dear all,
A quiet day of pottering around.
All the best,
Anton
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Progress Thursday 28th November 2013
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Progress Wednesday 27th November 2013
Another 4 Drive a Diesel participants thoroughly enjoyed their day on this sunny and reasonably mild November day.
Down the yard, the LMSCA continued with the Third Open. Today some more roof panels were attached.
The Booking Office fought with the continual stream of Santa bookings that continue to arrive.
A good day
Leigh
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Progress Tuesday 26th November 2013
Monday, 25 November 2013
Progress Monday 25th November 2013
Daily Report Sunday 24th November 2013
Daily Report Saturday 23rd November 2013
A frosty start on Derbyshires friendly railway as we enter into the run up to the Santa specials.
The 3 car unit was brought into the station ready for its big clean and preparation to receive our many Santa guests and not forgetting the big man himself Father Christmas.
The Schools team had a meeting in the Pullman buffet .
The duty conscript salted the footpaths and platforms at Wirksworth.
The Dmu team fixed Iris radiator leak as well as worked on the guards compartment on the ex Strathclyde unit.
The 8f group worked on Cathryn and the duke despite the freezing temperature .
All in all a steady day for the time of year , many thanks to all who entertained and looked after our passengers .
ATB John Evans
Friday, 22 November 2013
Progress Friday 22nd November 2013
A sunny but chilly day in the valley which saw us host a charter for ex-Coalville Depot staff. Some of them are now retired but some are still working for the railway. Some of them last travelled on a first generation DMU some 20 years ago and indeed some of them used to be drivers. One now drives Sprinters for East Midlands Trains and another drives Turbostars for Cross Country! After a tour round the yard, our 'bubble' and the Class 119 in multiple went firstly to Ravenstor and then to Duffield, where Town Street Fish Bar didn't disappoint.
Back in Wirksworth, the Station Foreman and his colleague continued to attend to door issues on the Training Room and carried out a few routine jobs around the station ready for a service day tomorrow.
The Booking Hall processed yet more Santa bookings. Currently, the first weekend has the most seats as you would expect. The final Sunday, 22nd, is virtually sold out with Saturday 21st not far behind.
An enjoyable day.
Leigh
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Progress Thursday 21st November 2013
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Progress Wednesday 20th November 2013
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Progress Tuesday 19th November 2013
Please extend my thanks to all involved for the friendly welcome and excellent tuition when my wife & I attended the EVR for my Double Gloucester DMU Driver experience at 1300 hrs on Sunday 17th November. I look forward to the next one.
Kind regards
Steve Lockwood"
Undoubtedly our experience offers wins friends and certainly influences how our enterprise is perceived. Many thanks to the teams that make them happen.
Today saw the VCT descending on the Holloway Road footpath crossing where we had been asked by the County Council's footpath officer to widen the access to permit the safe passage of buggies. You really couldn't make this up but apparently we are oblidged to do this as it is a walking route to a school and who are we to question current legislation despite the fact that styles were provided from around 1865 to 2011 - no buggies then, then!
The M1M were in action on the Second Open and the LMSCA tended to guttering on their Third Open which is really beggining to take shape again. The DST were tending to a variety of jobs including painting the wheels from Cathryn a very fetching pinky peach. The dmu team were assembling and checking the Santa train with an achievement of heating the centre coach of the three car set.
The PWT were small in number and transferred their attentions to Shottle keeping company with the SBT. After some lifting work at Shottle Mike the Flail trundled to Wirksworth for repairs and fuel returning to Shottle at the end of the day.
Fred & Iris gave the Mess Hall a very good do and it is to be hoped that today's participants have left it in good order. The Pullman Buffet Car benefitted from the good, but cold, weather and the Booking Hall had another record day. Santa bookings have now overtaken last year's entire revenue as of today which is a marvellous achievement with some 83% being booked online. We should recognise the in house skills that have made this possible - only two years ago this just would not have been offered with all bookings being made by post or in person.
Martin
Today's photo is of our "Bubble Car" visitor and, if it works, a refurbishment project for the dmu team - all expenses paid - at the Railway Museum, Galvaston - a Budd railcar with potential
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Daily Report Sunday 17th November 2013
A cold start to the day at Derbyshires friendly railway as we welcomed our guests for the Double Gloucester Dmu driver day which was enjoyed by all.
The Dmu group were busy dealing with the unit repairs and sorting out the new supply of parts.
Mike and Brian visited the miniature railway to test Conway and check on the track.
All in all a pleasant day , many thanks to all staff who participated in making this a great successful day
ATB John Evans
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Progress Report Saturday 16th November 2013 [1 Attachment]
Dear All,
It was a very pleasant day down at Derbyshire's favourite branch line. We welcomed a surprise large party of walkers on our mid-day service resulting in well occupied trains and a busy buffet and shop. The booking hall dealt with a steady stream of Santa bookings boosted by our new banner (photo attached). Down the yard the DMU team focussed on 55012 heaters, the LMSCA and 8F group continued work on their respective projects and the duty conscripts gave the pullman carriages a well needed external wash.
Finally congratulations go to eight volunteers who successfully completed part one of the shunting course.
All the best,
Tom
Friday, 15 November 2013
Progress Friday 15th November 2013
A leisurely sort of a day where the duo of Lewis and Richard managed to successfully dispatch another 4 Drive a Diesel guests with beaming smiles.
Around the station, the Station Foreman and his new colleague attended to a couple of issues including a leaky door on our Training Room. The Booking Hall dealt with yet more Santa bookings and the station gardener attended to the quad.
At Duffield, some leaves were moved.
…and that is about it. Nice and peaceful!
Leigh
Vince Ware
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Progress Thursday 14th October 2013
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Progress Wednesday 13th November 2013
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Progress Tuesday 12th November 2013
Pleasant Comments
I hope to be able to return and have another go in the future using some of the different locomotives and rail cars that you have available.
Thank you once again for a fantastic day!
Kind regards
Nick Byrne
We visited the EVR on Saturday and had a wonderful day.
I wanted in particular to thank Richard the ticket man for his wonderful guide to the track and the history of the railway - to Graham for allowing me to sit by him in the cab and also to Mike?Tom? the wonderful Operating Officer for the very interesting tour of the sheds.
Once I had said that I was a fellow volunteer working on the North Norfolk Railway were we given such a special welcome. Thanks to all.
I finished the day by finding some gems in the shop! and spent up!
I wish you all the best as you continue your restoration work over the winter months.
with best wishes
Tim (Bennett)
All good stuff!
Martin
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Progress Report Sunday the 10th of November 2013
Dear all,
A wonderfully sunny winter day. We pottered around painting, fixing DMU cab electrics and dealing with a charmingly leisurely charter. One of those rare quiet days when we could admire the progress of our endeavour without endeavouring too much.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Progress Report Saturday 9th November 2013
A cool start at Derbyshires friendly railway as our hardened passengers braved the cold to travel in the two car unit to Duffield and back.
The Pullman buffet had a steady stream of business as our passengers enjoyed the warm drinks and food on offer.
Down the yard the Dmu group were kept busy repairing the electrical faults on the newly arrived 122.
The 8f group were found playing with the Dukes wheel sets as well as Kathryns boiler.
Four members of staff attended the Railwayman 2 course and all were successful .
The passenger services manager was to be found working on the steps at Shottle .
The Duty conscripts worked on painting the fences and filling in the uneven ballast with ash .
All in all a good day until the heavens opened up and heavy hailstones hit us as we tried to head home.
ATB John
Friday, 8 November 2013
Progress Report Friday the 8th November 2013
Dear all,
A typical chilly, damp November day. Our usual Friday selection of Diesel experience guests wended their way up and down the valley. Around the station the recalcitrant Gents door finally yielded to reason and is now pristine once again. Would Booking Hall staff please note that it is no longer on a mortice lock, but on the usual internationally famous top secret code, known only to several thousand people, but which I cannot possibly state here in case GCHQ reads this email and comes for a pee and a strip search during the night.
In the shed the slightly damp LMSCA attended to the gutters of the Third Open and carried on filling and sanding the bodyside which will shortly be smooth enough to see yourself in.
All the best,
Anton
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Progress Thursday 7th November 2013
Progress Wed 6th November 2013.
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Progress Report Bonfire Night 2013
Dear all,
Many thanks to Mick Thomas for the earlier update. In addition to those noble works, electrical fault finding was carried out on unit 55012, the steam team winterised Henry Ellison and fitted a speedometer to Number 3. The interior roof was painted in the Third Open, a charming shade of red, and a great deal of screwing took place in the general area of the windows, gutters and panels of that vehicle.
At Hazelwood, the VCT, experiencing a vast turnout in lousy conditions, had two fires, perhaps a precursor to tonight's general celebrations about a sane man wanting to blow up the House of Commons.
The Passenger Department picked itself up off the floor with the arrival of £1,000 worth of Santa bookings since Thursday (Book Now! Book Now!) and the annual stocktake took place in which we counted every movable object worth selling in the Booking hall, and several which weren't worth selling.
May your fires be bright tonight and your Mount Vesuvius last forever.
All the best,
Anton
Progress Tuesday 5th November.
After a rainy start the day brightened up nicely with quite a lot achieved. P Way recovered a further location cabinet from Duffield and swapped another pair of fishplates at the same location. 2 pairs of plates were changed at Shottle and further inroads were made into cutting up the scrap pile. Platform builders installed another 40 feet of copings which considering the weather was quite an achievement.
DMU team were kept busy with anti freeze checks on the units and Breeze with further oil changes and maintenance.
Steam team were around doing what steam team does with further action on the coaching stock from LMSCA.
A lot of jobs completed on a cold rainy day.
MKT.
Monday, 4 November 2013
Progress Report Sunday the 3rd of November 2013
Dear all,
Almost a pleasant sunny day for the time of year. This is the first Sunday of the winter season and we will not be running again on Sundays until the New Year. The absence of passengers brought an air of peace and tranquillity to the line, but we were still hard at it even without running trains.
The Duty Conscript managed to fit some painting in, both of the prospective Gent's Door (as the current one is suffering a lock failure amongst other things), and of the back of the south end fence on platform 2. His efforts were viewed by the Guerilla gardeners, who were going about their digging and we also did a bit of gardening and leaf
clearing of our own both at Wirksworth and Duffield.
Down the yard, the Austerity team carried on with cleaning the various parts of that locomotive as part of its restoration, and began painting the wheels. Nearby, the Wickham Tubular Band, sorry, DMU Team, carried on with their assorted efforts in unit 50235, in which the Guard's Door was sanded and the guard's compartment trim fitted.
As part of the vast multi-million pound plan to make the shed decently usable, now that Rod has fixed the back door, C Lings finished the down side staging and access steps. The DMU spares container also received
the fright of its life, being tidied up for the first time since Emmerdale mentioned the word "cow" in relation to an actual animal.
All the best,
Anton
Saturday, 2 November 2013
Progress Report 1st November 2013
Dear All,
First day of our winter timetable and the weather obliged with a cold, windy and wet day. However that did not appear to impact negatively upon our visitor numbers and the scheduled Duffield service ran with good passenger loadings. We welcomed a day with the driver from Cheshire and we were happy to great passengers boarding at Wirksworth travelling onwards to Gatwick Airport on vacation.
Down the yard the DMU team split into two groups, one tackling a broken engine valve spring and the other installing new panelling in the guard's van.The LMSCA and 8F group were also in attendance continuing their respective restoration projects and a small number of volunteers attended a fire safety course. Our conscripts gave Iris a thorough clean following yesterday's charter and the replacement door in the mess room received its final coat of paint.
I think that's all.
Tom
Friday, 1 November 2013
Progress Report Friday the 1st November 2013
Dear all,
A day of gradually deteriorating weather saw at least the Drive a Diesel guests somewhere dry. This couldn't be said for the charter tour of the day who couldn't have been wetter if they had tried. However, the event appeared to go well despite the downpour.
Purves Shovellers finished clearing the ballast dock and all we need now is a nice cafe to put on it. The Station Foremen returned to the day's door task and we will eventually get on top of our selection of wobbly, flappy, sticky doors before winter really sets in. The winter theme was rather continued down the yard as the Chief Executive of DMU Operations did his anti-freeze bit.
All the best
Anton