Vintage Commercial Vehicles at Peak Rail

On Sunday 29th September 2013 I was rostered as Steam Driver at Peak Rail with Mike as fireman. Once again, we were operating top-and-tail with a seven coach rake (including the 'Exhibition Coach', a converted 'BG' bogie brake with a display of photographs outlining volunteer activities as a 'recruiting tool') and the Class 31. Mike and I were on the south end of the train with 'Lord Phil' facing Matlock and the Class 31 was on the north end.

We had a one-hour 'Driving Experience' course prior to the public service, so we came 'off shed' at Rowsley at 09:15 and made our way light engine to Darley Dale to be ready for our trainee, Mr. Stone, at 09:45. We spent the next hour trundling between Darley Dale (south of the Down Home signal) and Matlock Riverside (north of the River Derwent bridge). At 10:45, we left our trainee at Darley Dale and scuttled 'light engine' to Rowsley to pick up our train.

The Guard called us onto the coaches, Mike coupled-up and together we replenished the saddle tank. Taking water at the south end of Rowsley station is a bit tedious at present. A 4-wheel tank wagon is parked on an adjacent siding and filled from a water main via a ball valve fitted in the top of the tank. The water tank is connected to a portable water pump driven by a petrol engine. The water pump discharges through a long canvas fire hose which has to be dragged across to the steam locomotive and lifted up to the top of the saddle tank and secured inside the tank filler. We normally repeat this process two more times during the day.

The nicely-restored 'Shell Electrical Oils' tank wagon used as a water tank at the south end of Rowsley station.

We operated the usual five round trip service, hauling each train to Matlock (Town) and then suffering the indignity of being dragged backward to Rowsley by the Class 31. The picture below shows us passing Church Lane signal box on the way to Rowsley whilst being pulled by the Class 31.

Passing Church Lane, with a good view of the Midland Railway lower-quadrant signal in the 'Off' position.

The 'Palatine' Dining Train boarded diners on the 12:31 departure from Rowsley and we met up with our trainee again as he was dining on the train with his family to complete 'The Peak Rail Experience'.

The Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway was running as a further attraction. I've written briefly about this railway here, with a link to my pictures.

The Limestone Run is a once-a-year run of about 100 miles around the Peak District for Vintage Commercial Vehicles. In 2013, it was held on 29th September, starting at Belper and terminating in the afternoon at Peak Rail, Rowsley. There are a couple of pictures below taken from my Set Vintage Commercial Vehicles at Peak Rail. You can find more pictures on Facebook here. We were very lucky with the weather and it was another good day.

Drivers relax having completed the Limestone Run.

Later in the afternoon, the yard had filled up with preserved vehicles.

My pictures

'Lord Phil'.
Vintage Commercial Vehicles at Peak Rail

Aerial Photography showing Brewood Hall

In the 1970s, I took a few aerial photographs of Brewood Hall myself, but they have currently gone missing. They were taken as we returned from the Isle of Man in a twin-engined Piper 'Aztec'. Our route to Birmingham took us just to the south of Brewood Village. The camera was a 'Halina' 35 m.m. camera and with only a standard lens, there was not a lot of detail.

The first three pictures below were taken over a period of years by firms who overfly a likely area taking photographs 'on spec' and then send a salesman door-to-door trying to sell framed prints.

This picture must date from the 1970s, when the path to the front gate was flanked with flower beds. The road at the front of the property, Sparrow's End Lane, was narrow and 'hugged' the outside of the front wall. This is a photograph of a print which has rather faded.

Lack of funds in the 1980s led to ugly temporary roof repairs. The garden is unkempt, too. This is a photograph of a print.

The aerial photography must have been taken around 2008. This is a photograph of the print the firm supplied. I complained about the poor colour balance of the print, but I've not tried to correct it. By this time, there had been significant expenditure on the main building and the small barn had been restored. Sparrow's End Lane had been re-aligned and widened to serve a new housing development, so there is now a 'wedge' of grass between the front wall and the road.

This year, I had an e-mail from Aerial Impressions, who originate in Australia. The e-mail was inviting commissions to take photographs on a forthcoming planned photographic mission in my area. I decided to place an order with them and we exchanged maps showing exactly the extent of the property to be covered. I received an acknowledgment confirming that, subject to weather, photography in my area would start within a few days.

I'd almost forgotten my order when, some days later, I heard an aircraft overhead. That's not so unusual - we get quite a few light aircraft over-flying. We also get helicopters - the police and the Air Ambulance are regulars. We also get a number of military flights - Boeing 'Chinook' twin-rotor helicopters and 'Hercules' four-engine transports are commonplace. A few years ago, low-flying jet fighter aircraft were frequent fairly terrifying visitors, but that seems to have virtually ceased. The aircraft I could hear appeared to be manoeuvring so I thought "I wonder if that's the aerial survey?", grabbed my camera and went outside.

The high wing monoplane certainly appeared to be circling the property, so I attempted a picture. It always amuses me to take pictures of photographers at work, but I'd never attempted a picture of an aerial survey before. Well, the result is pretty poor - the target was too quick for me!

My feeble attempt to capture the survey aircraft.


An enlargement of part of the above photograph
perhaps makes the aircraft more obvious.

A week or so later, I received a disc from Aerial Impressions with around 50 high-resolution shots they'd taken. I was very pleased with the result and there was confirmation that it really was the survey aircraft I'd attempted to photograph because I was clearly visible on the lawn to the left of the Hall in around half of their pictures.

Brewood Hall in 2013. Jan is on the lawn to the left of the Hall.

There is a set of pictures Brewood from the Air which shows the village of Brewood and Brewood Hall. The Aerial Impressions pictures can be viewed in their full 21 Megapixel resolution.