Cheddleton Station

One of the loveliest stations I have visited

 

 

Very well kept

 

Lots of atmosphere

 

A superb buffet, very pleasant service

and prices that fit the pocket

 

Set in lovely countryside just south of Leek. It is

next to the Trent and Mersey canal and the Boat

Inn is a mere three min walk from the station

 

Next job is some original crossing gates I am told

 

One for the modeller I think

 

Beautiful in bloom. Well done Curnet Valley staff

 

A more detailed story can be found at

 

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/cheddleton

Cheddleton Station museum

Part of the station is still given over

to the museum which was the first

use of the building after the close

of the line

 

 

Dedicated to the North Staffordshire Railway

 

There is much to see and of course read

 

A lovely country station in idyllic setting

 

You could well imagine a hot fire burning in the grate

on a cold winters day

 

You won't be bored as you wait for the train

 

The North Staffs was an important

Railway

 

Well thankfully there is always leisure now

 

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/

Cheddleton Station Waiting room

Lots of Posters of my favourite places

 

Ilfracombe where I still spend many

Happy holidays. I shall be there an a weeks time

 

Torquay where I spent some of the happiest

childhood holidays

 

And of course our own Yorkshire east coast where

we go frequently

 

Yes I spent fifteen years at sea.

Pity they forget our sacrifice

so quickly

 

We were worth it.

 

 

They are having a 1940's weekend soon

 

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/

 

The Vintage Carriage Trust

It is appropriate having mentioned the VCT in my

comments on 'Bellerophon'

The Vintage Carriage Trust are based at Ingrow West

Station on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway. They

restore carriages which often run on the said railway

and many very excellent examples can be seen most

weekends behind vintage locomotives like LNWR

Coal tank of Mr Webb's design.

 

 

Linked to their workshops id an excellent museum

 

Not only carriages but much railway ephemera is

on display  

 

Along with vintage locos such as 'Lord Mayor'

 

A lovely little engine which worked on the building

of Bradford's great reservoir chain in the upper Nidd

Valley

 

So yet another reason to visit Ingrow West

 

http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/Bell.htm

 

 

 

 

Passing Cheddleton crossing and station

Polish ex pat locomotive TKh2944

Waiting the road at Cheddleton

 

 

 

Surprise surprise there is another one due for rebuild

when the USA S160 is completed I am told

 

This is TKh2871

 

Much to be done but you have seen the work

on 2944, so it won't be long before they have a pair 

 

 

Maybe there are some Polish ex pat engineers who

would be interested in helping in the restoration I

am sure your help and interest would always be

welcomed.

 

Go along to the

 

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/

 

Cheddleton is just south of Leek

 

Cheddleton on the Churnet Valley Railway and TKh2944

A superb job of work done by the Cheddleton Team

 

 

Following pictures Courtesy of the Churnet Valley

 

 

Before and after

 

The workmanship is excellent

 

Ready for Hydraulic testing

Again many thanks

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/

 

 

Above I again stress the diesel was purely to provide

Air foe Braking the train.

 

Further information

 

 

Combined output of T1A and T2A had been just ten examples; new machine, with factory designation T3A (commonly known as ‘Ferrum 47’), went into series production in 1947 and, until 1961, 477 examples were built by Fablok. There are, in fact, some discrepancies between various sources as far as the total output is concerned; numbers from 437 to 480 are given. This total includes also later variant, known as ‘Ferrum 724’, developed in order to fulfill foreign orders. As early as in 1953, three machines were sold to Romania. In 1959 three (some sources incorrectly give four) went to Hungary, purchased for the Ózdi Kohászati Üzemek (Ózd Iron Works); one was withdrawn in 1987 and the remaining two followed in 1991. Hungarian engines were unofficially nicknamed ‘Gomulka’, after the first secretary of the Polish communist party then in office. China bought probably 82 examples between 1958 and 1960; they were designated class XK13 and some were fitted with makeshift tenders. Chinese machines had air brakes, Janney couplers and electric lightning. It should be noted that first machines for domestic use were fitted with steam brakes and kerosene lights, in order to facilitate rapid deliveries. In fact, differences between two basic variants were limited to details and all later examples, not only export ones, were also built as ‘Ferrum 724’ type. According to Duncan Cotterill’s very interesting and competent website on Chinese steam power (www.railography.co.uk/tractive-efforts), last XK13s were reported in service in 1993 and probably three examples have been preserved at various locations. Given the fact that reliable sources give 378 examples built for domestic operators, this leaves two examples; possibly they went to Northern Korea (either directly or via China), as one source reports export also to this country, but confirmation is lacking.

 

Main technical data

 

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	1947 – 1961
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	4772) / 378
3.	Tender class	-	-
4.	Axle arrangement	-	0-3-0
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	40
6.	Cylinder bore	mm	2 X 460
7.	Piston stroke	mm	540
8.	Engine rating	kW/hp	294 / 400
9.	Tractive effort	kG	7 850
10.	Boiler pressure	MPa	1.33
11.	Grate dimensions	m X m	1.7 m2
12.	Firebox heating surface	m2
13.	Distance between tube plates	mm
14.	Number of flue tubes	-
15.	Heating surface of flue tubes	m2
16.	Number of smoke tubes	-
17.	Heating surface of smoke tubes	m2
18.	Evaporating surface, total	m2	100.0
19.	Superheater heating surface	m2	-
20.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1150
21.	Diameter of idlers front/rear	mm	-
22.	Total weight, empty	kg	34 800
23.	Total weight, working order	kg	44 400
24.	Weight on drivers, working order	kg	44 400
25.	Weight with tender, empty	kg	-
26.	Weight with tender, working order	kg	-
27.	Maximum axle load	T	14.8
28.	Axle base (with tender)	mm	3 400
29.	Overall length (with tender)	mm	9 170
30.	Brake type	-	steam / Westinghouse1)