June 2026 – Whitnet Railways

We first attempted to visit Peak Rail some years ago, however a lack of cash and a ticket machine which was unable to deliver a ticket without cash frustrated that aim and it was abandoned. Today it is a planned part of our return journey from Yorkshire. commencing at the right end of the line – and a free car park – at Rowsley South. I must admit I have always had a view that the line was both longer and larger than I found it to be. The line is about 3.5 miles long and they would like to extend about 3/4 mile to Bakewell. Beyond that the former line is given over to the Monsal train so further extension is unlikely. Rowsley South station is new and to me feels hidden behind an industrial estate. The original Rowsley station building is now a part of the Peak Village shopping outlet.

A lost opportunity was either a lunch or tea train (which absorbs all of the numerous waiting passengers) which departed as we arrived headed by ‘Waleswood’ a Hudswell Clarke locomotive from 1906 leading a somewhat peripatetic life in preservation joining the Peak Rail fleet in 2024.

By comparison our service train was almost empty when it leaves and the locomotive 2183 ‘Earl David’ has a very gentle time as we descend over the forty minute journey to Matlock (which I visited using the East Midlands service when I had a Heart of England Rover in 2025). 158773 is the unit visible.

2183 Earl David Matlock Riverside 20-6-26

The locomotive propels the train back to Matlock Riverside where it can run round the coaches and return to the front of the train. Thereafter the return journey is much harder work for the locomotive as it has to work hard to lift us up the gradient to Rowsley South.

The railway appears to have a huge amount of rolling stock in sidings adjacent to Rowsley South station, how much of it can and will be restored is hard to know. I think it might be good to extend to Bakewell but at the moment I do not feel it is carrying enough passengers to work. Perhaps we managed a low business day of course.

Having completed our round trip we drive past Chatsworth House to find our hotel for the evening. In the car park was this stunningly restored MGB GT which is beautifully restored version of the car (TVR 973K) which I owned for nearly two years in the mid-eighties. This one looks to be in excellent condition – the internal leatherwork looks far better than my car ever did.

We are on our way to Yorkshire and I have dropped Jackie in Central Loughborough which means I am free to ride the current Great Central in full. On our last visit we took the Mountsorrel branch and on a previous visit only travelled between Quorn and Birstall and Belgrave which has adopted the name of Leicester North having been moved about 100m south and within the boundaries of Leicester, the original station was demolished but they were very close. Today is a full fat run!

I arrive in plenty of time for my service and have time to walk past the line up of diesels including the Deltic which is due to return to service in the near future. I suspect I do not have enough time to visit the loco shed which sits astride the line and will be removed prior to be reconnected to the line northwards.

We are awaiting the return of the first service and it is steadily getting later and later. No announcement as to the cause of the delay and eventually it arrives. 73156 runs around and we are advised that the time at our destination will be cut to enable the timetable to be recovered. 73156 is a BR Standard 5MT entering service in 1957 working over the Great Central at various times before withdrawal in 1967 when it was consigned to Barry. It returned to steam and service in 2017 so will soon be reaching the end of its boiler certificate probably in 2028.

On our return journey we reach Rothley (pronunciation is questionable but locals seem to use something like Roathley) we stop but do not restart. It seems that the loco is unable to create a vacuum on the train and some fitters attend (the line’s carriage maintenance is undertaken at Rothley). The youngest (and female) member of the team makes several trips to and from the shed to obtain bolts (and presumably nuts) of the right size to effect a repair. After nearly an hour we are on our way once again.

The line is of course part of the London Extension from Nottingham to London opening at the end of the nineteenth century and consequently built to standards current at the time to ensure easy working. In preservation days the line was initially single and shorter and was slowly extended and part double tracked to provide a feeling of a main line – which of course the line was.

The railway has achieved much over the last 50 or so years and has great plans to link up the missing section and reconnect nearly back to Nottingham. The sums involved are eye-watering and to be honest I doubt that I will live to see it achieved. Green Signals have looked at the project in detail and you can watch a video of their investigation.

Reasonable passenger numbers for a midweek train not in the holiday season. Potentially excess passenger capacity today. It is a lovely run through the countryside and across the Swithland reservoir which was built in a couple of years prior to the railway being built through the area.

Peak Rail 20.6.26

Great Central Railway 18.6.26