Midland Railway – Butterley

Midland Railway - Butterley
Preserved locomotive S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 crosses the Butterley Reservoir causeway
Terminus	Hammersmith, & Pye Bridge
Commercial operations
Name	Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line
Built by	Midland Railway
Original gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned by	Midland Railway Trust Ltd
Operated by	Midland Railway Trust Ltd
Stations	3
Length	3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved era	Different era on a different day but normally 19th century
Commercial history
Opened	1st February 1875[1]
Closed to passengers	23rd December 1968
Preservation history
Headquarters	Butterley Station

Midland Railway – Butterley
Legend Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line A38 road Hammersmith Butterley Reservoir Butterley Swanwick Junction Swanwick Colliery Riddings Ironville Pye Bridge Midland Main Line

The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.

Overview

The Midland Railway – Butterley lies on the Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line of the old Midland Railway, although the present-day heritage line terminates at Hammersmith. The line currently runs for 3 ¹⁄₂ miles (5.6 km) from Hammersmith via Butterley, Swanwick Junction, and Riddings to Ironville. It is operated by the Midland Railway Trust.

The railway is also home to the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Golden Valley Light Railway, which opened in 1991 and partially lies on the trackbed of a former plateway built by the Butterley Company in 1813 to connect its iron works facilities in Butterley and nearby Codnor Park.

Stations of the MR (Butterley)

• Hammersmith
• Butterley - Headquarters of the Midland Railway - Butterley
• Swanwick Junction The Main Museum Complex
• Riddings (run-round loop, currently no platform at present, Ironville Junction close by, Current terminus of the 'MR (B)', until further notice).

Special events

The railway runs a variety of special events, ranging from standard Day out with Thomas specials on several weekends and half-terms each year to Gala events featuring the GVLR's stock in addition to the standard gauge collection.

• Vintage Train Bank Holiday weekends (Early May and Late August)
• steam and diesel locomotive events
• Sunday Lunch Trains and cream teas
• Annual 1960s events
• Train Trips to the seaside at Swanwick Junction Station (Late July/Early September)
• The Driver course round the Swanwick colliery branch line for £20
• Various events set on important days of the year, e.g. Mothers Day
• Bonfire nights
• Wizards and Spooks Week (During October half term)
• The annual Summertime Indietracks music festival
• DMU shuttle trains along the old Swanwick colliery branch and along Codnor Park curve
• Santa Specials (Late November till Christmas Eve)

The railway is also licensed to host weddings and parties.

In September 1999 the Kosovo Train for Life was loaded at Butterley station, before travelling via Kensington Olympia railway station, the Channel Tunnel, to Kosovo in conjunction with the Kosovo Force peace-keeping efforts.

Steam locomotives

The steam engines of the Midland Railway Trust that run passenger services are mostly ex-LMS and BR locomotives of similar designs to each other. Rarer industrial and mainline classes (one from as early as 1866), are usually static in the Swanwick museum site.

Operational

Stopped for repairs or maintenance

Undergoing restoration, overhaul or repairs

Number & Name	Description	History & Current Status	Livery	Owner(s)	Date	Photograph
No. 47327/23	LMS Fowler Class 3F 0-6-0T	Undergoing overhaul.	S&DJR Prussian Blue.	Derby City Council.	1926
No. 80098	BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT	Both 80080 and 80098 shared similar histories during their services with BR, both worked on the old London, Tilbury and Southend Railway branches, both were later allocated to other sheds and later sent to Barry in the 60s. Its boiler ticket expired in late 2009 and it quickly moved into the workshop. Previously in the fictional guise of 'Peter' during Day out with Thomas events. Undergoing overhaul.[2]	BR Lined Black with Late Crest.	Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust.	1954
"George"	RSH 0-4-0ST from British Celanese Works at Spondon undergoing restoration at PRCLT West Shed	Undergoing major restoration at PRCLT West Shed.	Dark Green	Midland Railway Trust	1945	~
No. 47357 (16440)	LMS Class 3F Jinty	Undergoing its ten-yearly overhaul. Previously in the fictional guise of 'Desmond' during Day out with Thomas events.	BR Black	Derby City Council	1926
No. 47445	LMS Class 3F Jinty	Under major restoration with work currently focused on the frames.	NCB Orange/ Black	Derby City Council	1927	~
Lytham St Annes	Peckett 0-4-0ST	Under overhaul.	Lined Blue	Private Owner	1949	~

Stored or static

Number & Name	Description	History & Current Status	Livery	Owner	Date	Photograph
No. 158A	Midland Railway 156 Class 2-4-0	Static display in the Mathew Kirtley Museum. This engine has not run under her own steam since arrival at the trust, and is part of the National Collection.	Midland Railway Maroon	National Railway Museum	1866
No. 46203 "Princess Margaret Rose"	LMS 4-6-2 Class 8P	Currently on display in the West Shed, Stored, Out of use. Awaiting restoration.	BR Maroon	Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust	1935
No. 47564	LMS Class 3F Jinty	Stored, as a kit of parts behind the new Diesel Depot, Not on the waiting list for restoration.	BR Black	Derby City Council	1928	~
No. 73129	BR Standard Class 5	On display in the Exhibition Hall museum at Swanwick awaiting major overhaul.	BR lined Black with the early crest.	Derby City Council	1956
"Gladys"	Markham & Co. 0-4-0T	A static display in the Matthew Kirtley Museum	Dark Green	Midland Railway Trust	1894	~
"Castle Donington Power Station No. 1"	RSH 0-4-0ST	Stored pending overhaul	Dark Blue.	Midland Railway Trust.	1954
"Stanton 24"	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T Crane Tank	A static display in the Matthew Kirtley Museum	Dark Green	Midland Railway Trust	1925	~
Brown Bailey No. 4	Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 0-4-0ST	Permanently plinthed outside Allport's Emporium, known as the trust created Thomas and Friends character "Oswald the Talking Engine"	Light Blue	Midland Railway Trust	1894
Boots No. 2	Fireless 0-4-0T	A static display in the Matthew Kirtley Museum	Boots Blue (with logo)	Midland Railway Trust	1955	~
"Victory"	Peckett 0-4-0ST	A static display in the Matthew Kirtley Museum	Dark Green	Midland Railway Trust	1919

Extra Note: A pair of 21 inch gauge steam-outlined replicas of the PRCLT's Pacifics and a carriage were given to the Trust as a gift and two roads in the West Shed and about 50 metres of track have since been laid for them.

Diesel and electric locomotives

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Owner	Photograph
"Andy"	Fowler 0-4-0DM	Stored, Engine runs, needs major gear box attention and replacement final drive gear	Dark Red	Private Owner
"Albert Fields/Emfour 9" D1114	Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Shunter	In need of repair	BR Green	Midland Railway Trust
No. 416	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 Shunter	Awaiting engine overhaul	Green	Midland Railway Trust
No. RS12	Motorail Simplex No RS12	Stored - Poor condition but 90% complete	Brown	Midland Railway Trust
No. RS9	Motorail Simplex No. RS9	Stored - Very poor condition - 60% complete	Blue	Midland Railway Trust
No. 441	Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 Shunter	Undergoing clutch repairs	Blue	Midland Railway Trust
No. D1154	Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 Shunter	Under Restoration	Green
No. 5337	Mercury Tractor 0-4-0	Stored	Blue	Midland Railway Trust
No. 384139/D2959	Ruston & Hornsby	Under Overhaul	BR Green	Midland Railway Trust
No. D2858	BR 0-4-0 Class 02	Static display - gear box failure	BR Green	Midland Railway Trust
No. D2138	BR 0-6-0 Class 03	Out of traffic. Power unit seized. Undergoing overhaul.	BR Green	Midland Railway Trust/NCB
No. 08590 "Red Lion" formerly 'Diesel' from Thomas events	BR 0-6-0 Class 08	Operational, Butterley Yard Pilot	BR Blue	Private Owner/Midland Railway Trust
No. 12077	BR 0-6-0 Class 11	Operational - Swanwick Yard Pilot	BR Green	Midland Railway Trust
No. 20048	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Under Repair	BR Blue	Midland Class 20 Association
No. 20205	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational - mainline certified	BR Blue	Class 20 Locomotive Society
No. 8001 (20001)	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Under repair	BR Green Full Yellow Ends	Class 20 Locomotive Society
No. 20227	BR Bo-Bo Class 20	Operational on Loan to North Norfolk Railway - mainline certified	London Underground	Class 20 Locomotive Society
No. 25321	BR Bo-Bo Class 25	Out of traffic	BR Green - not historically correct for actual locomotive or subclass	Derby Industrial Museum
No. 5580 (31162)	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational	BR Blue	A1A Locomotives
No. 31108	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational	BR Railfreight Red Stripe	A1A Locomotives
No. 31418 "Boadicea"	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Undergoing Restoration (Stored)	N/A	A1A Locomotives
No. 31271 "Stratford 1840 - 2001"	BR A1A-A1A Class 31	Operational - On loan to the Nene Valley Railway	Railfreight Construction	A1A Locomotives
No. D212 (40012) "Aureol"	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40	Under bodywork repairs off site	BR Green	Class 40 Appeal
No. 37190 "Dalzell"	BR Co-Co Class 37	Under repair	BR Blue	Class 40 Appeal
No. D4 "Great Gable"	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 44	Stored pending generator repair, on display at the front of the Mathew Kirtley Museum	BR Green	Peak Locomotive Company
No. 45108	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45	Operational, On Loan to East Lancs Railway	BR Blue	Peak Locomotive Company
No. 45133	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45	Operational On Loan to Mid Norfolk Railway	BR Blue	45/1 Preservation Group
No. D182	BR 1Co-Co1 Class 46	Operational	BR Blue Small Yellow Panels	Peak Locomotive Company
No. 47401 "North Eastern"	BR Co-Co Class 47	Operational	BR Blue	47401 Project
No. D1516 (47417)	BR Co-Co Class 47	Under restoration	BR Two-Tone Green	47401 Project
No. D1048 "Western Lady"	BR Co-Co Class 52	Under Restoration, Built in 1962.	BR Blue	Private Owners
No. 27000 Electra	BR Class 77 'EM2' 1500V Electric	In operational condition, though generally an exhibit in the Matthew Kirtley Museum	Lined Black	EM2 Locomotive Society

DMUs and EMU sets

Golden Valley Light railway stock

In addition to the standard gauge stock on the Midland Railway, The Golden Valley Light Railway, a separate organisation altogether, owns a collection of locomotives, ex colliery manriders, Ashover coach No.4 and ex industrial wagons, many of which are being restored to work on the line.

Butterley Park Miniature Railway stock

Coach stock

Midland Railway vintage set

These coaches are only in use on vintage days and are generally coupled with 47357 or 47327 in their maroon liveries or else a visiting engine.

Mk1 and Mk2 coaches

As with most railways, BR Mk1s are the staple passenger stock of the MRB

LMS coaches

While some other railways have an active rake of LMS coaches, most of Butterley's collection is still unrestored.

Other coaches

As with most other railways, Butterley owns several unique carriages, which are only used on very special occasions, e.g. tributes to fellow servicemen.

Attractions and exhibits

Mock up of the Class 93 locomotive, located in the Matthew Kirtley Museum at Swanwick

The main museum site is at Swanwick Junction, with many attractions and groups based there. There are other attractions at Butterley.

• Butterley railway station
  • Ais Gill Signal Box – Formerly situated at Ais Gill on the Settle to Carlisle line, this is the working signal box at Butterley. It is technically a ground frame. There is no public access.
  • Alfreton Model Railway Society
  • Butterley Station Building – The original brick-built station buildings were demolished after the line closed. The new station building (acquired from Whitwell railway station) is made of stone and contains a shop and booking office.
  • Butterley Tea Rooms – Butterley station's catering facility, serves hot and cold snacks and drinks almost every day of the year.
  • Carriage Shed – A depot with repair and overhaul facilities. Is generally closed to the public.
  • Garden Railway – An outdoor 16 mm scale model railway which runs on most Sundays and some Saturdays.
  • Heanor Model Railway Club – This building contains a 4 mm scale OO Gauge layout (Alderthorpe) and a 7 mm O gauge shunting yard layout. Open on various dates throughout the year.
• Swanwick Junction railway station
  • Station Building – Moved from Syston railway station and rebuilt on Swanwick platform 2, toilets, booking offices and a waiting room.
  • Island Platform Waiting Room – A replica of the original Station building at Broom Junction. It is located between Platforms 3 and 4. There is currently only public access on certain events. The original building was intended to be used, but it was destroyed by vandals before recovery.
  • Signal Box – The operational signal box at Swanwick Junction, moved from Kettering Station in 1988. There is no public access.
  • Matthew Kirtley Museum – The main museum on the Swanwick site, it houses various locomotives, coaches and wagons. The main workshops are also situated in this building. There is no public access to the workshops, although there is a viewing area.
  • Historical Model Railway Society – Was opened in 2005. It contains a large display area, study centre and small shop. Normally only open by appointment it is sometimes open at special events.
  • The West Shed – Home of the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, owners of 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" and 46203 "Princess Margaret Rose". BR Standard Class 4 Tanks 80080 and 80098 and a small collection of classic LMS Saloons including the famous Dynamometer car are also stationed here.
  • St. Saviour's Church – Moved from Westhouses, this Railwayman's church also holds occasional services.
  • Upcast Colliery Headstocks and Winding Gear.
  • Johnson's Buffet – Swanwick Junction's catering facility, Toilets are located nearby on the same building.
  • Golden Valley Light Railway – Laid on the trackbed of a former Ironworks Railway, this line runs for just under one mile (1.6 km) to Newlands Inn. The terminus of this 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line is just above the entrance to the Cromford Canal Tunnel. The Swanwick Terminus gained a new engine shed in 2007.
  • Allports Emporium – The main shop at Swanwick.
  • Swanwick Junction Model Railway Club – The model railway at Swanwick Junction, currently in St Mary's gatehouse.
  • Derby St Marys Gatehouse – Situated at the entrance to the site, this small building was moved to Swanwick from the goods yard at Derby St Marys.
  • Demonstration Signal Box – Recovered from Linby railway station. Now in use at Brands Crossing as a demonstration signal box, with public access.
  • Linby Colliery Sidings Signal Box – Currently in use as a bookshop.
  • Static Power Museum – Normally open at busy periods and at special events the building houses a good number of working machines.
  • Richard Levick Workshop – The main machine shop at the Swanwick site. Named after Richard Levick, who was killed when working on one of the machines here. There is no public access to this area.
  • Butterley Park Miniature Railway – Operates Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, miniature replicas of classic steam and diesel engines of both 3 ¹⁄₂ in (89 mm) and 5 in (127 mm) gauge operate on a raised circuit of track. The public are permitted to ride for a small charge. The line consists of about ¹⁄₆ mile (0.27 km) of track, a traverser, tunnel, decorative speed signs and signal box.
  • Historic Carriage and Wagon – A large number of coaches and wagons await restoration here, either in the sidings or the large shed in which the Society is based. On certain days it is possible to see work being done inside the shed.
  • National Fork Truck Heritage Centre and Road Transport Gallery – This recently completed building houses a collection of heritage buses, lorries and other forms of road transport and fork lift trucks. On certain special events, some of the vehicles are put on display out in the open.
  • 47401 Project Shop – Fundraising shop for 47401 and 47417, located in the Fork Lift Truck Heritage Centre**Diesel Depot – Currently housing some of the centre's diesel fleet. An extension is under construction.
• Riddings
  • There is no station here- at this point the locomotive is run around its train.
  • The Erewash Valley Line passes close by to the running line.
  • The connecting line to the Erewash Valley, Codnor Park Jcn is situated just before the run round loop.
  • Evidence of a future extension to Pye Bridge can be seen.
  • The MR(B) aims to build a station here as part of the future extension to Pye Bridge.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Midland Railway - Butterley.

• The Midland Railway - Butterley website
• Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust
• The Midland Diesel Group
• Class 20 Locomotive Society
• Golden Valley Light Railway
• MRT Railcar Group
• Alfreton Model Railway Society
• Alfreton Model Railway Society's photo website
• The Heanor Model Railway Club
• Midland Road Transport Group
• Midland Railway Signalman's Association
• Historical Model Railway Society
• Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society

Coordinates: 53°03′48″N 1°23′57″W / 53.0632°N 1.3993°W / 53.0632; -1.3993