Churnet Valley Railway

Address: Cheddleton Station, Station Road, Cheddleton ST13 7EE

Telephone: 01538 360522 Email: enquiries@churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
Line length: 5¼ miles Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Cheddleton to Kingsley & Froghall Journey Time: 18 minutes
Service: Saturdays and Sundays from 3 April - 10 October & December / Bank holidays / some Wednesdays and extra days
Tickets: Adult £9.00 Family £25.00 (2 adults and 3 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Cheddleton station ST13 7EE and Kingley & Froghall station
Website: www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk YouTubevideo location map

Cheddleton Station: Victorian Grade II listed station, tea room, souvenir shop, picnic area and museum.

Kingsley & Froghall Station: Gift shop, tea rooms

Parlimentary approval for the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) was given in 1846. Opened on 13 July 1849 the route went from North Rode to Uttoxeter a distance of 27¾ miles. Four passenger trains a day were run initially. There were many visitors to the attractions on the line which were Rudyard Lake, Alton Towers and Uttoxeter Racecourse.

Freight traffic on the railway included livestock, farm produce, copper and sand from Oakamoor. In 1923 NSR became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Closure of the section from North Rode to Leek came in June 1964. The service between Leek and Uttoxeter lasted slightly longer until January 1965. Goods traffic continued, transporting sand from the quarry at Oakamoor to Pilkington Glass in St. Helens, Merseyside, this stopped in 1988 resulting in complete closure of the line.

The North Staffordshire Railway Company (NSRC) was formed to run a steam centre at a site in Cheddleton. Over the years extra land was acquired, the site finally had a 300 yard demonstration line, sidings, locomotive museum and signal box. Despite the success of the Cheddleton Railway Centre the organisation wanted to run a "real" railway. Their chance came when the adjacent British Rail mineral line closed in 1988.

Lengthy discussions with appropriate official bodies took place to save the line. An agreement was finally made with the NSRC raising the required capital through a share offer in a Public Limited Company. The name was changed to Churnet Valley Railway (CVR), they now had a 7½ mile length of track running from Lee Brook Junction to Oakmoor Sand Sidings.

Passenger services commenced on 24 August 1996 with a 1 mile round trip between Cheddleton and Lee Brook Junction. The line was extended to Consall by 11 July 1998 and the final stage to the present destination at Kingsley and Froghall opened on 11 August 2001. In future the track could be lengthened in a northward and southward direction, as funds allow.

Two steam locomotives are in use at present they are No.5199 GWR Prairie 2-6-2T and No.5197 S160 2-8-0.

Foxfield Railway

Address: Caverswall Road Station, Blythe Bridge,
Stoke on Trent ST11 9BG
Postal Address: P.O. Box 1967, Stoke on Trent
ST4 8YT
Telephone: 01782 396210
Email: enquiries@foxfieldrailway.co.uk
Line Length: 2¾ miles Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Calvershall Road to Dilhorne Park
Journey Time: 18 minutes
Service: Sunday 4 April - 31 October / Bank holidays / some Saturdays & Wednesdays / Saturday & Sunday - December
Tickets: Adult £7.50, Child £4.00 unlimited travel on the day of issue
Parking: Caverswall Road Station ST11 9BG
Website: www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk YouTubevideo location map

Caverswall Road Station: Refreshments, souvenirs, museum, loco shed

Coal was mined at Foxfield from the 17th century but it was not until 1893 that a branch railway line was laid to connect it to the mainline North Staffordshire Railway. This was a economical way of transporting the large quantities of coal the mine produced. The National Coal Board finally closed the Foxfield colliery and the railway in 1965.

A group of enthusiasts got together to save the branch line that ran to the coal mine. They were successful in saving a 2¾ mile section of the track. At Blythe Bridge a new station was built plus a museum and loco shed.

To keep costs low, virtually no earthworks were carried out in the construction of the railway so there are some severe gradients, as high as 1:19 in one place. Despite the line having an industrial heritage, nature has taken over in the 45 years the mine has been closed, so the views from the train are ones of attractive woodland and fields.

The Foxfield Railway is home to almost 40 industrial locomotives which are on display at Caverswall Road station. Steep gradients mean that the small tank engines used most of the time, have to work really hard. Current operational engines are: No.3839 Hunslet 'Wimblebury' 0-6-0ST, No.7684 RSH Peacock 'Meaford No.2' 0-4-0T, No.2 W.G. Bagnall 'Florence' 0-6-0ST and No.C Haydock Foundry 'Bellerophon' 0-6-0WT.

Chasewater Railway

Address: Chasewater Country Park, Pool Road, Nr. Brownshills, Staffs WS8 7NL
Telephone: 01543 452623
Line Length: 2 miles Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Brownhills West to Chasetown (Church Street) Journey Time: 20 minutes
Service: Sunday 7 February - 28 November / Bank holidays / Saturday 22 May - 11 September / Tuesday & Wednesday - August
Tickets: Adults £3.45, Child £2.45, Family: £8.45 (2 adults and 4 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Brownhills West Station WS8 7NL
Website: www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk YouTubevideo location map

Brownhills West Station: (Victorian style) Refreshments, gift shop, museum

Chasewater Heaths Station: Refreshments, gift shop

The Chasewater Railway has its origins back in 1960 when a preservation society was formed, they met at Hednesford, a site connected to the railway. Rolling stock and memorabillia was acquired but the aim was to eventually have a branch line to run a railway. In December 1964 the site at Brownhills which was being developed as part of a pleasure park was leased to the society. The trackbed had orginally been built in the 1860s to connect the many coal mines in the area to the Midland Railway and London and North Western Railway.

There was a great deal of work required including re-laying the track, restoration of locomotives and rolling stock. The first steam day open to the public was held on 29 June 1968. By the 1970's the railway was running a regular service, it had changed its name to Chasewater Light Railway Society.

Unfortunately the railway suffered a geat deal of vandalism and the number of members had fallen so when October 1982 came the line effectively closed.

A new company was formed in 1985 with trains again running on the line. Since then the railway has grown with a collection of industrial steam and diesel locomotives also Victorian rolling stock. With an increasing membership, regular train services, the future looks bright for the Chasewater Railway.

Four steam locomotives are operational Hawthorn Leslie 'Asbestos' 0-4-0ST, No.2648 W.G. Bagnall 'Linda' 0-4-0ST, No.7010 Andrew Barclay GWR 0-4-0ST and No.1223 Andrew Barclay 'Colin McAndrew' 0-4-0ST.

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