A popular heritage railway line will be back on track after a donation from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund helped pay to clean up the line following a rock fall.
Stabilisation and remediation work was needed on the Steeple Grange Light Railway (SGLR) line near Matlock, in the Peak District, after extreme weather caused boulders and soil to fall from cliffs at the former Dark Lane quarry.
The rock fall near the Porter Lane Bridge effectively blocked the railway line and a path running alongside it, forcing SGLR to close a section of the line between Steeplehouse and Recreation Bridge.
However, following a grant of £32,636 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund for the repairs, the track is reopening.
Dr. John Finch, director of SGLR, said: “We are extremely grateful to Tarmac. The grant has effectively saved us. A horrendous frost and temperatures of -15°c brought down two huge boulders which, thankfully, didn’t damage the line but forced us to close.
“Work on the rock face revealed a considerable amount of further stabilisation was required before the railway line, the lineside path and other areas could be reopened for public use.”
The 1km, 18in (457mm) gauge line was built in 1985 on the former Killer’s Branch line from Steeple House Junction of the Cromford and High Peak Railway and Middleton Quarry in Derbyshire.
The grant enabled SGLR and its contractors to:
- Remove trees and vegetation from the crest and rock face
- Remove the boulders
- Undertake tactile inspection of the face
- Remove loose rubble wherever identified by light hand-scaling.
“Further inspection led to wire mesh being installed over the rock face from the end of the masonry wall after Porter Lane and localised dentition work in areas of overhanging blocks,” added Dr. Finch.
“Rock stabilisation work and remedial work on the abutments of Porter Lane Bridge have also been completed, using rebar – sprayed concrete which they then carved to look like real stone. On the topcoat, they added green dye to the bottom foot to make it look as if natural moss was growing on it!
“We have dealt with other infrastructure issues along the line, thus securing the future of the railway for years to come.”
Aaron Laycock, manager at neighbouring Dene Quarry, said: “We know how popular the Steeple Grange Light Railway is – especially during the summer – so it is great that we have been able to help through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.
“Because it carries passengers, the railway line and operator are subject to all of the same regulations as British Rail trains so the remedial work had to be done to safeguard the public and the railway’s future.”
