Multiple Memories at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Part Two

Описание: Wirksworth may be a sleepy little Derbyshire town, but it has two railway lines! One is the branch to Ravenstor which featured in Part One, so in Part Two we're going to look at the main line to Duffield. Duffield also has multiple railway lines; the platforms there are shared by the EVR and East Midlands Trains. Because of this, East Midlands Trains sell through tickets to Wirksworth via Duffield from Derby station, and the EVR connect with EMT trains!
Along the route are a couple of little stations, namely Shottle and Idridgehay. Shottle is being rebuilt at the time of publication, but Idridgehay is open for business and I spent a lovely couple of hours there between trains just to get some of the footage featured in this video!
Now, as this was a gala, the EVR wanted to show off, so they put together all their operational DMU units and formed a 9-car set, which is as long as a Class 390 Pendolino and longer than the Meridians and Voyagers that pass Duffield regularly! Such a sight has most likely never been seen before, so enjoy the sight! The ride back is from the cab of the Class 108 DMU unit, number E50599.
A point to note is that between filming and publication, change has already happened to make this 9-car combination no longer possible! The Class 117 unit, W51360, has emigrated to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and a Class 101 unit has arrived (in rather dilapidated condition!) from the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, so the DMU group aren't stuck for a new restoration project now the only operational Class 119 unit, W51073, is completed and launched!