Leek and Manifold.
 

The leek and Manifold can be compared to the Welsh highland railway on a number of points;
Spectacular scenery
Unique locos and stock
was linked to standard gauge line.

On more unique points;
It carried standard gauge waggons
It was big four owned during it's later years
It was the subject of a failed revival project.

Thing is, at the time of the heritage proposal in the 1970s the local vote was 98% supportive, but congestion would have become an even bigger local problem. what has changed since then? A lot. Moorland and city railways have reopened the Cauldon lowe line, which has a lifted spur to Waterhouses, where the Leek and Manifold began. The spur is only very short and would give passengers a destination away from the freight terminal. With a rail link on the doorstep, there would seem very little from stopping the narrow gauge line from reopening. Ok, it would cost a huge amount of money, but the trackbed is unobstructed, and the path could be relocated to the side. Who would pay for it?

I must make it clear that Moorland and city railways is not a heritage railway and its primary reason for being is heavey freight, which is a big source of income. The Churnet valley railway is shorter, but a southern extension will take it to Alton towers, so need I say more?

this little line could Flourish in the same styal as the Welsh Highland, and would join the elite group of big four narrow gauge lines.
Others being Lynton and Barnstaple, Corris railway, Vale of Rheidol railway, Welshpool and Llanfair railway etc.

Slightly off topic, but the Churnet valley and Moorland and city railways share some directors and so are very close, and also physically linked. It is my belief that a great deal more success could be had by properly joining the two into one company that would be aptly named.

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY

The money is there and waiting, so why not just one more attraction?

Sorry SFE, don't see the Leek and Manifold making it back. I don't think you can really compare it with the Welsh Highland. The WHR links three important tourist centres and hopefully will take traffic off busy but narrow roads. It has the ability to move large numbers of people.

Nowhere near the same number of people visit The Manifold Valley and the track bed is now the road up the valley. Nice dream but probably not going to happen. But one should never say never in preservation!

Best wishes,

John H-T,

I agree with John H-T I can't see the locals now being in favour this being rebuilt I think you will get far too many NIMBY's now no matter how attractive we as railway enthusiasts think it will be.


I think your proposal re the North Staffs Railway is far more likely

Well it's always a shame, but I still think that the Moorland and City Waterhouses link should be reinstated. Cauldon Lowe is a tiny place, and Waterhouses has more substance to it.
I don't really see what the NIMBY's have a problem with, but then again, I'm an enthusiast, so berhaps I'm biased there. The welsh Highland also met stiff opposition too, although the trackbed was relatively untoutched.
I agree that the Manifold are is not as popular, but the point of these railways is to bring extra visitors in. The welsh highland cannor really be called either a preserved railway or a heritage railway, but instead a tourist railway. They might not agree with that down at Harbour station however.
When moorland and city start oporating a full service in the area visitor numbers will probably grow substantially. The Lynton and Barnstaple is an example that shares a lot with the L&M. It was sold off in many lots, and parts are now small roads and farmland and paths. They doo however have a good mile of services running and are gradually getting there, with replica locos and track extensions.
To start with they had a surviving station, Woody Bay.

The L&M also has a surviving station, its terminus Hulme end, where there is also the loco shed and signal box. A bid of demo track here would at least make a good museum out of what is left.

The was some good film of the Leek and Manifold on Countryfile (BBC1) last night. Reminded me what a beautiful valley the Manifold is. Might just be one of the NIMBYs against reinstating the railway!

Your idea of a little cameo at Hulme could be a good idea, but I am not keen on the idea of crowds in every valley! If we are not careful someone will want to build a cable car up to Thor's Cave!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

not to mention both of them being hopelessly uneconomic to run !

The WHR is currently not that economicals I will grant you that, and that appears to be partly because of the tramway section in Porthmadog and space at Harbour station, which still has only one platform and trains have to reverse in. The WHR would do a lot better if they forgot their differences with the 1964 company and ran into their station opposite the national rail Porthmadog station, which would ease things considerably. Beddgelert shuttle trains from the 1964 company station would be a great boost, and the current parctice of terminating most trains just outside Porthmadog simply cannot last. With a few tactical changes here and there things could get better. For example. Using FR loading gauge stock and a double Fairlie to run through trains from Carnarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog would cut the Congestion by a lot.
The leek and Manifold was not a network of lines like the FR/WHR/WHHR currently is and was an end to end line. Therefore there would be less operational difficulties.

SFE, there's an article in the new edition of Steam Railway which will tell you just which of those "tactical changes" they are intending to make, you may be pleasantly suprised when you read it.

Regards, 62440,

Thanks 62440. I'll get it on saturday, by all accounts a fine publication. :)

Just watched last Sunday`s Countryfile. Quite a bit was in the mannifold valley with a little archive film- showed what has been lost.
Richard