Welcome to Crich Tramway Village News, where you'll find all the latest news and information from the National Tramway Museum.

Tuesday 31 May 2011

Enthusiasts' Tram Event - Sunday 29th May

Here are some photos from our Enthusiasts' Tram Event which took place on Sunday.  More photos to follow tomorrow.





Friday 27 May 2011

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Enthusiasts' Tram Event - Sunday 29th May

A full timetable for the Enthusiasts' Tram Event is now available on our website.

Cromford and High Peak and Crich

A recent bequest of colour slides by the late JJW Richards, an early Tramway Museum Society (TMS) volunteer at Crich, includes these two images on British Railways' Cromford and High Peak line, not far from Crich.

Although undated, they appear to show the 30 April 1967 enthusiasts' brake van special (this was a freight-only route), which ran at the time of the line's closure.















In this second image, the two locos are stationary on the steep Hopton Incline, having stalled on the ascent.















Six years earlier, founder TMS member John Price had travelled on a similar special, but in open wagons. He then continued to Crich.

In the TMS members' Journal of October 1961, describing his unusual journey, he wrote:

"..........you proceed to Buxton, climb the railway embankment in the vicinity of No. 1 [signal] box. After a due wait, board the special train by means of the front van. This train will take you as far as Parsley Hay. Change there to open wagons as far as Middleton Top (inspect 1825 beam engine). Walk down incline to foot, board another wagon-train to Sheep Pasture Top, walk down Sheep Pasture Incline to Cromford Wharf, (inspect shed). Cross the valley by the path through the sewage works to the Holloway road and continue to the bus stop facing the two cottages, then continue by the E2 bus [to Crich]......"

The Cromford and High Peak's trackbed is now the High Peak Trail.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Glass Panels

The glass panels are being placed along the walk way from the Workshop Viewing Gallery into the George Stephenson Stone Workshop.







Monday 23 May 2011

THE BIG BOOK SALE

As part of Enthusiasts Day on Sunday 29th May, the Library will be holding a BIG book sale in the Great Exhibition Hall.


The Library receives a large amount of books and journals through the kind donation of people’s collections. Many of these items already form part of the collections in the library and so become duplicates. The number of duplicates has increased with recent large donations and with the kind permission of the donors the library is looking to sell some of these items.

All the money raised will go back into the library to continue to maintain and care for the collections it stores.


Classic Motorbike Day

Here are a selection of photos from the Classic Motorbike Day which took place yesterday.






Friday 20 May 2011

Crich Quarry Development

The quarry adjacent to Crich Tramway Village has recently changed hands.


The new owners have approached the Tramway Museum Society, owners and operators of Crich Tramway Village, ( the Museum) to show us their outline proposals for the development of the quarry as a leisure resort, to be called Amber Rock Resort.

The Museum has had no input to these outline proposals.

The proposals consist principally of a hotel, leisure centre, retail outlet and holiday chalets.

The outline plans include a tramway to serve the principal buildings on the development. There has been no consultation on these proposals between the Museum and the developers and there has been no agreement to extend the existing tramway or to integrate the Museum with the proposed resort.

Any future plans for the Museum in conjunction with this project will depend on further and detailed information being provided by the developers.

Thursday 19 May 2011

More Motorbikes and Tramcars

A further selection from our archives.

Sheffield, 1953.



















Aberdeen, 1958.



















Leeds, 1958.
















Lille, 1956.

Wednesday 18 May 2011

George Stephenson Stone Workshop Update



The ramp leading from the emergency exit.


The floor has now been laid in the Learning Centre



 The windows have now been restored.

Motorbikes and Tramcars

Ahead of this Sunday's Classic Motorbike Day (22 May) here at Crich, a selection from the Museum archives.

London, 1930s.


















Sunderland, 1954.















Leeds, 1959.



















Glasgow, 1960.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Decorated Tramcars

A selection of postcards from the Museum's archives.

Croydon Lifeboat Day, 22 July 1908.



























Middlesbrough Charity Carnival, September 1925.














Bristol Lord Mayor's Fund, December 1925.

Friday 13 May 2011

Pixie Pixels

The late Reverend 'Teddy' Boston's narrow gauge steam loco 'Pixie' is seen at our 1970 Grand Transport Extravaganza. 'Pixie' normally ran on the light railway which 'Teddy' operated around the grounds of his rectory in the village of Cadeby, Leicestershire.