Elsecar Railway in 2021 and forwards

[alexl92]

Hi,
Does anyone on here have any information about the future of the Elsecar Railway?
I know it was handed back to the local council by the operating group, and the last I heard was that the council hoped to reinstate services, but I understand this hasn't happened yet.

Mike Hart's Hunslet Works no. 469 of 1888 was meant to be resident there following its overhaul at Statfold, but it has now moved to the Chasewater Railway for the forseeable, and one of the Heavy Haulers posted on twitter that they'd moved some other rolling stock away from there this week too. I presume all this means that owners of stock based on the railway haven't received assurances that it'll be seeing use any time soon?

Cheers!

 

[paul1609]

I think the simple answer is no. Hastings has recently been bought back in to service having last steamed 50 years ago at the Kent & East Sussex Railway when Mike was a fireman here. My memories of it were always as a kit of bits at various locations around the railway. Having spent a huge effort (and considerable money) restoring it, Mike understandably wants to use it and the Chasewater is a convient location for it to run in. The standard gauge line at Statford is too short for that to be practical. One of the other stock movements from Elsecar will have been Mike's sentinel steam loco Gervais that's been to a contractor at Statford and is because of the imminent expiry of the 10 year boiler ticket.

 

[alexl92]

I think the simple answer is no. Hastings has recently been bought back in to service having last steamed 50 years ago at the Kent & East Sussex Railway when Mike was a fireman here. My memories of it were always as a kit of bits at various locations around the railway. Having spent a huge effort (and considerable money) restoring it, Mike understandably wants to use it and the Chasewater is a convient location for it to run in. The standard gauge line at Statford is too short for that to be practical. One of the other stock movements from Elsecar will have been Mike's sentinel steam loco Gervais that's been to a contractor at Statford and is because of the imminent expiry of the 10 year boiler ticket.

Thanks. I certainly have no issue with Mike's choice of destination (except that I wish it had been Middleton). I didn't realise it was also Mike's Sentinel, I assumed it was another private owner removing their stock!

 

[paul1609]

Thanks. I certainly have no issue with Mike's choice of destination (except that I wish it had been Middleton). I didn't realise it was also Mike's Sentinel, I assumed it was another private owner removing their stock!

The Middleton is one of the few sites I've never been to but the number of railways where Mike's engines can run at on a regular basis is quite limited. That was the issue why they never came to the head of the overhaul queue at the K&esr. On a 11 mile railway with steep gradients they can't haul enough passengers to cover their costs and whilst they can be used on an occasional basis as demonstration engines that makes it very hard to justify their long term overhaul costs. We've been really lucky that Mike's taken them on as they have important historical connections to the K & ESRs preservation era which is now longer in years than its prenationalisation independent company era.

 

[alexl92]

The Middleton is one of the few sites I've never been to but the number of railways where Mike's engines can run at on a regular basis is quite limited. That was the issue why they never came to the head of the overhaul queue at the K&esr. On a 11 mile railway with steep gradients they can't haul enough passengers to cover their costs and whilst they can be used on an occasional basis as demonstration engines that makes it very hard to justify their long term overhaul costs. We've been really lucky that Mike's taken them on as they have important historical connections to the K & ESRs preservation era which is now longer in years than its prenationalisation independent company era.

Yeah, I can see that would be the case. Middleton would be ideal I think; they run Manning Wardles of a similar vintage regularly. Sounds like Chasewater is well suited too, though I’ve never been. But you’re right, these locos need a short-ish run and relatively light loads compared to say an Austerity.
Hope Hastings can visit Tanfield too, would be great to see in on their trains.

 

[fgwrich]

...One of the Heavy Haulers posted on twitter that they'd moved some other rolling stock away from there this week too. I presume all this means that owners of stock based on the railway haven't received assurances that it'll be seeing use any time soon?

Certainly one Mk1 has left the line this week for a new life on another preserved line. Unfortunately I've lost the post on Facebook so I can't remember which one it's gone to.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @Iskra to provide an update.

 

[Iskra]

Thanks @Cowley

The website has now been updated with the following message:

Following the surrender of the lease by the Trustees of Elsecar Heritage Railway in August 2020, after a number of challenges further compounded by the pandemic, we will begin a consultation period to shape the future of a Heritage Railway offer at the well-loved visitor destination.

We are committed to developing a vision for the whole village, including a successful and sustainable heritage railway offer. The industrial railway heritage is an important part of Elsecar’s history and something we want to celebrate and remember.

Consultation in February and March 2022 will give people the opportunity to share their ideas about the future of the village, as a place much loved by local communities and visitors.

The future of a heritage railway offer will be an important part of that consultation and people and partners will be asked to take part in online surveys, workshops, drop-in sessions and other activities which will be a starting point for future change.

Local residents, business owners, volunteers and visitors will be invited to share their ideas about what they would like to see in Elsecar in the future, and what they can contribute to help make that vision a reality.

More details of this process will be announced shortly/

Elsecar Heritage Railway – Elsecar Heritage Railway – Ride a bit of Yorkshire History

While hardly definitive, this announcement is positive as it means there is an intention to do something with the site rather than it all being left to rot and it ends the information vacuum.

 

[alexl92]

That's really encouraging. I hope they do manage to work something out.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @Iskra to provide an update.

 

[Iskra]

Thread reopened for @Iskra to provide an update.

Thank you!

I visited an extremely busy Elsecar today, so thought I would make a quick diversion to see what state the railway is in currently, with it having been closed for quite some time now. As you can see the railway has been taken over by vegetation and the vast majority of rolling stock seems to have disappeared. I was surprised that one steam locomotive was still present and there was someone present on site working in the shed area so there is some activity. It looks quite a big job to get the railway going again and it looks like they may need to start basically from scratch. If the railway is to be saved, it needs to be sooner rather than later.





For comparison, back in happier times but with storm clouds looming:

 

[Cowley]

Wow that’s returning to nature rapidly. Interesting to hear that there were people on site although these are sad scenes.

There’s all kinds of embryonic schemes around the country that people are trying to get off the ground, yet here’s something tangible that seems to be fading away.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @Iskra to provide an update

 

[Iskra]

This was in today’s Yorkshire Post.

 

[D6130]

This was in today’s Yorkshire Post.

View attachment 125402

Interesting! Fingers crossed that something comes of it.

 

[Taunton]

I never visited the working railway, but when my car was stolen, out of the Wakefield Holiday Inn Hotel car park overnight, it was found almost immediately, minus all wheels and quite a few other essential bits, dumped on the approach road to the museum railway at Elsecar. So I not only gained knowledge of the place, but am now hesitant to go back there ...

 

[Iskra]

I never visited the working railway, but when my car was stolen, out of the Wakefield Holiday Inn Hotel car park overnight, it was found almost immediately, minus all wheels and quite a few other essential bits, dumped on the approach road to the museum railway at Elsecar. So I not only gained knowledge of the place, but am now hesitant to go back there ...

That's interesting There's nothing wrong with Elsecar though, it's quite a pleasant and touristy village.

 

[htafc]

This was in today’s Yorkshire Post.

View attachment 125402

Exciting news, hopefully.

 

[Bevan Price]

Good luck to them. I visited the line a few times, but I always thought their operating days were a bit too limted. If funds ever permit, it would make a more interesting ride if the line could eventually extend all the way to the junction with the former main line near Wath.

 

[paul1609]

Good luck to them. I visited the line a few times, but I always thought their operating days were a bit too limted. If funds ever permit, it would make a more interesting ride if the line could eventually extend all the way to the junction with the former main line near Wath.

Ive only been there once to meet up with some engineers who have moved on to new horizons since Elescar closed. Very friendly bunch in the mess room there.
I think the line much beyond their extension that never got to open, was lost under a mile of dual carriageway and Barnsley Premier Inn from what Ive been told.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The last time I went the station was overrun by people having fun dressed as Tommies and Nazis - but without the hassle that Prince Harry got from PC campaigners!

 

[Crossover]

Ive only been there once to meet up with some engineers who have moved on to new horizons since Elescar closed. Very friendly bunch in the mess room there.
I think the line much beyond their extension that never got to open, was lost under a mile of dual carriageway and Barnsley Premier Inn from what Ive been told.

I also understand there was an issue with the level crossing onto the extension - as it was new, it didn't have the "grandfather rights" that exist for the other one, with new LC's being something of a no-no