The Y Files

The Cromford & High Peak Railway (C&HP) was one of the oddest railways ever built. It was conceived originally as a canal, intended to connect the Cromford Canal at Cromford, Derbyshire with the Macclesfield Canal at Whaley Bridge; however, issues with the water supply to some of the higher levels (much of the route is above the 1000-ft contour) convinced the proprietors to build a railway instead of a canal.

The original Parliamentary plans and sections needed to support the controlling Act authorising the route had been based on canal technology, being a series of inclined planes connecting long stretches of level formation, the achievement of which in such hilly country was extraordinary. So that's exactly what the railway turned out like, and that is why it was such an oddity.

Starting from the station at Cromford, a long rope-worked incline transferred vehicles from the wharf up to the first level. The remains of this 1 in 8 slope can still be clearly seen adjacent to the A6 trunk road not far from Cromford town itself, though it is not generally accessible today.

Rope-Worked Inclines

On rope-worked inclines there are usually two tracks. Loads were so arranged that the up-going load very nearly counter-balanced the down-coming load, a stationary steam engine supplying the balance of power needed to perform the lift. Halfway up the first incline was a catch pit, arranged so that out-of-control vehicles could be diverted safely into an abrupt and spectacular halt, though on at least one occasion a run-away wagon shot through Cromford Wharf at speed, hopped over the Midland main line, and ended up in the canal!

Further rope-worked inclines at intervals along the mainly level formation brought the line up to a long stretch of level track. At intervals, private sidings to various industrial concerns led onto the line to supply the traffic it was built for, being agricultural and mineral produce.

Dry stone walling is common in this area and to cross undulations in the landscape the Engineers built larger dry stone-walls and placed the track on top of them, rather than fill the undulations with excavated soil embankments. Almost all of these structures survive.

Gotham Curve and Hopton Incline

In later years, the C&HP achieved notoriety in railway enthusiast circles far above that which befitted its status and contribution to the nation's traffic. Part of that notoriety was caused by the "Gotham curve" which, sharper than 4 chains (80m) radius was possibly the sharpest on any standard gauge running line in the British Isles. The curve was fitted with a third "check" rail throughout and speeds round it were always slow. The remainder of the notoriety came from the Hopton Incline which, at 1 in 14, was possibly the steepest section of adhesion-worked standard gauge railway line in Europe.

Hopton was originally a rope-worked incline like all the others, though a trial proved that if the load was light and the incline were "rushed" then trains could make it to the top using locomotives only. So the rope-worked double track at Hopton was singled and the winding engine and rope equipment removed.

Speed Unrestricted

Approaching the bottom of Hopton afterwards, the driver was faced with a daunting prospect. The track in the distance tilted up alarmingly. So the track was maintained in top condition and a number of speed restriction signs were erected at intervals on the approach, indicating that speed could rise. The final one stated, famously, "speed unrestricted", at which point the locomotive was then fully extended and blasted its way up the incline at ever reducing speeds until the top was reached. Sometimes they made it. Sometimes they had to drop back down the slope, divide the train into smaller parts, and then have another go.

Editor's Note: CR4 would like to thank PWSlack for this series. The link to Part 2 will become active at 5:05 PM (EST) today.