Map sources for Peak Forest Tramway at grid reference SK049800

Waggon gang, 1905

The gravity operated Peak Forest Tramway was originally planned to be about four miles long from Chapel Milton to Dove Holes, both in Derbyshire. However, it was decided to start the tramway at Bugsworth (now called Buxworth) and, as built, it was about six miles long. Its purpose was to carry limestone from the vast quarries around Dove Holes down to Bugsworth Basin, where much of it was taken by boat along the Peak Forest Canal and the Ashton Canal to Manchester and beyond. The remaining limestone was put into lime kilns at Bugsworth where it was converted into quick lime (or burnt lime). The tramway opened for trade on the 31 August 1796. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1802x2589, 189 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1802x2589, 189 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... Image File history File links Waggon gang, 1905 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Waggon gang, 1905 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Chapel Milton, in the heart of Englands Peak District, is a hamlet on the outskirts of Chapel-en-le-Frith on the road leading from there to Chinley and to Glossop. ... Dove Holes lies in the Peak District of Derbyshire and it is a medium-sized rural village with a population of about 1,200. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive hill and mountain scenery. ... Bugsworth Hall, 1627 (With acknowledgement to an unknown artist) Buxworth, originally Bugsworth, which seemed to offend pious ears – hence the change – is a village about a mile from Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of Englands Pennine Range. ... Map sources for Bugsworth Basin at grid reference SK022820 Bugsworth Basin is the terminus of the Peak Forest Canal. ... South portal of Hyde Bank Tunnel, early 20th century Greens Hall Bridge near Disley, early 20th century The Peak Forest Canal runs from a junction with the Ashton Canal at the southern end of the Tame Aqueduct at Dukinfield through Newton, Hyde, Woodley, Romiley, Marple, Strines, Disley, New Mills, Furness... Jockeys Swivel and Footbridge at Lumb Lane, Droylsden, c1900 Portland Basin, Ashton-under-Lyne, with the Tame Aqueduct in the foreground, 1962 The Ashton Canal runs six miles (10 km) from central Manchester to Ashton-under-Lyne and it rises through 18 locks to make a head-on junction... Manchester is a city in the north-west of England. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ...

Initially the tramway was single track, constructed of stone sleeper blocks and L-section cast-iron rails that were fastened directly onto the blocks. The rails, known as gang rails or plates, were provided by Benjamin Outram and Company who also supplied the mineral waggons. In 1803 the tramway was made double track, with the exception of Stodhart Tunnel and below Buxton Road Bridge, using the same method of fixing the rails. Benjamin Outram (1 April 1764 - 22 May 1805) was an English civil engineer. ... The north portal of Stodhart Tunnel, September 1928. ...

Problems were experienced because the rails became loose and to overcome these the main line was re-laid between 1832 and 1837 using pedestals or saddles placed between the rails and the stone sleeper blocks. Over the years the design of the rails and saddles underwent many modifications and in circa 1865 much of the main line was replaced by L-section steel rails 9 and 12 feet long rolled at the Gorton Works (Gorton Tank) of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company. This is about the historic company; see also about the present day preserved Great Central Steam Railway. ...

The mineral waggons, used to carry limestone from the quarries to Bugsworth Basin had a substantial wooden chassis with a wrought-iron body held in place by two wooden wedges. The axles were bolted onto axle trees and the cast-iron wheels (about 20 inches in diameter) were held on the axles by a linchpin (known as a lily-pin). A waggon carried between 2 and 2.5 tons of limestone. The ganger and nipper (apprentice), controlling a gang of waggons, rode on the axles and kept the speed at 4 to 6 miles per hour by spragging the wheels to make them skid. A gang of waggons comprised of up to 40 waggons, loosely chained together, with a net weight of 80 to 100 tons of limestone.

The most important surviving features of the tramway are the elevated tramway branch at Bugsworth Basin, Stodhart Tunnel and the self-acting inclined plane at Chapel-en-le-Frith, known as the Chapel Inclined Plane. The elevated tramway branch forms part of the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Bugsworth Basin. Stodhart Tunnel is the oldest railway tunnel in Derbyshire and it is also listed: Grade II*. The north portal of Stodhart Tunnel, September 1928. ... Chapel-En-Le-Frith is a small town in the heart of the Peak District in Northern England – part of the Pennine Range. ... The bottom of Chapel Inclined Plane, early 20th century. ...

External links

• Map and aerial photo sources for: grid reference SK022820 - Bugsworth Basin and SK076782 - Dove Holes