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I've realised that though there are many pictures of the line on this Site, there's no "trip on the line" page, so this page will take you around the line........
........... which is at the bottom of the garden. Alport Junction is on the left-hand side at the back, Haddon is on the front right curve, and Lathkill Dale is on the left front, just before the line curves away.
Alport Junction is the main operating centre of the line................
........... seen here from the station building side - a view not possible to the human eye!
Trains departing for Haddon pass this Southern Railway concrete lineside hut: read how this found its way to Derbyshire HERE
The words "Draper's Platform" and "developed" have never gone together - there's not even (as yet) a station sign, and a platform bench gets plonked there for Open Days, but in late 2005, a really spectacular bench appeared..........
............ fresh from Gaudi's Park Guell in Barcelona. THIS will show you where (round the edge of the oval stone-coloured area) and THIS will show you the bench itself.
Having passed Draper's Platform, the line then runs down the longest section of what passes for a straight track on a narrow gauge railway, passing The Windmill (on the left).
The whole of the "back" of the line was transformed in early 2008, when the conifers were felled - go HERE for the pictures.
........... and approaches Haddon station which in early 2006 underwent a complete relay, so it now boasted a passing loop, an ash platform for passenger trains and a goods platform.
By 2008, Haddon had acquired new station buildings, and a natty reverse curve to the siding to avoid the booking hall!
It's also had new platform lighting (and new platforms).
From here the line used to descend...............
........... past the only building that gets left out - a Jigstones lineside bothy...........
........... seen here from the opposite side before the undergrowth got so rampant!
........... before passing over The Bridge and Tunnel Junction (in the background to this shot)
........... and arriving at Lathkill Dale (for Over Haddon)....................
........... one of the prettiest locations on the line.
A train approaches the station.
The line then curves around again, to return to Alport Junction..........
........... past the Diesel loco fuelling point which was installed in January 2006. |
