Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is one of preservation's newer lines, but has certainly proved its worth since its inception. DMUs have been a part of the story since 2003 when part of the Mid Norfolk's fleet was relocated here. Since then the operational fleet has grown to become one of the most impressive DMU fleets in the UK, with four sets normally in traffic, and a diverse range of classes.
The line was initially heavily relient on the railcar fleet which operated most of the passenger services after the line reopened to passenger traffic. However this initial peak calmed down during the 2010's with the line developing its facilities and in particular the capacity to run steam and diesel loco hauled services using a growing collection of Mark 1 coaching stock. This led to a more varied timetable with the DMU fleet settling for fewer operating dates on off-peak days, a pattern more akin to other similar railways.
The railway runs from Wirksworth to Duffield (8 miles) with a branch to Ravenstor and has five stations. At Duffield there is a cross platform interchange with Network Rail. The line was reopened in full in 2011. There are plans to develop the line further, with potential expansion including the development of all types of rolling stock, the reopening of another intermediate station on the line and developing the signalling, buildings and operational platforms at Wirksworth and Shottle.
The line has always had a varied collection of first generation railcars and over the years the home fleet has included vehicles from classes101, 108, 117, 119, 121, 122 and Derby Lightweight, many of which are still resident today. The highlight of the collection is without doubt the three unique Derby Lightweight vehicles, the railway being the sole location for the diesel varients of the design. The almost unique Class 119 DMBC comes in at a close second, as a very rare example of an operational Cross Country DMU.
The railway has hosted the Annual Railcar Convention twice. First in 2009, with 4 sets in service including Classes 101, 108, 117, 122 and Derby Lightweight. Secondly in 2015, which had a similar line up but with the addition of further Class 101 vehicles (DMBS 50253 was launched at the event following restoration) which allowed five sets to take it in turns along the line.
The future looks good for the line as whilst it is true that the operational DMU fleet has reduced slightly in size, what has been lost in quantity is being made up for in quality as new restorations are coming on stream, most notably the historically priceless Derby Lightweight twin set.