THE MANY PEAKS OF PEAK RAIL
When entering Peak Rail’s station at Rowsley South, the first thing that strikes you is the amount of space. A signalbox greets you at the entrance and the vast array of lines expand into a mass of sidings. To the right, they disappear past woods that have grown up since it was a real working steam shed.
In BR days this area was a large shed with considerable sidings shunted by the smaller locomotives, while the larger ones were used on freight and passenger services and as bankers on the 1-in-100 climb over Monsal Dale, now a renowned cycle track.
Rowsley motive power department (16J) was closed in 1964. In its later years it was home to a variety of locomotives including Midland 4F 0-6-0s, Fairburn 4MT 2-6-4Ts, Stanier 4MT 2-6-4Ts, BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0s, Stanier 8F 2-8-0s, J94 0-6-0STs, Jinty 3F 0-6-0Ts, BR Standard 9F 2-10-0s and eventually diesels.
Rowsley South is the starting point where Peak Rail operates trains to Matlock on a section of the original Midland Main Line that ran from St. Pancras via Leicester, Derby Midland, and over Monsal Dale to Manchester Piccadilly. Just south of Matlock lies Ambergate Junction, where the Midland continued north to Sheffield and Leeds and then over the legendary Settle route to Carlisle.
History
Railways in this area have a complex history because they were built by several companies over 20 years, and not all by the Midland.
Derby to Ambergate was the first section to open in 1840 as part of the North Midland Railway.
Ambergate to Rowsley followed, opening in 1849 and built by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock & Midland Junction Railway (MBM & MJR). It was operated by the Midland and absorbed in 1871.
Manchester to Rowsley opened in sections. Construction began in 1860 from Rowsley to Buxton, and the line was fully open by 1866. The first Rowsley station still exists around a mile
