Railway DVDs

The 33-mile route was engineered by Josias Jessop and was built employing nine inclined planes over which wagons were hauled by stationary steam engines. The inclined planes enabled the line to climb from the valleys of the Derwent to Goyt up to southern uplands of the Peak District to a maximum height of 1266ft about sea level. Hopton incline, which rose to 1 in 14, was among the steepest gradient to be worked by steam locomotives in the British isles. 

Robert, who is 81, has had a lifelong interest in railways. He said: “Like many young people I wanted to be an engine driver! As a teenager I lived in Leek not far from the railway station and so after school I would often end up on the platform helping to load parcels from the textile mills ready for shipment. A bonus would be being invited up on to the steam engine!”
He and his wife were interested in photography and entertained using a bank of four slide projectors controlled from a soundtrack tape. Robert decided to make a programme about the narrow gauge Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway and went in search of places to sell the documentary. One of his ports of call was the Visitor Centre at Middleton Top, Wirksworth.

He said: “On one visit it was suggested that I should produce a documentary about the Cromford and High Peak Railway. It sounded a great idea and so I set about doing lots of research, locating photographs and movie film and being introduced to those who knew the railway well together with those who actually worked it.
“It is difficult to recall how long it took to assemble all the visual material, walk the line filming and finally to spend time at the Staffordshire Video Unit, whom I commissioned, editing and assembling the two programmes."

His first DVD, entitled The Route Explored, is presented by the late Alan Rimmer, a leading authority on the Cromford and High Peak Railway and author of a book about it. Robert said: “He was most enthusiastic to come on board.” Alan takes viewers over the original alignment from Whaley Bridge to Cromford. The journey is enriched by the memories of footplate men, and those having close associations with the line. Together with the chronicle of a 19th century passenger, and employing archive movie film, The Route Explored provides an insight into one of the country’s most interesting railways.

The second programme, Memories of the High Peak, celebrates the life of the railway through the reminiscences of the men who knew or worked the line and the movie and photographic records which have survived. 
The DVDS wil be available at the visitor centres at both Middleton Top and High Peak Junction. To order them online, go to: www.filmarchive.org.uk

* To introduce readers to the productions, Robert has assembled a free ten-minute ‘taster’ DVD. Your copy can be obtained by sending an email to: robertandrew.cartwright@virgin.net with your name and address, phoning 01785 254283 or writing to: Robert Cartwright, 12 Dearnsdale Close, Stafford, ST16 1SD.