Peak Railway Association – Sheffield Branch

We meet at 7.30pm on the first Monday of each month in the upstairs room of The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery Street, Sheffield S3 8GG. A real-ale pub with ample nearby parking, and evening meals available from 6:00pm if you wish to eat before the meeting. Directions, parking and public transport details are at the end of these notes. To raise monies towards Peak Rail projects, pay for sandwiches at the interval, and to cover speaker expenses, we request a £3 donation on the door. Members and non-members most welcome!

PROGRAMME 2020

Download the 2020 programme

2 March 2020 – “10+ years at Platform 5” – digital – Robert Pritchard
Robert is now Editor of ‘Today’s Railways UK’ magazine, and also author of the Platform 5 handbooks on Czech & Slovak Railways, UK Metro & Light Rail Systems, and Preserved Locomotives of British Railways. Working for Platform 5 means he gets to photograph newsworthy events and gain access to privileged areas. Robert travels extensively at home and abroad, and tonight we see the period 2006-2011.

6 April 2020 – “People and Places” – digital – Paul Shackcloth (Cheadle Hulme)
Paul manages the Manchester Locomotive Society huge photographic collection of superb quality images. We not only see scanned prints and negatives of the pre-1968 steam railway, but Paul adds a ‘twist’ by then also zooming in close-up to secondary features also visible in the image. A novel show.

4 May 2020 – FEB/MAY SPEAKER SWITCH SINCE PRINTED PROGRAMME (Rev 25.11.19)
“West Coast Railways” – presentation – James Shuttleworth
The intriguing complexity of setting up a private railway company, and then resourcing access agreements to use the network and stations, acquire depots, locomotives, coaching stock and staff. With the resources in place, James then goes on to describe the multitude of arrangements to run diesel and steam charters on today’s railway, with some examples of all going well, and others which encountered problems, and how they were resolved. A fascinating insight.

May – ‘RAILWAYS REMEMBERED’ – Film Show, Library Theatre
The Film Shows in May are discontinued due to insufficient support. Next Rob Foxon Film Show is on 23 November 2020.

1 June 2020 – “Off the Beaten Track” – digital – Rob Morrey (Stoke-on-Trent)
A bit of a Heineken tour because Rob loves to keep it simple, get off the beaten track, and search out the obscure, much to the delight of the editor of Swiss Express (The Swiss Railway Society magazine) who has printed a number of Rob’s articles. Switzerland and elsewhere.

6 July 2020 – “Eastern Seaboard in 1975” – slideshow – Bernard Mills (Buckland Monachorum)
Bernard is a retired railway clerical officer from Plymouth. In 1975 he did a 6 month secondment with BritRail Travel International in New York, who arrange travel passes to the UK for overseas visitors. Commuting daily into New York from Westfield, New Jersey, Bernard stayed with a signalling friend who introduced him to enthusiasts who arranged weekend trips to photograph the railway scene. He also explored the immediate New York scene on many evenings after work. Intriguing stuff with GG1 crocodile-style electrics and huge diesels then still dragging long rakes of vintage steam-era rolling stock.

3 August 2020 – “A Journey from Dore to Chinley in the Steam Era” – digital – Ted Hancock
The route of Ted’s Hope Valley book. With his wealth of pictures, can we complete the distance in a single show! Volume 2 of the HV trilogy is due to be published in June.

7 September 2020 – “Trains, Trams, Trolleys and Trivia” – digital – Frank Greaves
Another mischievous evening from Frank with a pot-pourri of all things transport.

5 October 2020 – “Branch Lines around Devon” – slideshow – Martin Bromley (Nottingham)
Martin’s childhood holidays were with the family to Aunts living near Axminster in Devon. At every opportunity Martin would visit the Southern’s local branch lines to Lyme Regis, Seaton, Sidmouth and Exmouth. Tonight is an excuse to re-visit those haunts.

2 November 2020 – “The History & Restoration of the Chesterfield Canal” – digital – John Lower
An illustrated journey along the Chesterfield Canal to discover its history, the 12 miles of restoration already completed and what work is still required to once again link Chesterfield with the River Trent. We will also learn about the varied activities of the Chesterfield Canal Trust and its more than 1,700 members. John Lower has been a volunteer since 1981, most recently involved in the construction of a replica wooden horse-drawn narrowboat of a type unique to the Chesterfield Canal. He is a writer of waterway guides and magazine articles.

Monday 23 November 2020 (7.30pm) – Film Show – “Railways Remembered” – Rob Foxon
Central Library Theatre, Tudor Square, Sheffield S1 1XZ – Doors open 7.00pm

Licensed Bar, tea & coffee. In the foyer our usual sales stall with bargain-priced second-hand books, videos/DVDs and model railway items. Also railway-themed Christmas Cards. Our programme for 2021 meetings should be available this evening.

Tickets on the door, or from:
Ian Cosford, 105 High Storrs Road, Sheffield S11 7LD.
e-mail: prhtfilms@hotmail.com

7 December 2020 – Pie Pea & Chips Supper with a Peak Rail Director, and then “QuickQuiz”, “YourPix” and Roy Wilson’s “The 2020 Transport Scene in Sheffield & beyond”
Latest news and developments direct from a Board Member, Q&A, then John Wade’s “Quick Quiz” whilst supper is being served. After the supper, the slide & digital projectors and laptop are available for 15 min slots to show your film clips, slides, and digital pictures (on USB devices please), and then the evening will conclude with Roy Wilson’s “The 2020 Transport Scene in Sheffield and beyond”

DIRECTIONS TO THE HARLEQUIN PUB:

By Road: The pub adjoins Junction 9 “Bridgehouses” at the northern apex of the Inner Ring Road, providing direct access (follow A61N Barnsley) from the Sheffield Parkway link road from M1 (J33). The postcode of the pub is S3 8GG.

Parking: After 18:00 patrons of The Harlequin have free parking in the large Aizlewood’s Mill car park. This parallels the Inner Ring Road, and is just behind the pub. Access is from “Spitalfields” which is the lane along the nearside of the pub, and which is immediately left upon leaving J9.

Do not be alarmed by the menacing new parking notices – these are to deter illegal parking during office hours. The evening concession for Harlequin patrons continues as before.

Rail, Tram & Bus: At Sheffield railway station the footbridge gives direct access to Supertram. Take any tram from the nearest platform for just one stop to Fitzalan Square. There you turn right and continue 400 yards down Haymarket and Waingate to the bridge over the River Don (“Lady’s Bridge”). Immediately over the river, Nursery Street is first left and the pub is at the far end on your right (an easy 10 minute walk).

Bus services 7, 8 and 8A (unchanged), and the 95 and 95A have stops right outside the pub in both directions, and other City Centre bus stops are just 5 minutes walk away. From Argos, Wilkinson’s or the former Castle Market, pedestrians can use the signed “Upper Don Walk” which starts just 100 yards down Bridge Street from Lady’s Bridge, and is to the rear of Snig Hill Police Station. On the Walk, the pub is visible from the bowstring river footbridge.

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