The Peak Forest Tramway
The Peak Forest Tramway was planned to be approx four miles (6 km) long from Chapel Milton to Dove Holes, both in Derbyshire. However, it was decided to start the tramway at Bugsworth (now called Buxworth) and, as built, it was about six miles (10 km) long. Its purpose was to carry limestone from the vast quarries around Dove Holes down to Bugsworth Basin, where much of it was taken by boat along the Peak Forest Canal and the Ashton Canal to Manchester and beyond. The remaining limestone was put into lime kilns at Bugsworth where it was converted into quick lime (or burnt lime). The tramway opened for trade on the 31 August 1796.
Built by Benjamin Outram who was renowned for Tramway construction, the tramway was built as single track, on a 4 ft (1.2 m) 2 in (1270 mm) gauge, constructed of stone sleeper blocks and L-section cast-iron rails that were fastened directly onto the blocks, in the same manner as his Little Eaton Gangway built for the Derby Canal. The rails, known as gang rails or plates, were provided by Benjamin Outram and Company (Later Butterley Co) who also supplied the mineral wagons.
From Bugsworth it rose 129 feet (39 m) to Whitehough, then proceeded to Chapel Milton on the level. It then climbed 56½ to the base of the inclined plane, which took the line upwards 192 feet (59 m) over a distance of 512 yards (468 m). After a more gentle slope to Barmoor Clough, and thence to the Dove Hole quarries.
To aid acceleration from the top, and braking at the foot, the inclined plane varied from 1 in 6 at the top to 1 in 12 at the base. It was intended to be, at least partly, self acting with descending wagons counterbalanced to some extent by partly loaded wagons being drawn up. Initially rope was tried, followed by a patent twisted chain, passing round a wheel, with a brake to control it, in a pit at the top. Eventually a chain with five inch (127 mm) links was purchased from Birmingham which proved more equal to the work, however by the beginning of the twentieth century even this had been replaced by a steel rope.
There was another small incline of 33 yards (30 m) within the quarry complex worked by a horse-gin at the top and a continuous rope.
Each waggon carried between 2 and 2.5 tons of limestone.
From the bottom of the plane to Bugsworth Basin, a team of four horses could draw up to twenty wagons. The ganger and nipper (apprentice), controlling a gang of wagons, rode on the axles and kept the speed at 4 to 6 miles per hour by spragging the wheels to make them skid.
In 1803 the tramway was made double track, with the exception of Stodhart Tunnel and below Buxton Road Bridge, using the same method of fixing the rails with Spikes into wood filled drill holes in the stone sleeper blocks.
Problems were experienced because the rails became loose and to overcome this the main line was re-laid between 1832 and 1837 using pedestals or saddles placed between the rails and the stone sleeper blocks. Over the years the design of the rails and saddles underwent many modifications and in circa 1865 much of the main line was replaced by L-section steel rails 9 and 12 feet (3.7 m) long rolled at the Gorton Works (Gorton Tank) of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company.
The most important surviving features of the tramway are the elevated tramway branch at Bugsworth Basin, Stodhart Tunnel and the self-acting inclined plane at Chapel-en-le-Frith, known as the Chapel Inclined Plane. The elevated tramway branch forms part of the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Bugsworth Basin. Stodhart Tunnel is the oldest railway tunnel in Derbyshire and it is a Grade II listed building.