Day out at Barrow Hill Railway Museum, Trains Galore

Day out at Barrow Hill Railway Museum, Trains Galore
In this video we visit the Barrow Hill Engine Shed and Roundhouse near Chesterfield in Derbyshire.
Barrow Hill Roundhouse is the last surviving railway roundhouse in the United Kingdom with an operational turntable. Built in 1870, it was threatened with demolition in 1991 when the site was closed by British Rail. It was saved by a group of dedicated volunteers who have transformed it into a unique railway museum and events venue. In 1998 it opened to the public.
These days, it includes a cafe, a great display of heritage and stored modern working engines. Turntable demonstrations take place every few hours on most days. A working signal box also gives demonstrations further up the yard.
As well as engines including a mixture of steam engines, electric and diesel locos in the shed. There is usually an interesting mix of other locos in the sidings outside including at the time of our visit a class 91, class 45, class 82 and class 57.
This is also home to the Deltic Preservation Society who reside in one of the units at Barrow Hill. In here you can see work being carried out on the three resident class 55 Deltics. One of the highlights of the trips for me was sitting in the cab of 55008 which sit to the back of the shed.
A brief history of Barrow Hill
The North Midland Railway reached Staveley by 1841 when the original Barrow Hill station opened on April 6th. It closed on November 15th 1888 and with the opening of the Clowne and Mansfield branch the new station opened the same date. The station was renamed “Barrow Hill & Staveley Works”. An engine shed was built near the station in 1865 with a capacity for four engines.
In 1866 the Midland Railway signed an agreement with Staveley Works whereby they purchased and would operate the works internal private railway for 100 years. The vast increase in traffic created a need for more locomotives and a much larger shed. The result was the present Roundhouse.
The former steam roundhouse located at Barrow Hill near Chesterfield, is a unique example of 19th century railway architecture. It is the last surviving operational roundhouse engine shed in Great Britain.
Construction commenced in July 1869 and it was completed in November 1870. The Midland Railway Company contracted I.E. Hall to build the depot. The final cost being £16,445 4s 9d. It comprises 24 roads of which the longest is 80 feet and the shortest 60 feet. Following the opening in 1870 it was in continuous use until it finally closed its doors in 1991 after a working life of 121 years.
When the Midland Railway introduced their system of shed codes in 1898, Barrow Hill was given the code M24. This was later changed by the LMS to 18D in 1935. In February 1958 it changed again to 41E when the area was taken over by the Eastern region of British Railways. On October 4th 1965 after the depot closed its doors to steam it was given the code letters BH.

[@seamusmcevoy2011]

Great video of two 'happy chappies' enjoying a terrific day out!!!!

[@WobblyRunner]

😉

[@andrewmarriott4033]

Great place went in 2019 to the beer festival hoping to go back one day

[@WobblyRunner]

Me too. I neve make it to the ale fest. I'm always either on holiday or something

[@WalterHopevalleyrailwayenthusi]

It’s an amazing place even better when it’s the folk festival

[@WobblyRunner]

👍🙂 they do some great events don't they

[@stevenbarnett2497]

Great video James looks like you had a great day out loads of cool layouts n locos n stuff to see. 🙂👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Great day out. I keep meaning to nip back. It's only 10 mins down the road.

[@michaelhibbert4393]

The blue tower Paul was for silica sand to put into both steam and diesel locos to stop the wheels slipping….

[@Marc_von_Hoffrichter]

Wonderful vid mate. Enjoyed it immensely. The horn on the Deltic is at your right knee...you were moving the engine brake!! 😆 Thanks Paul. More locos please cobber!! Bless

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 glad you enjoyed it. Luckily I know the difference between my brakes and my horn on my car 😎

[@Marc_von_Hoffrichter]

🤣🤣🤣@@WobblyRunner

[@darrenray6934]

Interesting Paul. Memories of 40 yrs back them old trains tugged us to Sheffield for ice skating at silver blades 😊

[@WobblyRunner]

Yeah some history there isn't there. I'm sorry to hear about Oscar by the way.

[@TwinkleToes2day]

Cracking Paul! Really enjoyed that. Quite happy to see more of this type. Have a good'n 👍😁

[@WobblyRunner]

Fantastic 👍🙂 I've got something similar planned next week

[@joshslater2426]

There are some really interesting steam locomotives in Barrow Hill. I’m definitely gonna have to visit at some point.

[@WobblyRunner]

There sure are. Well worth the trip.

[@mrbetamax1969]

I think that looks like a place u may return to. A special place 👍 Thanks lads

[@WobblyRunner]

Oh god yes

[@tonyrobinson362]

Nice one I use to work there in the 70s as a secondman before getting a transfer to Sheffield Midland.

[@WobblyRunner]

Excellent Tony. What a great link to the site👍

[@archielewis5030]

Hello Great you are correct with the blue silo it was first used for sand, but moisture problems let to blockages so it is now for water

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 Great stuff. Good to see it found a new use.

[@martinehulme8743]

Great memories, I remember the old blue engine at the beginning of the video, the working man's club sharabang trip to skeggy and the carriages with the sliding internal doors and seating 😅, great video

[@WobblyRunner]

Fantastic great memories. It's amazing how a place can bring so much flooding back isnt it.

[@martinehulme8743]

@@WobblyRunner definitely is x

[@psychicspies673]

Forgot the locos the highlight of that was Jim’s breakfast butty. Looked awesome. Sounds like u got a scone in too. Good work!

[@WobblyRunner]

Epic sandwich. I must remember to take my travel ketchup next time though. Lovely little cafe.

[@jasonburke2596]

Another great video Paul with help from Jim! I need a trip to Barrow Hill.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Jason. Well worth a visit.

[@amberdy12]

You really need to go to the beer festival held at the roundhouse - highlight of my year. They usually have a big steam engine on the turntable and you can go for little trips down the line. They also have a free bus to and from Chesterfield station.

[@WobblyRunner]

I keep saying that every year 😄. I always seem to be on holiday or away somewhere else. I'll make sure I make it at some stage. My bus goes not too far from Barrow Hill, but I'm not sure my bladder would make it back to Whitwell on the bus😄

[@nick8772]

Used to visit the roundhouse in the noughties for the brilliant annual Rail Ale Fest... preserved locos & real beer - what's not to love!

[@WobblyRunner]

I've not been the Rail Ale Fest yet. It always seems to clash when I'm on holiday sadly.. A shame as I can get a bus direct from my road to there. Maybe one day...

[@MisterHughie]

I have often popped down to Barrow Hill on a late Saturday afternoon, it’s a lovely quiet and tranquil place to be surrounded by rail history, thanks for sharing

[@WobblyRunner]

You're right. It was so relaxing compared to somewhere like the NRM. Plus it feels a lot more organic and personal too.

[@martynbrailsford3943]

Glad you enjoyed your day at the Roundhouse Wobbly Runner, I wondered how it long it would be before you visited! If you have any questions about things you were unsure of please ask. The signal box is normal open 11am and 2pm. The Spider we converted to a water dispencer in the 1990 from its original sand use. The handle your mate thought was the horn on the Deltic cab is actually the loco brake, the horn handle was by your right knee when sitting in the driver seat. Regards Martyn - one of the Trustees at Barrow Hill and will be looking after the place tomorrow!

[@WobblyRunner]

Fantastic. Thanks Martyn. Great stuff. I'll definitely be back again. Even if it's just to see the signal box working.

[@martynbrailsford3943]

@@WobblyRunner When we open the SB we give a small talk on how you would signal a train by Absolute Block working from box to box and generally any signalling question (depending on who is doing the demo).

[@tonyspike5928]

Great video , I've not been to the roundhouse for years. I remember going with my grandad to an open day when I was a kid and getting to stand on the footplate of the Flying Scotsman.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍🙂 thanks Tony. That sounds like a great memory

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thank you forn the tour today, Paul. Always enjoy following you on these trips. Enjoy the weekend, and see you on the next! ❤😊

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Martin👍all the best

[@emmajacobs5575]

Great video! I used to drive through Barrow Hill regularly and I keep meaning to visit - this has encouraged me a bit more. Fun fact: the GCR loco ‘Butler-Henderson’ is named after one of the directors of the railway whose great granddaughter is Vicki Butler Henderson - racing driver and telly presenter. She’s married to someone called Phil Churchward, but I don’t know if he’s any relation of G.J. Churchward, chief mechanical engineer of the GWR.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Emma great info 👍. I love bits of trivia like that

[@owenslanejunction7544]

great video

[@WobblyRunner]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@chrischapman7514]

Another great one ive driven Deltic 19 on The Great Central Railway driver experience i will watch out for another one soon.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Chris. What a great experience that must have been.

[@chrischapman7514]

@@WobblyRunner It was Paul looking forward to your next adventure.

[@LJAllen1000]

Thanks for vid. I lived in the area at one time without knowing this place existed. I will definitely make the effort to visit if only for the breakfast. I'll have what Jim had, with brown sauce, please.

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 the Jim special buttie. Enjoy 😉👍

[@paulcharlton4788]

All that new track and lighting was put in about four years ago when they were doing engineering works around Derby and Barrow Hill won the contract to service the EMT trains each evening(as it was then it became EMR). If you go across the level crossing you'll find Staveley Rifle and Pistol club where i used to shoot 22RF prone rifle. I've not been to the museum since they opened their new visitors centre. It always used to be free, now they charge.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Paul. I thought I recalled EMT doing something there 👍. It's coming back to me now.

[@andrewdavis9223]

It really is a good place to visit lots of history 😊

[@WobblyRunner]

Sure. I'm tempted to nip back just for a sarnie 😄

[@michaelhibbert4393]

If I remember right some of engines what they use now in the restored deltic engines came from old Royal Navy wooden hulled mine sweepers…..the DPS bought a few and stopped them being scrapped

[@WobblyRunner]

Really? Didn't know that 👍

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

I needed to know why they don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they can extend the unused abandoned underground train stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and include the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into Five cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those Five cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers. A Stock Trains and also having 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the Waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it more Larger and extend it to the bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Railway tunnel into a High-Speed Railway lines? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Railway line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. Then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised Waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those Five countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 47 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project if that will be OK for London Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from the Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Australia, Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden more Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly Line and also build brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street can they also make another brand new underground train station in Chingford and could they extend the Piccadilly Line and the DLR right up to Chingford? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Five carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and can they order Every 67 Octagon and Every 37 Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique small no.13 and unique small no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 147MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 147MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units, can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!!!!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 18 Tonnes for all of those 147MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are told!!!!! And Please do something about these very very important Professional ideas Please? Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Germany, Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.

[@alanoliver]

Remember barrow hill in hay days as when i visited there the bloke said put money in tin for cat and you can go round it was rammed with class 47 56 58 locomotives

[@WobblyRunner]

Fantastic!! Would love to have seen it and smelt the grease of those working locos.

[@dansterland1824]

I help out at the deltic sheds usually on saturdays next time you come guys will give you tour if you want 😀😀

[@WobblyRunner]

To come and do a video on some of the Deltic restoration work would be an absolute dream come true. Do you work all over winter?

[@dansterland1824]

@@WobblyRunner yeah do bits in winter dps is open saturday n sundays 😀😀

[@jennythescouser]

That's a really good site, especially with the only working turntable. How much was the entrance fee? How's the 'Hell Hound, and Is he still in the doghouse (pardong the pun - lol)?

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 he's forgiven me for getting in his way now. Yeah it's a really great place. It was £8 to get in on the day we went.

[@chrisst8922]

18:11 A little bit about the Baby Deltic. As you say a great project building an extinct locomotive. Progress can be reviewed on their illustrated website.

[@WobblyRunner]

Was having a good read up on that 👍 Looking forward to see it progress

[@tonyrobinson362]

Im taking the missus this weekend is there any locos you can cab would love to show my missus inside one.

[@WobblyRunner]

I didn't see any in the roundhouse available to cab on the day I went. Unless I missed them, which is quite possible. But the Deltic 008 cab is great to go into. Not the full loco, but you'd never know once you're in.

[@tonyrobinson362]

Is the deltic shed open at weekends?

[@WobblyRunner]

As far as I know, yes👍🙂

[@simonwass6315]

15:58 is the loco brake and the door goes into the nose not the engine

[@lucythorne6994]

🚂🚂🍻🍻🫶👍😁 Killay