A Pair Of Pecketts on Peak Rail! - 'Mixed Traffic Gala' 2026

The Peak District in Derbyshire is one of England’s great wildernesses. Covering over five hundred-and-fifty square miles, it was the first area in the UK to be designated a national park in 1951. Whilst it might sound hard to believe, a railway once ran right through the heart of the landscape. The Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway extended north from Derby to Ambergate in 1840. They reached Rowsley nine years later, before branching out via Bakewell to Buxton in 1863. By the late nineteenth century, passengers could experience bucolic views of this mighty mountain range from the window of a Derby to Manchester express. Alas, this breathtaking journey was not to last. When the routes over the Pennines were evaluated for future development, the Peak Forest line was not selected for enhancement. British Railways closed much of the route in June 1968, cutting off all traffic beyond Matlock. To combat the demolition, the Peak Railway Preservation Society established Buxton Steam Centre in 1981. This small set-up featured basic workshop facilities and a small demonstration line, but the group’s plans for expansion were thwarted when BR refused permission to share the goods-only line to Blackwell Mill. Therefore, the decision was taken to move all of their stock and resources south and start afresh in Darley Dale. By 1991, Peak Rail had recommenced operations between Darley Dale and a new station at Matlock Riverside, half a mile from the mainline. The former motive power depot at Rowsley South was redeveloped into a northern terminus, gaining new workshops, sidings and even a turntable. Passenger numbers steadily increased and the society began discussions with Network Rail to lease the former down platform at Matlock. After years of negotiations, steam services returned to the town centre in 2012, opening up direct interchanges with East Midlands Trains on the Derwent Valley line. Today, the railway is a major tourist attraction, quietly pottering along the perimeter of the national park. I last visited the line almost a decade ago; only popping in briefly en-route to Chatsworth House. So, I decided to spend a full weekend on the railway for their ‘Mixed Traffic Gala’. All of the regular steam fleet would be in service, alongside guest Peckett 2147 ‘Uskmouth No.1’ from the Dean Forest Railway. This presented the opportunity to see her working alongside fellow Peckett 2000, making her final runs before withdrawal for overhaul. Rounding out the roster were Hudswell Clarke S102 ‘Cathryn’ and 750 ‘Waleswood’, as well as Andrew Barclay ‘Austerity’ No.15 ‘Earl David’. Sulzer Type 4 D8 ‘Penyghent’, BR Class 08 08762 and a Class 108 DMU made up the diesel team, totalling eight engines in traffic. Saturday started off somewhat damp, with unforeseen drizzle drifting in over the Peaks. Furthermore, the turntable at Rowsley was in use throughout the day, causing several locomotives to catch me out when they turned up bunker first. This and other factors caused over an hour of delays. Sunday was much more successful, with brighter, steadier skies and much tighter running. In addition to the main trains, visitors could also drive BR Class 08 08762 up and down the sidings at Rowsley. Saturday was rather quiet, likely due to fierce competition from the Severn Valley Railway’s ‘Autumn Steam Gala’, although Sunday did see the numbers pick up. The full lineup consisted of: Visiting: Peckett R4 0-4-0ST 2147 ‘Uskmouth No.1’ (from the Dean Forest Railway) Home Fleet: Peckett B3 0-6-0ST 2000 (final gala appearance before withdrawal) Andrew Barclay ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST 15 ‘Earl David’ Hudswell Clarke PLA 0-6-0T S102 ‘Cathryn’ Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST 750 ‘Waleswood’ BR Sulzer Type 4 Co-Co D8 ‘Penyghent’ BR Class 08 0-6-0DE 08762* BR Class 108 DMU* *does not feature I hope you all enjoy the video. Thanks to all of the staff and volunteers at Peak Rail for a great event. It is a charming little line and I encourage you all to check out this often-overlooked gem. My picks of the video would be ‘Cathryn’ and ‘Penyghent’ taking the freight out of Matlock and the two Pecketts storming away from Church Lane. Follow us on social media at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... and   / secondvalvesteam   for photos and updates. Thank you all for watching and don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe!