Hopton Incline

[1][2][3][4] The incline was situated in sparsely populated, exposed limestone uplands in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England.

Trains were chain-hauled, eight were powered by a stationary winding engine at the summit, with ascending and descending wagons acting as counterbalances to ease the load.

[2][9] The approach was gently downhill, but it included what in railway terms was a fairly sharp bend of 20 chains (400 m) radius, 160 yards (150 m) before the incline foot.

[14] Initially, trains to and from the incline were horse-drawn, but the intention, as enshrined in the enabling legislation, was also to use steam locomotives, the first of which started work in 1833.

[1] Diesel shunter 12006 was trialled in 1959, but was considered unsuitable, largely because it was barely able to climb the incline on its own, without any load.

Only four-wheeled wagons, tenders and brake vans were permitted and few locomotives could negotiate Gotham Curve's extreme curvature without putting machine and track under unacceptable strain.

[23] In 1931 several NLR 0-6-0Ts were moved from the London area to the line, remaining there until 1960, when they were displaced by a small fleet of J94 0-6-0STs, which worked the stretch until closure.

Both classes of locomotive, despite having six-coupled wheels, were specifically designed for low-speed, high power dock and shunting work, where they could encounter severe curves and gradients.

Not only was short wheelbase rolling stock necessary for the line's tight curves, but Hopton Incline imposed a severe limit as to what load could be hauled uphill, especially in wet or icy moorland conditions, when splitting trains down to two wagons at a time was not rare.

Limestone uplands drain naturally, so, despite the high rainfall, water supply to outlying properties was a problem.

[34][35][36][37][38][39] On 6 October 1937, the 8:35 am freight train going from Middleton to Parsley Hay left the rails while running chimney first at the foot of the Hopton Incline.

As part of an off-road trail it catches the public's eye, but not with the same impact as rope-hauled inclines, embankments, machinery, buildings and scenery.