Engine to power off steam for first time in decades

The world's oldest winding steam engine of its type is going to be running for the first time in decades to mark a Derbyshire railway's 200th anniversary.

Built in 1829, the Middleton Top winding engine, near Matlock, will be powered by steam for the first time since the 1950s and will connect to two Fowler ploughing traction engines.

It is the only surviving winding engine from the original eight that were built on a 33-mile High Peak route that travelled from the Cromford Canal in Derby to the Peak Forest Canal in Whaley Bridge.

The anniversary celebrations over the weekend are to mark the passing of the Cromford and High Peak Railway Act, which enabled the route to be built on 3 May 1825.

The Middleton Top winding engine was used to haul wagons up and down the steep incline of the Cromford and High Peak Railway.

It was a crucial part of the railway's operation, helping to transport materials and passengers between different elevations along the line.

Derbyshire County Council said two Cornish boilers powered the Middleton Top engines with steam up until 1957, when a single locomotive boiler was used up until the line closed in 1967.

In the 1970s the council took over the management of the High Peak Trail as a recreational route.

With the help of volunteers, the winding engine was reinstated at Middleton Top for demonstration purposes, using compressed air to power the cylinders, instead of steam.

The winding engine has been open and running every year since the 1980s until present day.

Ahead of the celebration on Saturday, the council said: "This 200 anniversary year is a celebration of this wonderful engine, and it has been decided to recreate the era between 1957 and 1967 by providing steam to the cylinders and running the engine powered by steam again."

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