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Location notes
Great Rocks is located on the freight only line from Chinley to Buxton in the High Peak of Derbyshire.
Railway type and traffic
There is a variety of freight trains serving the various quarries. DB Schenker tend to use class 60s for the stone workings and 66s for other trips like Enterprise journeys. Freightliner's 66s are also starting to make an appearance.
The line is also popular with railtours.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Great RocksThis link should be close to the location, but may not be the
actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
Environment
The area at Great Rocks is high up so the weather can at times be changeable. The bridge overlooking the line is on a fairly quiet road, though Tarmac's headquarters are adjacent.
Road directions
Take the A6 south from Chapel-en-le-Frith towards Buxton. Turn left after a mile or two in the village of Dove Holes towards Peak Dale. This road will bring you to Peak Forest Trainspot. Turn left over the bridge here and immediately right. At the end of this lane after about a mile and a half turn right until you reach the railway again.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location Great Rocks map co-ordinates
Parking
There is a large car park for Tarmac employees only, however there is plenty of room to park before you reach the bridge on the east side of the line.
Public transport
Bowers services 189/190 run about every hour from Buxton to Chinley and Whaley Bridge and pass the Tarmac offices, turning left just before it reaches the bridge.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
There are no amenities in the area whatsoever.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Great Rocks
Googly map
Streetmap links
Great Rocks general view map
Great Rocks close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Great Rocks
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Photographic notes
The light here is generally best looking north facing trains approaching from Chinley. The semaphore signals give warning of approaching trains, as do the block-bells in the signal box beneath the bridge.
The layout of the lines to the south is somewhat unusual. There are three tracks to the north towards Peak Forest, the left hand one being a loop and used for trains that are running round at Great Rocks, the other two being up and down running lines. To the south however, the line on the left is a single track line to Buxton, the line adjacent to it leads to Tunstead Quarry, as does the sidings on the right. Trains can approach for Tunstead from either Buxton or Chinley, the former running round in the loop at Great Rocks, however they can use either line to access the Quarry so can enter via the siding and reappear later on the centre of the three, or vice-versa.
General views - All photographs © Mark Bearton unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking south
Fig 2 - Looking south
Fig 3 - Looking north
Fig 4 - Looking north
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