The Peak Forest Tramway was an early industrial railway in Derbyshire. It was built to carry limestone from the quarries around Dove Holes down to Bugsworth Basin, where it was transferred to boats for carriage along the Peak Forest Canal to Manchester and beyond. The tramway first opened in 1796 and was operated through gravity- and horse-power.
This book is a detailed history of the Peak Forest Tramway. Chapters examine the early history, the track and rolling stock, traffic and operation, the route and the connection with the Peak Forest Canal.
The history begins with the optimism of the line’s proposers and the challenges of construction, going on to tell of decline and closure between the wars. The further decline of the canal infrastructure post-war is examined and then, from the 1960s, efforts to restore and re-open the canal.
The Peak Forest Tramway including The Peak Forest Canal was first published in 1968. This fourth edition has been revised by the author, David Ripley, and published in 2021. It includes 80 illustrations, mainly photographs and maps. 80 pages.