Cromford and High Peak Railway

A series of 9 inclines used to travel over the Peak District on this 33 mile railway, the most noteworthy was Hopton which used a stationary steam engine to haul trains, it was replaced in 1887 with locomotives which traveled up the steepest railway in the UK (adhesion) at 1:14, the railway closed in 1967. Another called Sheep pasture was the site of a runaway which shot two wagons over a canal. Whaley Bridge incline closed in 1952 was the smallest with a 40ft rise at a 1:13.5 incline used an endless chain hauled by two beam engines (steam powered) at the Middleton top engine house. 17 miles of the railway is now the High Peak Trail

Cromford Incline

NGR SK300560

Incorporated into the Sheep pasture incline

Sheep pasture incline

NGR SK300560

Gradient 1 in 8.5, 3/4 mile long

Middleton Incline

NGR SK274549

The winding house and its engines are preserved at the visitors centre. Gradient 1 in 8.5, 708 yds long

Hopton Incline

NGR SK253546

Gradient 1 in 14, 1/8 mile long converted to adhesion in 1877

Bunsall Incline

NGR ?? 024752

Gradient 1 in 7.5, 5/8 mile long. It originall ran as two inclines the upper one 660yds long with a gradient of 1 in 7.5. The lower one was 455 long with a 1 in 7 gradient. They were combined in 1857.