Churnet Valley Railway Early Days
During the 1970s a railway preservation base was established at Cheddleton railway station. This was due to a campaign by local people, spearheaded by local businessman & resident Norman Hancock, who in May 1974 as a mark of protest parked his Jaguar car on the level crossing where the railway line meets Basford Bridge Lane in Cheddleton. Following his actions and with support from a local campaign the station building was saved from demolition and became a grade II listed building on 14 May 1974. Cheddleton Station later became the base of the Churnet Valley Railway & has a commemorative plaque, dedicated to Mr Hancock on the wall. Initially, there was a railway museum displaying artefacts relating to the North Staffordshire Railway. In 1978 the NSRS became the North Staffordshire Railway Co. (1978) Ltd and it became a charity in 1983. Later the bay platform area was acquired in 1984 and a former NSR signal box was put into use. The Churnet Valley line finally closed for sand traffic in 1988 and the NSRC jumped at the chance to purchase the line from British Rail by publicising its share prospectus. The first passenger train to leave Cheddleton onto the mainline under CVR control left for Leek Brook on August 24, 1996.
Read more about this topic: Cheddleton Railway Station
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