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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.
The line is also popular with railtours.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Great Rocks
This 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.
This 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
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
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
Streetmap links
Great Rocks general view map
Great Rocks close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Great Rocks
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Great Rocks
Googly map
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.
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
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
