It's been a while since we updated the World Wide Web on progress with the Moseley Railway Trust's project at Apedale. Hopefully, we'll be making more regular updates in the future, time permitting, so keep watching this space.
What's been happening at Apedale? The short answer is Plenty. The slightly longer answer begins here....
Trackwork now extends from the Red Shed (so called because it's a shed, and it's red) to the station site near the Apedale Heritage Centre. This will allow the operation of the MRT's locomotives, currently stored in the Red Shed. There's a long way to go yet, though. The next major issue to be tackled is to divert a footpath, which currently runs through the middle of the site, onto a new alignment. The new alignment will hopefully be easier and safer for all users of the path. A useful by-product is that it will be a great vantage point when trains start running - get the cameras ready!
Work has also continued on the former mine buildings. These need extensive clearing out and decoration to convert them to become the MRT's centre of operations. Amongst other things, an office has been created to hold the mountain of paperwork which any railway needs these days. We are also currently hosting the UK heats of the World's Worst Bricklayer Championships.
Through all of this, some work even occasionally gets done on locomotives and wagons. For example, the G Class Simplex (the yellow loco in the picture) has had its electrical system given a good seeing to, and it can now charge its own battery. Work has also started on the mechanically good but cosmetically disastrous Motor Rail 2197 (this is behind the G class in the picture); hopefully this will be finished in time for a planned outing to a certain Welsh railway in 2009.
As you can imagine, this all keeps a hard core of members pretty occupied. If you fancy lending a hand, we're on site most Saturdays from 10.00, and (from January 2008), also on the 2nd Sunday of each month. So, if you want to see more, come along - Apedale is just off the A34, north of Newcastle Under Lyme. Questions? Contact us here, and we'll do our best to help.
We cannot post this without mentioning the Heritage Centre which is invaded by MRT members keen to sample the latest tricks with oatcakes (aka The Tunstall Tortilla). Apparently it sells some other foodstuffs beyond oatcakes. We will investigate and let you know.
Keep checking this website (have you book marked it?), and we'll try to give you something new to read every couple of weeks (or more often if we have the time, the inclination or something interesting happens).
