Looking back, looking ahead

Another year draws to a close, with (it seems) an extra second added. Looking back on the activities of the Moseley Railway Trust at Apedale in 2008, three particular highlights come to mind. Firstly, the project to repatriate to the UK from Ghana the Hudswell Clarke steam loco no.1238 of 1916, and the epic task of organising this. Secondly, the construction and fitting out of Aurora North, the large new storage shed at Apedale. This has allowed the MRT's collection of more than fifty locomotives and other artifacts to be gathered from a variety of storage locations and brought together for the first time in ten years. This had the peripheral benefit of producing a VERY good year for certain road haulage contractors! Finally, we opened the site to the public on two weekends, in September and November. This demonstrated that we have the organisational abilities to operate a significant tourist attraction in a professional and sustainable manner.

I had hoped that we would now be recovering from running our first Santa Specials on the passenger railway, but sadly this was not to be. Issues with land leases and a footpath diversion have taken very much longer to resolve than was expected, and so the passenger railway is currently some considerable away from completion. However, we have learnt a lot from the railway construction completed so far, and also from the experiences gained at the Open Days. Moreover, we are optimistic that the final hurdles are close to being overcome, and that the final push on construction will see the railway final opening at some time in 2009. Money and labour remain tight, so if you can help in any way (although money & labour are particularly valued, there are other ways in which you can support us!) get in touch here. The photos used this time try to capture a few of these key moments.

Happy Christmas from the Moseley Railway Trust

As you can see, a few stalwarts of the Moseley Railway Trust have put on their best suits and gathered round one of the fleet to send all our readers festive greetings. But since it's Christmas, let's forget the trains for a few minutes and have a laugh at an MRT board member who really should know better at his age......

Joffres

One of the lesser-known members of the Moseley Railway Trust fleet is No.5 in the steam fleet, Kerr Stuart 3014/16. This locomotive was one of the "Joffre" class, named after the famous French general of the First World War. The loco is an 060 well plus side tank, with two 8 1/2" x 11" cylinders. Kerr Stuart supplied seventy of these locos in three batches; the design was closely based on similar locos being built by the French builder Decauville. The similarity is understandable when one learns that the French government provided KS with all the drawings for the locos. No. 3014 was supplied new to Nantes in 1916, for use on French government artillery railways. It was purchased, from Verdun, by a dealer, and resold to a stone quarry SA des Carrieres de la Vallee Heureuse, along with at least four similar locos. Derelict by 1956, it was repatriated in 1974, along with four other Joffres, and became part of the now-defunct Gloddfa Ganol collection. It spend many of the following years on a plinth alongside the famous Crimea Pass road out of Blaneau Ffestiniog (see top photo). In 1998, the loco became part of the MRT fleet. As will be appreciated, 40plus years of dereliction has taken a severe toll, and it will be a long haul back to service for this loco. However, great strides are being made. 3014 is not yet at Apedale; its restoration is progressing off-site. It will be a great day when it returns to a site no more than five miles from where it was built and hauls a passenger train. We have been inspired recently by the return to steam of one of the other ex-Gloddfa Joffres, this one number 2451 at the Lynton & Barnstaple group's base at Woody Bay. Our friends at the West Lancashire Light railway own a Joffre (no. 2405) which was part of the 1974 import batch but escaped incarnation at Gloddfa. There is a website here which gives lots more Joffre-related information. We have been lent some slides, taken in 1963 by Mr D. Trevor Rowe showing two of the Joffres at the stone quarry - one of the shots is shown below.

As ever, get in touch with us here.

Bums on Seats

The issue of bums on seats, specifically fare-paying bums (with rest of valued customer attached) is one which pre-occupies any operator of a passenger railway. As the Moseley Railway Trust works towards the hoped-for opening of the Apedale passenger railway during 2009 (watch this space!), the issue of where our potential passengers are going to park their bums has been high in our minds.

The MRT already has one passenger coach. This (seen above) is basically a re-build of a vehicle used on the Penrhyn railway in North Wales to transport quarrymen to and from their work. This vehicle is currently being fitted with air brakes by our friends at Alan Keef Ltd. Anyone who has been to a Keef open day in recent years will have seen and travelled in this vehicle. However, this vehicle has a couple of drawbacks - it has limited seating capacity and it has no roof. It has, on the odd occasion, been known to rain in North Staffordshire.

We also have a much more "original" Penrhyn coach, but that is more of a museum exhibit, although we may explore how to sympathetically modify it for passenger carrying in the future.

Attention has therefore been given recently to a second vehicle, which a steel brakevan built by Hudson as recently as 1991; it was built in Ilkeston after Hudson closed their famous Gildersome work, and merged with the mining equipment company of Becorit. The vehicle was new to RAF Chilmark; it then spend a while at Eastriggs, near Carlisle, before joining the MRT collection. It is in need of some cosmetic work and a re-trim. The bogies have now been removed, as seen in the picture, for overhaul and adjustment of the wheelsets - Dave the Gauge is seen determining how much the wheelsets need adjusting to "fit" the railway correctly and safely. The vehicle also needs to be fitted with air braking equipment. It remains to be seen how it performs in traffic - being basically a steel box, it may be necessary to issue ear plugs to passengers!

The third element in the MRT's passenger fleet will be a replica of a Hudson Toastrack coach, similar to those still in use on the Ffestiniog Railway. Under construction currently, this vehicle will solve our passenger carrying issues for the foreseeable future.

As ever, please contact us here.

Mostly Montanias

The vast majority of the Moseley Railway Trust's fleet of locomotives are, naturally, UK-built. However, a small number were constructed overseas. This week, we'll take a look at an overseas works with a lot of history. Orenstein & Koppel were a very long established German engineering company, and they survived as an entity until very recently - visit a shopping centre and there's a fair chance that the escalators will say "O&K" on them. O&K built very large quantities of railway equipment in their various works in Germany. As far as the narrow gauge is concerned, prior to WW2, there were two key works. Steam locos, and a few of the larger diesels were built in the "Drewitz" works, in the Babelsburg suburb of Berlin. Chillingly, the business changed its name to MBA after 1935 - Orenstein, a Jewish name, was unacceptable to the Nazi regime. After the arrival of the Russians changed the political landescape somewhat, this works evolved into "Lokomotive Karl Marx" - so no mistaking the political allegiance there.

The smaller narrow gauge internal-combustion locos were built at a works in Nordhausen, in the Harz mountains, and were marked under the "Montania" brand - it being the Montania works. O&K took over this works in 1912, and ran the place until it closed in January 1942. During this period, 9371 locos were built. Perhaps slightly surprisingly, a good number were shipped to the UK; O&K had an agent, William Jones, who seems to have been very adept at selling things without getting into unfortunate discussions about where they came from and why can't we understand the funny writing in the instruction book. The MRT has three such Montania/William Jones locos in the collection - two petrol locos, types MM and M, and a diesel RL1B. The MM seems to have been built only for UK customers, and the loco in the collection is the only known survivor. Similarly, the RL1B again seems to have been specific to the UK market. There has always been some suspicion that the locos were shipped from Germany as kits, and final assembly was done by Jones. The top pictures show the MM (left) and the RL1B (right).

Nordhausen later gained notoriety as the centre of manufacture for the Nazi V1 and V2 rockets; even this factory used narrow gauge railways, and the remnants of a steam loco used in the works, and the associated forced labour camp, is preserved as a memorial (photo below). This loco is like the O&Ks in the MRT collection - it is an object through which future generations can understand the past; in some cases a pretty unpleasant past. Find out more here.

The MRT is hoping to take the MM O&K on a rather happier foreign outing next year - see here for details.

In the meantime, you are more than welcome to contact the MRT here.

Transfers from Armley Mills

The Moseley Railway Trust is pleased to announce that agreement has been reached with Leeds Museums & Galleries at Armley Mills for the transfer of a number of railway assets. Amongst these is the 1918-built "Tin Turtle" locomotive. This 2’0" gauge petrol loco was built by the Motor Rail & Tramcar Company as their number 1369. Delivered too late for the First World War, it is of the "Protected" type, which offered some limited protection against enemy fire. Rather than France, the loco worked at Knostrop sewage works, near Leeds before being preserved. The locomotive has been in the care of the Moseley Railway Trust for more than ten years, and was restored to working order as part of the "Salvage Squad" TV series in 2003.

The locomotive was formally handed over to the ownership of the Moseley Railway Trust during the MRT’s open day at its Apedale site on 9th November 2008. The locomotive formed the centrepiece of the event, which was held to mark the 90th anniversary of the armistice which ended the First World War. Neil Dowlan, Curator of Industry for Leeds Museums & Galleries, handed over the locomotive to Ron Redman, President of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society. Ron was instrumental in preserving the locomotive, and accepted the locomotive on behalf of the MRT.

Neil presented Ron Redman with the starting handle for the locomotive, witnessed by His Worshipful the Mayor of Newcastle-Under-Lyme Councillor John Cooper and the Mayoress Mrs Angela Cooper. The top picture shows Richard Grey, Deputy Chairman MRT, holding the starting handle, along with Mrs Cooper, Cllr Cooper, Ron Redman (with a replica of the loco works plate) and Neil Dowlan. Neil Dowlan said "The MRT has impressed with its professionalism, its attention to detail, and its ethical care of the objects in its care. The condition of the locomotive is a testament to that".

Other locomotives which will be transferred to the MRT are a Hudswell Clarke diesel locomotive which worked at Calverton colliery, and two 18" gauge Greenbat battery locomotives which were used at mines in Derbyshire. A number of wagons will also be transferred. Phil Robinson, the MRT’s Chairman said that "these locos and wagons will help to round-out the MRT’s collection in certain under-represented areas. In particular, the equipment which is from mining industries is very appropriate to our base at Apedale, where we are developing a former coal mine into what will be the UK’s leading industrial narrow gauge railway museum".

The Moseley Railway Trust wishes to place on record its expression of thanks to Neil Dowlan and his team at Leeds Museums & Galleries for their help with this project. The Motor Rail locomotive is on site at the MRT’s base at Apedale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The remaining transferred assets will be moved to Apedale over the next few months.

As ever, get in touch here.

Remembrance

Today has seen the Moseley Railway Trust open its doors on the Apedale site for the second time this year. This time, the event focused in the military railways items in the collection. By deliberate choice, the event was held on Remembrance Sunday, when the UK and Commonwealth nations remember those who have made supreme sacrifices in both the World Wars and a host of other conflicts. A service of two demonstration freight trains were run; one train was themed around the First World War and used the two "Tin Turtle" locomotives, Motor Rails 1320 & 1369. with restored WW1 rolling stock. The other train represented the Second World War, and used contemporary Motor Rail and Ruston locomotives hauling wagons which mainly originated at the huge RAF munitions depot at Fauld, Staffordshire.

We also took the opportunity to place on display many of the locomotives with a military pedigree, including the ex-Ghana Hudswell Clarke (the same type was extensively used by the Allied forces in WW1), and the War Office Locomotive Society's Hunslet 460 locomotive, which they repatriated from Australia - again, a very common type with Allied forces.A rather important little ceremony took place mid-afternoon - watch this space for more information. In the meantime, the photos will give a flavour of the day. As ever, contact us here.

Smoke Gets in my Eyes

The Moseley Railway Trust is gearing up towards its second and final public event of 2008, when we are open to the public on Sunday 9th November (full details here). The event is on Remembrance Sunday, which is of course 90 years since the end of the First World War. We have therefore been checking out the genuine WW1 items in the collection. One which has slumbered for longer than most is MR1320 of 1918. This loco was built as a 40HP petrol-powered "Tin Turtle" type loco (remembering that these locos came in the open, enclosed and protected variants). However, it was sold on into industry (as with so much WW1 railway equipment). The quarry fitters did not have complete respect for the historical artifact in their care. It was re-engined with a Dorman 4 cylinder diesel, which necessitated a fairly comprehensive rebuild to get the drivetrain to line up. It also acquired bodywork which can only be described as aesthetically challenged. Our first photo shows the loco at Inns & Co, Sawbridgeworth quarry, Hertfordshire, in September 1966 (photo courtesy Peter Excell). Fortunately, later generations did recognise its importance, and it was preserved, first at Brockham, then Amberley. After that, it had a while at a private site in Wales, then Cadeby. The loco was really a bit too large for the Cadeby line, and certain lineside trees had to be "sculpted" to allow it to pass! The loco moved to Apedale with most of the rest of the Cadeby fleet in 2006.

The loco hadn't been run for some years at Cadeby - size and mechanical issues made it an unpopular choice - but the MRT has risen to the challenge, and it now runs reasonably well. The photo below shows the loco being coaxed back into life with the gentle assistance of a 48DL Ruston. It's not perfect - it currently features a total-loss coolant system, and at least one of the engine cylinders sees its role more as an observer than active participant. It is also reasonable to assume that the emissions are some way short of Euro3 (hence the title of this week's post). But it goes, and, barring disaster, it will haul demonstration trains on 9/11/08. Come and see us or contact us here.

Apedale Update - It's all a matter of Opinion

It's been a little while since we've had a general update on Apedale progress, so here goes.

Tracklaying has resumed again; those who visited our September open days will have seen trains operating on what is known as the Red Shed Bypass line; the main passenger running line will run parallel to the Bypass line, then alongside the large Aurora North storage shed, and then beside the site access road until the Stage One terminus at Apedale Road is reached. Later stages will see the railway cross Apedale Road and head into the Country Park, but that's in the future.

Laying the passenger running line has been delayed by obtaining the necessary consents to divert a slightly inconvenient footpath. Whilst this churns through the corridors of power, we have commenced work on the railway alongside the access road. The need to preserve the current footpath means that the new section of railway is not connected by rail to the existing system, which makes construction rather challenging logistically. Thus far, two approaches have been tried - firstly to build the track into panels elsewhere on site, and then transport by crane to site and lay into position. This can be seen in this week's first photo. The alternative approach is to build the track in situ, bringing all the required parts to site using the dumper truck. It's fair to say the jury is out on the best method. The second photo shows the MRT "A" Team contemplating said dumper truck.

If you fancy coming along and telling us where we're going wrong, then we're on site every Saturday - contact us here. You can come along and just have a look around on November 9th, when we mark the 90 anniversary of the end of WW1 - more details here. And if you come on that day, offering opinions on the best way to build track is not mandatory.

Tanks for the Memory

You've read before in these pages how both sides used narrow gauge railways for logistical support during the First World War. Many of the vehicles used were specifically designed to serve a need. One less obvious one is the need for fresh water - given the infamous mud of Flanders Fields, one would have though that water was not in short supply. Mind, I'm not sure I'd be too keen on drinking the contents of a shellhole, given what might be lurking under the surface.

The Moseley Railway Trust has completed the restoration of a water tank wagon used in the First World War. In the War Department Light Railways classification, this type was known as the Class H Water tank. It's believed that about 200 of the water tanks were built, by a number of builders, of which perhaps the best known is Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon (see the works photo below). The bogies now fitted to the wagon seem to have parts from a number of builders; one of them seems to have been supplied by the still-in-existence Brush Traction (see here) of Loughborough for the Salonica campaign.

After the war, six of these tank wagons, along with much other war-surplus material, were sold to the Nocton Estate Railways in Lincolnshire which were developed specifically because of the availability of cheap war-surplus material, and used to transport the potatoes grown there from the fields to the dispatch yard. At Nocton, our tank wagon continued to work in the purpose for which it had been designed, the conveyance of drinking water which would otherwise have been unavailable; it was used for many years to convey drinking water to estate workers’ dwellings that were not connected to water mains. Once this use had ceased, the tank was removed from the chassis and for many more years served as a static emergency water supply. The five other Class H tank-wagons purchased by the Nocton Estates at the same time, had all been scrapped by the 1960s, leaving this tank as a unique survivor. The Moseley Railway Trust, recognising its historic value, negotiated its acquisition from the Nocton Estates. The Trust also acquired suitable bogies to enable it to fully restore a complete WDLR Class H bogie tank-wagon.

The Moseley Railway Trust is very grateful to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council for the PRISM grant-funding to enable this restoration to have taken place. We also acknowledge the help and support of Paul Jarman from Beamish who oversaw the project for PRISM.

As a World War One vehicle, the Class H will take a starring role at our Remembrance Sunday event on Sunday 9/11/08 - read all about it here.

As ever, get in touch here.

Lord Austin - an aristocrat amongst Locomotives

The Moseley Railway Trust's extensive collection of narrow gauge locomotives includes many built by the company of Motor Rail, who were based in Bedford. Like many (all??) successful engineering businesses, Motor Rail understood the value of a robust and standardised product. Hence, their locos tend to have a strong family resemblance to each other. That said, they were not averse to building something a tad different from time to time. Once of these was the 12/20HP petrol engined locos, of which 28 were built as a design of lightweight petrol locos. Unlike the vast majority of Motor Rails, they did not use a Dorman engine. Instead, they were fitted with Austin side valve four cylinder petrol engines.

A star of the MRT collection is Motor Rail no. 6035, which is one of the four survivors of this type, and the only one to still be in working condition. Known as Lord Austin, from its engine, it was delivered new to the brickworks of Midhurst Whites in Sussex. It was specified to operate under a very low clearance, and it was also important (for reasons lost in history) that the driver faced in the opposite direction to usual. This latter, apparently simple, requirement, actually required some fairly serious engineering to achieve. The control layout on this loco is different to a standard Motor Rail, and this has been known to catch out the unwary experienced driver.

Lord Austin has spent a few days in the Aurora Works recently for a few minor repairs and adjustments. This week's photos show it stretching its legs outside.

If you want to know more about Motor Rails, visit here.

You have one last chance this year to come to Apedale and see Lord Austin and all the other delights which lurk therein - our Remembrance Sunday event on 9/11/08. Look here for more details. As ever, contact us here.

Remembrance Sunday Event

November 2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the 1914-1918 First World War. This will probably be the last major anniversary where that conflict remains within living memory. To mark this, the Moseley Railway Trust will be holding a special event at its base at Apedale on Remembrance Sunday, 9th November 2008.

The Moseley Railway Trust has a significant collection of artefacts relating to the military light railways built for the British Army in France and Belgium to supply the frontline forces during the First World War. With the cessation of hostilities, equipment that had not been delivered to the war fronts, and equipment that had been repatriated from the battlefields was collected together in storage depots in the south of England. By 1920, this war-surplus equipment was made available to the civilian market, and industry was quick to take up this cheap, readily available pool of railway equipment. This equipment became the catalyst for many industrial narrow gauge railways.

The November 9 event will commemorate not only the end of the Great War, but also the part narrow gauge railways have played with the British Military for more than 90 years. The event will see the return to the collection of the "Tin Turtle", a protected (armoured) Motor Rail locomotive built in 1917. This locomotive featured in the Channel 4 "Salvage Squad" series in 2003.

The event will be open from 1030 to 1700, with the two-minute silence observed at 1100. There will be a suggested admission donation of £4 adults, £2 concessions - for which escorted access to the main MRT collection building "Aurora North" & tours of the Moseley Railway Trust’s site will be on offer. 50% of the profits from the event will be donated to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, which supports ex-Service personnel in times of need.

It is planned to operate a number of demonstration goods and military trains during the day. There will be sales & information stands and Military Vehicle displays. Refreshments will be available in the cafe run by the Apedale Heritage Centre, the Moseley Railway Trust’s partner in the Apedale development. Contact us here for more information.

Open Weekend Retrospective

To paraphrase the late, great Humphrey Lyttelton "The Fireman of Time is raking out the ashes from the Firebox of Destiny". Yes, it's time to stop thinking about the Open weekend, and we need to knuckle down and get a passenger railway built. But let's just have a quick retrospective on the event. Six months planning, and some very late nights by the organisers, allowed somewhere in the region of 700 visitors to get their first taste of what the Moseley Railway Trust can do on the Apedale site. For many of the visitors, it was their first contact with the MRT since the days of the Cheadle school railway, which closed way back in 1998. Certainly, the vast majority of the locomotive stock has not been seen in public since those times.

If you were one of our visitors, we'd like to say a big thank you for your support. All feedback on the event would be welcome - contact us here. With a following wind, 2009 will see a passenger railway open at Apedale, and hopefully we'll see many of our visitors back again. In the meantime, there will be one last chance to visit the site later this year - watch this site for details, which will be announced in a couple of days.

Open Weekend - Halfway There

The MRT has successfully got through the Saturday of the Open Weekend; we've run lots of trains (no passenger trains yet, just freights), talked to lots of visitors and hopefully sent home lots of people with a better idea of whet the MRT is all about. We have also officially declared the MRT's Aurora Works open - the top left photo shows Phil Robinson, our Chairman, and Councillor Bowden of Staffordshire County Council unveiling the plaque.

If you still wavering on whether to come and see us, perhaps the photos may help you to decide to come along and support us. Look forward to seeing you?? Details here.

Getting Ready

It's been a day of frenetic activity at Apedale. Even the weather has been kind (ish) to a good turnout of Moseley Railway Trust members as they have swarmed over the site, cleaning this, tidying that and rearranging the other. Why, I hear you ask rhetorically? Because it's now less than a week to the first Apedale Open Day. The visiting engine-ometer now seems to firmly point at three. These are the steam loco Stanhope, which is already on site, and can be seen on test runs here:-

The other two visitors are a Lister Blackstone from Gloucestershire and a rarely-seen battery loco from Shropshire, making an unusual foray across the county line. Oh, and as if that wasn't enough, there is the 50-odd MRT fleet assembled all around the site and chugging here, there and everywhere with demonstration goods trains. There will be a good selection of trade stands and lots of other outdoor displays. How can you resist? And such good value at £4 adults/£2 concessions.

If you want to know more, look here, or why not contact us here.

Turn up and you may even find out why someone is screwing a cardboard lozenge to a wall. And just in case you don't like cardboard lozenges, I've even included a couple of loco pictures this week.

Positive Partnerships for Progress

In these notes, I have tended to focus on the nuts and bolts of what the MRT is doing at Apedale - laying track, restoring vehicles, all that type of stuff. But sometimes it's useful just to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The MRT is aiming to build a 2'0" gauge railway into the Apedale Community Country Park, starting at the existing Apedale Heritage Centre, passing close by the former mine buildings which are now the base of the MRT's operations and the now famous Aurora North storage shed and on for about 500 metres to Apedale Road, which marks the end of Phase One. Later phases will cross Apedale Road and head up hill to Burley Shales (just over 1000 metres) and Miry Arena (1900 metres). It is our belief that the railway will open up the park to many visitors, allowing people the many combinations of riding trains/walking and so on. Thus, the railway will form a genuine transport need and help people appreciate the wonders of the Country Park. I say "we" advisedly, because we have enjoyed the full support and encouragement of both Staffordshire County Council (who manage the park) and also Newcastle Under Lyme, our local authority. It is by developing these partnerships that all parties can achieve their goals. If you want to know about Apedale Community Country Park, have a look here.

This very positive relationship contrasts with problems which two other narrow gauge railways are having with their local authorities. The 2'6" Sittingbourne & Kelmsley railway is now facing a very real, and very urgent, threat to its existence. Sittingbourne (and indeed much of the area) lacks any real tourist or other visitor attractions, and it is truly astounding that their local authority seems content to allow this piece of genuine industrial narrow gauge heritage to simply vanish after 102 years. They need your help. Visit here to find out more. Similarly, our friends at Leighton Buzzard are also having some planning difficulties - visit here to find out more. The MRT offers its support and sympathy to both of our colleague railways in these difficult times, and hopes that all readers of this will do all they can to assist. But we also breathe a sigh of relief that the very positive partnerships we have with our governing authorities, both local and at county level, mean that we can work together to assist in the regeneration of our corner of North Staffordshire and make the area better for everybody. And what could be better than a steam train running though a country park? This week's photos are a couple of SKLR views, including their locomotive "Melior". As a Kerr Stuart "Brazil" class, she is a close cousin of the MRT's "Stanhope". In case you didn't (by some miracle) know, we will be running "Stanhope" at the MRT's Apedale Open Days on 13 & 14 September - see here for more details. And, as usual, you can get in touch here.

Slogging with Stanhope

Way back in December, this blog had an update on the MRT's flagship locomotive, Kerr Stuart "Tattoo" class no.2395 of 1917 "Stanhope". At the time, she was in the throes of a ten year boiler exam and light overhaul. Fortunately, the care and expense of her original restoration paid off, and no major problems emerged during the overhaul, and she was back in business by Easter at her current home, the West Lancashire Light Railway at Hesketh Bank near Southport. "Stanhope" has recently embarked on an end-of-summer tour, and this weekend has seen her working at the Golden Valley Light Railway, part of the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley, Derbyshire. And working is the operative word; it's a 1 in 30 or thereabouts climb from the GVLR's terminus at Newlands Inn. "Stanhope" does not have an air compressor of her own, so it is necessary to run with an air-equipped loco to provide the air. This is normally a 60S Motor Rail. The passenger train is four substantial manriders, plus the five ton Motor Rail deadweight, so it all makes for a pretty impressive bit of climbing performance as she storms up the bank. It has been observed that this is one of the key attractions of the narrow gauge. On the adjacent MRT standard gauge line, there are locos like a BR Standard 9F; with the usual load of most preserved lines, the loco hardly notices. Not so on the narrow gauge. Believe me, "Stanhope" notices the load climbing from Newlands Inn! Learn more about the GVLR at their website here.

From the GVLR, "Stanhope" will visit the Moseley Railway Trust's Apedale base for the September 13 & 14 open days. Visit here for more details. Apedale will ultimately be "Stanhope"s home as and when the first phase of the passenger railway is completed and opened (hopefully during 2009).

After Apedale, it's on to Graham Lee's splendid Statfold Barn railway for their enthusiasts weekend, and then "Stanhope" returns to Hesketh Bank to fulfill its commitments on that railway - see here.

As ever, we'd love to here from you - contact us here.

Location, Location, Location

Last Saturday 16 August was another little bit of history for the Moseley Railway Trust; we vacated the storage location at Buxworth, Derbyshire, which has been the Trust's home for the last few years. There are probably few events as traumatic (or expensive) for an organisation such as the Moseley Railway Trust than the need to move base - and it's happened four times to the MRT! The trust has its roots in a 1969 project at the Moseley Hall Grammar School for Boys, at Cheadle near Stockport. In 1971, this school closed and relocated alongside a girls school about a mile away. This should have been seen as an omen for the future! What became the MRT developed and thrived at this new location, known as the Manor School, until 1998 when the organisation was compelled to leave Cheadle and move the collection into storage. The first location was the Mevril Spring Works at Whaley Bridge, near Buxton. Open days, with locos being demonstrated, were held in 1999 and 2000 at this site. However, once again, fate intervened and the site was sold for redevelopment. In 2001, the Trust decanted to a storage unit at Buxworth, also near Buxton. Meanwhile, the Trust located a permanent site at Apedale - and this time we own this one, so no more moves! Most of the collection slumbered at Buxworth until 2008 when they arrived in the splendid Aurora North storage shed. The set of pictures show locos at Cheadle, and at Buxworth and you've all seen plenty of Apedale shots. As you should know by now, there's open days at Apedale on 13 & 14 September - see here.

Open days will mark Storage Shed completion

The Moseley Railway Trust (MRT) proudly announces the completion of a key element of its continuing development of the site at Apedale. A large storage shed, known as Aurora North, has allowed the Trust to move its collection of narrow gauge locomotives from storage at a number of sites and bring them together -literally under one roof - for the first time in ten years.

Phil Robinson, the Chairman of the Moseley Railway Trust said "Since coming onto the Apedale site in 2006, the Trust has made great strides in developing the site. The completion of the Aurora North building marks a major milestone for us". There are now more than fifty locomotives on site at Apedale, mainly 2’0" gauge but other gauges are represented also. The locomotives are mainly diesel or petrol engined, but there are also steam locos, such as the 1916 Hudswell Clarke locomotive which the MRT imported from Ghana earlier this year. The World War One Hunslet locomotive owned by the War Office Locomotive Society is also now at Apedale.

Progress has continued with developing other aspects of the site, although construction of the main passenger-carrying railway has been delayed whilst issues with footpath diversions are resolved with the support of Staffordshire County Council. Nonetheless, the MRT still hopes to open the initial phase of the railway during 2009.

The public will get a chance to see the progress made by the MRT at Apedale when the Trust holds its first public open days on September 13 and 14. This weekend will also see the first operation of steam locomotives on site when the Kerr Stuart locomotive "Stanhope", part of the MRT collection, will visit from its normal base at the West Lancashire Light Railway at Hesketh Bank, near Southport. "Stanhope" and other locomotives will be used to haul demonstration trains. The public will be able to see the MRT’s collections, and there will be visiting attractions such as model railways, vintage vehicles, a miniature railway and sales stands.

The open days will be from 11.00 to 17.00 each day, and admission is £4 adults, £2 children under 16 and OAPs. The Apedale site is adjacent to the Apedale Heritage centre, near the village of Chesterton, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire. The site is 10 minutes from Junction 16 on the M6, and is just off the A34. Full directions and further information can be found here.

Remarkable Rustons

It is not generally appreciated that, in living memory, the production of locomotives for industrial and narrow gauge railways was BIG business in the UK. This week, we'll have a quick look at the Ruston & Hornsby (RH) locomotives in the Moseley Railway Trust's collection. RH did loco production on a massive scale - in total, 6500 locos were produced from 1931 to 1968 at their works in Lincoln. Their successors are still in business producing things like gas turbines and turbochargers. The locos were both standard and narrow gauge, of a number of standardised types. The vast majority of the production was for industrial railways - only a handful of (standard gauge) locos went to BR and its predecessors. The best known of these are the Class 07 Southampton dock shunting locos, of which a few are preserved. The production total dwarfs companies such as Brush (just over a thousand) and even the allegedly mighty North British.

The company has its roots in Hornsby-Ackroyd, who claimed to have created the world's first compression-ignition engine in 1892; one Dr Diesel did not create an engine until 1897, but posterity chose him, rather than the UK team. Perhaps rather sourly, Ruston stated that its locomotives were fitted with "oil engines".

The MRT has 12 Rustons on site at Apedale. These include examples of most of the major types. These include the large 48DL type (see top picture) and the second oldest surviving Ruston (see bottom left). You will have the chance to see all of these (and lots of other good things) at our open days on 13 & 14 September - see here or contact us here.

Wot, no Blog??

You should never start with an apology, so I'm not apologising for the late production of this weeks entry. We've all been rushed off our feet with organising the Open Day, so I may as well update on this Grand Event. It's all beginning to come together nicely now. We have a good selection of model layouts and trade stands booked, and hopefully there will be something to interest most tastes. We'll have live steam on three gauges - 2'0", a 7 1/4" miniature and 16mm model live steam. We're hoping for a smattering of vintage road vehicles. There are at least two visiting railway engines confirmed so far - the MRT's steam "Stanhope" from its usual West Lancs base, and a Lister diesel from a private railway in Gloucestershire. We're hoping for a couple more, but nothing definite yet. Above all, we hope the main attraction will be a chance for our adoring public (or perhaps just public) to come along and see what we're about. So clear your diaries, and head for Newcastle under Lyme on 13 or 14 September. More details are here and you can always contact us here. How can you resist? Amongst the other delights on display will be one of our newer celebrity arrivals - the WW1 Hunslet 4 6 0 (no.1215) owned by the War Office Loco Society - which is this week's picture.