The Moseley Railway Trust is making good progress on developing its site at Apedale, near Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire. A small but dedicated band of volunteers are working on constructing a 2’0" gauge passenger carrying railway from the Apedale Heritage Centre. The objective of the Phase One railway will be to a station at Apedale Road, a distance of 500 metres from the Heritage Centre. Later phases will see the railway cross Apedale Road and storm up a 1 in 50 ruling gradient to a terminus at Apedale Country Park, giving a run of nearly 2km.
Significant assistance has been provided with the groundworks, ballasting and other activities associated with the passenger carrying railway by a grant from Lafarge Aggregates, administered by the Derbyshire Environmental Trust. The Moseley Railway Trust wishes to publicly acknowledge this, and thanks both Lafarge Aggregates and the Derbyshire Environmental Trust for their support for the Apedale project.
A further key priority for the Moseley Railway Trust in 2008 is to construct a large storage shed at Apedale. This will then allow the movement of the trust’s large collection of locomotives and other vehicles currently stored elsewhere. The locomotive fleet is one of the UK’s largest, numbering approximately sixty, and many of these have not been on display to the general public since the MRT vacated its original site at the former Moseley Grammar School site at Cheadle, near Stockport.
An opening date for the railway has not yet been set, as there is a considerable amount of work yet to be done, both physical and on the inevitable paperwork mountain. However, the MRT is planning an open day later in the year. The date for this will be publicised in the next few weeks, and this will be an opportunity for visitors to see progress at Apedale.
The Moseley Railway Trust’s Apedale Appeal remains open and donations large and small are sought to further the MRT’s site development aims at Apedale.
Phil Robinson, the Moseley Railway Trust’s chairman said "The trust has made stunning progress - in just a little over a year, we have taken a derelict site, renovated the buildings, and made a real start on building a new passenger railway. This will provide a major new attraction for the North Staffordshire area, and will mark a step-change in the regeneration of the Apedale valley".
Significant assistance has been provided with the groundworks, ballasting and other activities associated with the passenger carrying railway by a grant from Lafarge Aggregates, administered by the Derbyshire Environmental Trust. The Moseley Railway Trust wishes to publicly acknowledge this, and thanks both Lafarge Aggregates and the Derbyshire Environmental Trust for their support for the Apedale project.
A further key priority for the Moseley Railway Trust in 2008 is to construct a large storage shed at Apedale. This will then allow the movement of the trust’s large collection of locomotives and other vehicles currently stored elsewhere. The locomotive fleet is one of the UK’s largest, numbering approximately sixty, and many of these have not been on display to the general public since the MRT vacated its original site at the former Moseley Grammar School site at Cheadle, near Stockport.
An opening date for the railway has not yet been set, as there is a considerable amount of work yet to be done, both physical and on the inevitable paperwork mountain. However, the MRT is planning an open day later in the year. The date for this will be publicised in the next few weeks, and this will be an opportunity for visitors to see progress at Apedale.
The Moseley Railway Trust’s Apedale Appeal remains open and donations large and small are sought to further the MRT’s site development aims at Apedale.
Phil Robinson, the Moseley Railway Trust’s chairman said "The trust has made stunning progress - in just a little over a year, we have taken a derelict site, renovated the buildings, and made a real start on building a new passenger railway. This will provide a major new attraction for the North Staffordshire area, and will mark a step-change in the regeneration of the Apedale valley".
