Apedale update - Fencing and Fings

One of the hold-ups to progress with railway building on the Apedale site has been a rather inconveniently located footpath. Inconvenient in this case means that it runs directly along the bed of the passenger main line, and then through the middle of the workshop complex. Clearly, this is not an ideal situation. The Moseley Railway Trust has therefore been working with the local authorities to divert the footpath, and this process is (seemingly) nearing an end. Not unreasonably, the authorities want the amenities to remain available to walkers in the country park - so a replacement footpath is required. So we have built a replacement path, and the main task now is to construct a fence between the path and the railway. We believe the main purpose of the fence is to prevent trains escaping from the site, with a peripheral benefit of preventing walkers and trains confronting each other in a rather one-sided contest.

So, today has seen the initial matches of the elite Apedale Fencing Team, as the first of many posts are concreted into the ground. Ground conditions are far from ideal, but I have no doubt that this fine body of men are more than equal to the task.

Meanwhile, the rapid restoration of Motor Rail No.2197 has continued; the frames have been shotblasted and painted, and now re-assembly is taking place. With the frames upside down on a wagon, we have fitted the wheelsets, chain tensioners and the massive weights (good job we have a crane!). Next week, reassembly will continue, and hopefully the loco will be back on its wheels. The photos below show a before & after comparison.

As ever, contact us here or why not come along to Apedale for some fencing practice? Graduates from German Universities are particularly welcome.

Moving Experiences

After a couple of weekends where Apedale did its best to emulate Siberia, today we actually saw blue skies and sunshine. Even the frozen pipes have now thawed. Meanwhile, over in Derbyshire, a little bit of history was being made...

After leaving the school at Cheadle in 1998, the Moseley Railway Trust was essentially without a permanent home until arriving at Apedale in 2006. Equipment was initially stored at a site, a former engineering works, in Whaley Bridge, and two open days were held. This was a site with a railway pedigree, as it stood next to the Cromford & High Peak railway, and may have had a private siding at one time. Unfortunately, the site was then sold for redevelopment, and 2001 saw the MRT on the move again. This time, it was to a storage unit at Buxworth, in the High Peak. This place was historically known as Bugsworth, but in April 1930, the name was gentrified and Buxworth came into being. Although the Buxworth site has been "home", it was only ever intended as an interim storage site, although its name (and that of the village pub) will live on within the MRT's corporate organisation. This site gave the MRT a considerable scare a few years ago when the adjacent adjacent huge mill buildings went up in smoke; a collapse could have wiped out the collection at a stroke - but fortune smiled that day and no harm was done.

So (I hear you cry), what happened today? The final items of MRT equipment finally left the Buxworth site, travelled over the Peak and arrived at their new, and permanent home at Apedale. For the record, the final load comprised a 2'6" Wingrove & Rogers battery loco and a couple of wagon which worked with the loco at ICI's Winnington soda crystal plant. Also on the lorry (and prominent in the photo) was the bodywork from the Hibberd Railcar (no. 2196). The body and the underframe of this vehicle have suffered rather an acrimonious split in the past and discussions continue regarding reunification. Time will tell.

If YOU think you have the skills (engineering or diplomatic) to broker a reconciliation, get in touch here or why not come on down to Apedale any Saturday and many Sundays. After all, there's nothing to see at Buxworth now.