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.
