Open day Retrospective

Well, that was Open Weekend 2009. The visiting engines have all returned home, the site has returned to its normal self, and the organising team's blood pressure has dropped from the previous dangerous levels. We were certainly blessed by the weather, and it was could to see so many faces on the site - many friends, old and new. This will be the last open weekend in this format, because the next time we open the site up, the Apedale Valley Light Railway will be in its full passenger carrying glory. A highlight for me was the Sunday transhipment demonstrations using the Sentinel steam lorry - learning from Saturday, we timed this to get the sun in the right place for photos! So, enjoy my favourite photos from the event. This weekend, it's back to reality at Apedale, as the Moseley Railway Trust's volunteer team resume the task of railway building. If you fancy joining in, get in touch. If you came along to the open weekend, and have comments, positive or negative, let us know. Contact us here.

Open Weekend - halfway through

We've got halfway through the Open Weekend at Apedale, and thus far it's going very well. The weather has been very kind to us, and we've seen lots of visitors, all of whom seem to have enjoyed themselves and gone home happy. Setting up the roadside photoshoots was a little tricky because the sun was in the wrong place - we haven't seen the sun at Apedale for some time, and we had forgotten where it appeared in the sky. But we got there, and everyone seemed to get the photographs they wanted. So, there's still another day of this to look forward to, so hopefully we will be inundated with visitors and their money tomorrow. See you there? Details are here.

Open days - Do YOU have this booked?

Just a quick update - The Moseley Railway Trust's Open Days are getting close. The line up of visiting locos is now confirmed as the Orenstein & Koppel steam loco "Max" from Statfold, "Red Dwarf" which is a battery electric from the Shropshire Mines Trust, and finally the rather splendid Baguley "King Arthur" which will be having its first ever awayday from its home at Wicksteed park. There is also a possible last minute extra visitor - only time will tell on that one.

Then there's also the minor matter of the home fleet of 50+ locomotives. And you can even see Project genesix - provided your retina scan is accepted. We'll be running effectively two separate railways - the main line and the sidings - so there will be loads of opportunities for parallel running, double departures, all that type of stuff. We've got a 16mm live steam layout, a ride-on miniature railway, trade stands and model railways. All this for £4 admission. What an absolute billy bargain.

The Open Days are Saturday and Sunday 12 & 13 September, from 1100 to 1700. More details are here. What are you waiting for - form an orderly queue. Contact us here with any enquiries/comments/offers of money.