Christmas Quiz Part Two

A few of you got the answer to Part One. They were:-
1 – Ffestiniog Railway Boston Lodge
2 – Statfold Barn Farm
3 - Leighton Buzzard Light Railway Stonehenge works
4 – West Lancs Light Railway, Hesketh Bank
5 – Our twin museum, the Frankfurt Fedbahn Museum

Some of the more over-confident said they wanted something more challenging. So, we've sent the MRT SR-71 out again, and it's come back with another batch of photos. Set your sherry and mince-pie addled brains working on this lot. Get in touch here with your answers and/or pathetic cries for help.

Number 6



 

 

Number 7

Number 8

Number 9




Number 10

Number 11

 



Christmas Quiz - Part One

To challenge your brain cells whilst eating brussel sprouts and watching James Bond or the Queen or whatever on the telly, the Moseley Railway Trust proudly presents the Christmas Quiz. Using the awesome technology of Google Earth, we have satellite reconnaissance photographs of a number of locations of interest to those knowledgeable about narrow gauge railways. All you need to do is identify the places. Simples. The first four are a gentle warm-up exercise, with the fifth being rather more challenging. There's no prize, but if you want to check your answers, get in touch here (Meerkat-obsessive CMEs need not apply). I'll publish the answers and Part Two in a few days.

No.1 & No.2

No.3 & No.4

No.5

As darkness falls....

As darkness falls, the Apedale Valley Light Railway springs into life. We don't normally operate during the hours of darkness, because the Apedale Valley is a little remote from civilisation, and it is VERY dark (barely a photon or Higgs Boson to be seen). However, we ran a few trains tonight for a pre-boooked party. Doing the risk assessment took longer than we actually ran for, but that's life. With the train all lit up with fairy lights, and seriously powerful headlights on the loco frying anything which flew into their path, it was rather a magical evening. As ever, get in touch here.

Santa Claus is in the building

The Santa Special Season is in full swing at Apedale - and we've certainly been busy. Full trains full on excited kids, excited mums & dads and seen-it-all-before older siblings. Saturday was very bright and very cold - the first train arrived at Apedale Road with a distinct bow-wave as the wheels broke through the layer of ice on the railheads. Returning trains were greeted by a very odd cornucopia of characters - monkeys, elves and Fairy Godmothers. Anyway, it was all good clean fun, and we're doing it all next weekend as well. Some trains are now very full, so it would be best to check beforehand if you plan to come any distance. Check here or by e-mail here.

Santa Claus is coming to town

All over the Apedale site, Moseley Railway Trust members have been getting ready for the Santa campaign 2011. Booking are significantly ahead of this time last year - which was our first year of visits by the Bearded One - so it looks like we're going to be busy. Finishing touches have been applied to the Grotto by a team who really cannot be described as Elves. Perhaps a bit more like those funny Goblin things that they had in Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or something. This will be the first year we've has the use of Silverdale station, so work has been progressing with making that all seasonal, including commisioning of a coal burning stove. It was a bit of a struggle but I think the pyromaniac in charge got a flicker of life out of it in the end. There's still space on a few of the trains - but booking are coming in thick and fast. If you fancy roasting your chestnuts by the station stove, check here for booking - or here to get in touch.

Autumnal endeavours

It doesn't seem like five minutes since the end of the running season, and yet Apedale was enlivened by the beginnings of the Santa season - the inevitable hunt for all the bits of the Grotto. We'll soon be finding out who has been naughty and who has been nice. Meanwhile, outside the workshop, was one of the more elusive members of the fleet - the Hunslet "Twusk". It is rarely a good sign when a loco is stood with its engine crankcase doors off, and an even worse sign when our CME is peering into the innards with a puzzled look. "Twusk" achieved brief fame by becoming one of the first locos from the Scrapyard in the Sky - also known as Gloddfa Ganol - to operate after the dispersal of that collection. However, it has a rather unfortunate tendency towards seizing its engine, which is not considered ideal. It seems to have an oil pump issue, and time will tell if its a Naughty issue or a Nice issue. Meanwhile, down at the Pit Project, lumps of concrete sleepers were being hacked off with an angle grinder - that well-known civil engineering tool.

I should mention that you can book for our Santa Specials here or come down in person on the next two Saturdays. Be seeing you? Get in touch here.

Remembering

This weekend our thoughts turn to remembrance of the sacrifices made by those who fought so bravely to defend our way of life. Sadly, all those who served in The Great War are no longer with us, making it all the harder to imagine the circumstances in which they found themselves. This was brought home to me when I recently visited Sanctuary Hill Museum, near the Hill 60 memorial in Belgium.

Hill 60 overlooks the town of Ypres, which was completely destroyed during the war and painstakingly rebuilt thereafter. The Hill 60 museum site is now one of the few places on the Ypres Salient battlefields where an original trench layout can be seen in some semblance of what it might have looked like all those years ago. Even though the troops and the guns have now gone, the scene provides an eerie vision of what those troops had to endure. The photos show the muddy trenches and the flooded shell-holes that characterised this form of warfare.






At the Moseley Railway Trust we also have some artefacts from "The War to End All Wars", and it so happened on Saturday that we decided to operate one of these. This was partially because we needed to do some testing and also for the benefit of some VIP visitors who were meeting with us on site. Kerr Stuart 3014 was ordered by the French Commission for their artillery railways, and came with a good number of optional extras for the harsh environment in which it had to operate, such as spark arresting chimney, a set of four jacks for re-railing and also a set of equipment for drawing water from convenient sources such as rivers, canals and, more likely, flooded shell holes. One of the planned tests was on this "water lifter" equipment. This consists of a Gresham and Craven ejector and a long flexible hose with a filter on the end, which is normally carried coiled up on the roof of the cab.

To illustrate this the photo below, taken in September 1917, shows a Kerr Stuart locomotive having got into trouble whilst hauling some portable track sections across a stretch of unstable track near Proyart in the Somme area. The driver can be seen, presumably waiting for assistance to be sent out. The water lifter hose can also be clearly seen, as can the various lifting jacks. It is possible that excessive water in the tanks has contributed to the driver's undoing, as full side tanks will raise the centre of gravity of the locomotive.



Not having restored the Apedale canal (yet), we chose to test the water lifter using our H class water tank wagon. You can see where the hose attaches on the final photograph: the device on top of the tank just in front of the cab is the ejector. All went very smoothly and it was remarked that the last time this particular performance was carried out on one of these engines was probably 93 years ago. After a successful test, when putting the hose back on the roof, it also became clear that whoever did this would become a sitting duck for any enemy sniper in the viscinity. Perhaps that is why some of the contemporary photos show the hose being carried behind the cab. Another reminder of the horrifying conditions that surrounded the purpose of these machines.



One of our key aims is to preserve equipment such as this, so that it can continue to tell its own story to current and future generations. If you want to help us in that mission, contact us here.

The start of a new era

Although it is sometimes difficult to believe, there is actually a Grand Plan for the Moseley Railway Trust's Apedale site. Phase One was to build the Apedale Valley Light Railway as far as Apedale Road - this was opened to the public in August 2010. Phase Two is the building of the National Industrial Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. Fundraising for the Museum has been somewhat challenging - thanks in no small measure to the activities of Fred the Shred and his pals. Anyway, we've scraped together the cash to at least begin the foundations. The contractors have arrived on site to begin driving the steel piles into the ground which are needed due to the site being riddled with mine shafts and the like. The yellow machine they've been using has attracted some interest. Partially this is because we're all big kids at heart, but mainly because it was delivered by Thunderbird Two. Meanwhile, the running season on the AVLR has come to an end, giving us a much-needed break for track and vehicle maintenance. We will next be running for the public (and for a fat bloke in a red suit) in December - 10,11,17,18 to be precise. You can get full details of this here. As ever, get in touch here.

The beast awakens (or not)

With the museum site handed over to the pile driving contractors, the volunteers of the Moseley Railway Trust have taken cover with various workshop based activities. The War Department Light Railways Class "D" bogie wagon has been worked on, and completion is looking close. We have had a set of drop-sides for one of these wagons in store for some years. They were actually virtually the first things to ever arrive on site at Apedale. Hence they were now behind/underneath everything else on site, so extracting them from their storage hole was not the simplest job in the world. But once extracted, they fitted remarkably well, considering that they came from a completely different wagon - and they look the part as well.

Meanwhile, the 2011 entry in the "How many people can look at a Target Trolley" contest was well under way elsewhere. Despite the enormous array of engineering talent which had been deployed on the vehicle, it was looking distinctly dubious for an engine start when your writer drew stumps and went home. But, to be fair, it wasn't quite dark, and it is a well known fact that dubious petrol-driven rail vehicles can only ever operate after dark. Ask anyone who ever worked on the Baguley at Cadeby. The Target Trolley used to be at the Lydd ranges in Kent, and was initially preserved at Bala. There's a lot more information about this interesting little vehicle on the Bala Lake Railway's site here. Get in touch with us here.

No time for posing

A very busy weekend at Apedale has finally seen the site of the Museum building cleared in readiness for the arrival of the Pile Drivers. In preparation for what promises to be rather like something out of a Terminator film, we have had to move yet another container. Even heavier than the last, our more physics-minded member have a theory that they contain miniature blackholes. He has a particle accelerator in his garage, so he should know about these things. It was also necessary to partially demolish the edge of the "temporary" platform which has served us well for our first full season. Trains now stop adjacent to the station building, allowing our hoards of visitors some shelter from the sub-tropical weather for which Staffordshire is noted. The concrete sleepers have been quickly recycled into forming part of the retaining wall for the loco inspection pit project. As can be seen in the photo, the Forklift truck proved remarkably adept at demolition. Because we obviously weren't busy enough, we also took delivery of an ex-MoD van, and a Wickham Target Trolley. If you don't know what a Wickham Target Trolley is, you'll have to come along and have a look. Or you could get in touch here.

The Circle of Life

Whilst the next major stage of the Apedale development plan is due to start very shortly, there are a couple of projects that have recently completed. Last weekend provided an opportunity the show them off as part of our industrial trains weekend. Firstly, of course, the Kerr Stuart Joffre locomotive (No 3014 of 1916) had another opportunity to stretch its legs, this time paired with a couple of authentic World War One wagons. These were our Class H tank wagon and a newly-assembled Class D drop side wagon (although the latter has still to have its sides fitted). The weekend not only provided the last opportunity for visitors who could not make our gala weekend for whatever reason (North Wales Superpower indeed!) to see the new loco in action, but also allowed our staff a little bit more experience with some of the different aspects of its operation. One of these was the Detroit hydrostatic lubricator, an original fitting on this type of locomotive. Having located a suitable set of instructions for this and remanufactured some of the missing fittings, this magical device seemed to operate perfectly. This was probably a good thing as the non-original mechanical lubricator (known for their greater reliability) seemed to have stopped working altogether.

Additionally we took the opportunity on the Saturday to show off our newly-restored "Apedale Apprentice" wagons. These wagons, originally from ICI's Shevington explosives works, have been fully restored over the last few months by our junior members and were operated behind a 20DL Ruston locomotive from the same location. The photo shows two of the apprentices, Nathan and James, posing proudly next to their completed train set.


Next comes the rather more daunting project of constructing our museum building. If you fancy posing proudly next to this or another of our projects, we'd love to hear from you. Follow this link for details.

Finding the Floor

It's been a busy day down at the well-known October suntrap which is the Apedale Valley. Marking out the corners of the site for the new museum buildings, it was noticed that a group of containers were rather inconveniently stood in the middle of the site. With the remarkable foresight for which the Moseley Railway Trust is well-known, it was realised that this could make the pile-driving a tad challenging. So they had to move. Unfortunately, they were full of stored locomotives. So, we spent the day dragging a few of the more camera-shy members of the fleet out into the sunshine, only to dash their hopes of a quick restoration by putting them back into another container elsewhere on site. A Ruston's lot is not a happy one. The second container proved to be rather heavier than expected. It is suspected that the framework was built from depleted uranium. Interestingly, once moved, a huge source of cups and saucers was discovered, giving rise to the belief that the long-lost Apedale Tea Set Mine had been re-discovered. Apparently that's why the area is known as the Potteries. Next weekend, before we forget, will be your last chance to see the Kerr Stuart "Joffre" in steam - both Saturday & Sunday from 1100 ish - the last steam weekend before the December Santa freeze-fest. Get in touch here.

Moseley Railway Trust delighted with 2011 Gala

The Moseley Railway Trust is delighted to report on the success of the 2011 Gala. Visitor numbers exceeded those for the 2010 Grand Opening Weekend – more than a thousand people visited the 2’0” gauge Apedale Valley Light Railway during the weekend.

It appears that the unexpectedly good weather, combined with the Made in Staffordshire theme captured the public imagination. The Made in Staffordshire theme was reflected by the use of four Staffordshire built steam locomotives – two Apedale resident Kerr Stuarts, a Bagnall and a Hunslet built at Statfold. The Bagnall was
Isabel, visiting from the Amerton Farm railway, courtesy of the Staffordshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society. The Hunslet Engine company brought Statfold, a recently built locomotive to the Quarry Hunslet design. Last, but by no means least, Roy Etherington enthralled the crowds with the UK’s only compressed-air powered locomotive, named Sid. The MRT wishes to thank the owners and the crews of the visiting locomotives for their assistance and support.

Despite a few minor problems on the Saturday morning, the train service on the AVLR ran very well. Phil Robinson, the MRT’s Chairman said:- We were particularly pleased by the performance of the Kerr Stuart Joffre locomotive. This was the first time the locomotive had been steamed in public, and the first time it has hauled trains in the UK since leaving
Stoke-on-Trent in 1916. The Engineering Department have burnt much midnight oil on this project – they only finished testing the loco on the Friday before the Gala. With its distinctive spark arrestor chimney, the Joffre looked and sounded in fine fettle.

The profits raised from the Gala will be put towards the MRT’s next major project, which is to commence constructing the foundations on the museum of industrial narrow gauge railways.

The Apedale Valley Light Railway will operate every Saturday until the end of October, normally using diesel locomotives. However, on Saturday & Sunday 8th & 9th October, steam traction will be used. Subject to any problems, it is planned to steam both of the Kerr Stuart locomotives Stanhope and the Joffre. This will give the rare opportunity to see two Kerr Stuart locomotives in operation together, just a handful of miles from where they were built. It is expected that this will be last public steaming for the Joffre in 2011.

The AVLR will be operating steam-hauled Santa Specials on 10 & 11 December, and 17 & 18 December. Pre-booking is strongly recommended for these trains, and full details can be found here.

Let's hear it for the boys.....

Let's hear it for the boys - and the girls - who have worked so hard this weekend to make the Made in Staffordshire gala at Apedale such a success. It's sometimes hard to remember all the effort which goes on in the less glamorous parts of running an event such as this. So, to the people who made the tea, emptied the bins, marshalled the carparks, staffed the shop, drove the locos, pulled points, worked the PA and so on and so on - well done. But also give thanks to the team who work through the endless organisational issues - the form filling, the method statement writing, handling the booking forms, stamping the tickets just to name a few. We must also remember the exhibitors who brought their cherished vehicles, displays or model railways for our visitors to admire. Perhaps this year we should single out the Perkins Engines heritage group who brought an extremely impressive stand. We must also express our thanks to the owners of the visiting engines - the Staffordshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society for the Bagnall "Isabel", Statfold Barn for the Hunslet "Statfold" and Roy Etherington for the compressed air loco "Sid". Finally, we hope that everyone who came to see us enjoyed the weekend. If anyone has any ideas for next year's event, get in touch here.

End of Day One.....

At the end of Day One of the Made in Staffordshire Gala at the Apedale Valley Light Railway, there's a few aching limbs. Despite a few "challenges" early on in the day, the day got rapidly better and we believe that a good time was had by all. Including some of the working members. There's another day of this yet, and we'll be doing it all again from 1100 to 1700 on Sunday. So, don't miss out - we'd hate to see that - come along and see where it's all happening.

The day before they came

There's been a lot of hours out in at Apedale in the last few days, but it's looking good now for the Made in Staffordshire gala. All the visiting locos are on site - "Isabel", "Statfold" and "Sid". The new Kerr Stuart Joffre is now looking really quite good. To be honest, it's been rather touch and go with that loco, and things were not looking good at all on Thursday. However, the team have really pulled this project round, and the loco has been working well, sounding good and pulling hard today. It's passed the critical braking tests this evening, so barring any further problems, it will be in full use this weekend - first time steamed in public in preservation, and first time steamed in Staffordshire since leaving Stoke 95 years ago. The Made in Staffordshire gala is open 1100 to 1700 both days. Get in touch here - be seeing you??

A New Industrial Railway?

One of our members recently took the attached photograph, showing several wagons on typical roughly-laid peat works track. These types of temporary railways were once widespread in the UK, the peat industry often being the most haphazard, both in terms of trackwork and locomotives. Narrow gauge railways of this type continue to survive (just) to this day, primarily because peat bogs are unsuited to all but the most expensive of modern road and tracked vehicles. However, the photo is not quite what it seems. We have been busy creating the first stage of our planned "industrial demonstration railway" at Apedale. This will be used to show some of our exhibits in an environment representative of their former life. In this case the wagons are indeed from the peat industry, being some of those acquired from Midland Irish Peat earlier this year. The new industrial railway will be one of the attractions to view at our Gala next weekend 10-11 September. Of course, there'll be plenty more "made in Staffordshire" stuff to see, including our brand new station building and the debut of the restored Kerr Stuart Joffre locomotive, No 3014, together with visiting engines from Amerton and Statfold, model railways and other attractions. We are looking forward to showcasing some of our latest developments. See you there! Details here.

Happy Birthday

It's official. The Apedale Valley Light Railway is One today. We had our first day of passenger trains on August 21 last year - although we did sneak in a train the previous Saturday. So, the AVLR should be getting rid of its dummy, moving onto solid food, and seriously contemplating walking. Much has changed in what has been a very short year. Probably two of the main achievements have been the arrival of the Joffre steam loco, and the near completion of the station building. The photo shows where we were with the station last year. You can, of course, come along and see the progress we have made at the "Made in Staffordshire" September Gala - now just a couple of weeks away - September 10 & 11. All being well, the Joffre will be in operation and the station building will be open for business. There MAY still be time to get tickets in advance if you're quick - check here. Even if you can't get along the Gala, we running all three days over the bank holiday weekend, with steam on the Sunday & Monday. As ever, get in touch here.