We've had quite a few posts on here about progress on the restoration of the Moseley Railway Trust's diesel Hudswell - but it's been a while since we have heard of the steam Hudswell. This loco, imported from Ghana in 2008, has been out of the public eye for some considerable time. It has been away from the Apedale site undergoing the major overhaul required to return it to steam. This restoration has recently taken a major step forward with the delivery of the new boiler. As can be seen the loco is almost unrecognisable from the rather challenging project which we found in Africa. Last weekend, a Works Open Day was held for Trust members to see how far the loco has progressed. It wasn't quite like a traditional Railway Works Open Day as apparently there was no stall selling railway videos and the Works brass band hadn't turned up. Despite these flaws, a good number of members made the visit, and everyone seems to have left well impressed. The Hudswell is very much on the last leg of the restoration journey now, and - barring disasters - we should see it hauling trains at Apedale during 2014. Keep watching here for more news on this, and get in touch here.
