Le Grand Arrive

In celebration of the visit of the Tour de France to Yorkshire, the members of the Moseley Railway Trust have spent the day dressed from head to toe in Lycra. That's got your attention, hasn't it? But what we have seen is the arrival of a rather large French wagon. Intended as a companion for the "Joffre" steam loco, this is a French military railway "Pechot" wagon. It was obtained from the Chanteraines group in Paris. Apparently it was used at a concrete works prior to preservation., and has been subject to extensive restoration off-site prior to arrival at Apedale. It is now, by some margin, the oldest railway vehicle on site - dating from 1888 or 1889, depending on where you look. It says a lot for the foresight of the French military that they were building equipment like this when the British still regarded the pack animal as quite advanced. Or, perhaps, reeling from the right old kicking in the Franco-Prussian was of the 1870s, the French had learned some hard lessons. Regardless of the wider historical context, it looks good and will hopefully be an attraction for the Tracks to the Trenches event in September (have we mentioned that recently)? As ever, get in touch here.