Happy New Year

Happy New Year from the Moseley Railway Trust! 2016 has certainly been a year to remember, some good things, some less agreeable things. We have finished 2016 with a private charter for a family gathering - what better way to see the year out than a gentle trundle on a 2'0" gauge train? There's lot to anticipate in 2017 at Apedale. The May gala - 13 and 14 May - is shaping up to be a cracking event; more details will be announced in the new few weeks. We will be starting a new loco restoration project soon - again, more details in due course, but the photo is a pretty big clue. Hopefully, the FR coach will be in traffic for the start of the season. But don't forget that we do lots of little projects along with the big ticket items; one such is the restoration of a Hudson wagon from RAF Fauld. It was once, many years ago, used in the passenger train at Cadeby - it's the wagon next to the steam loco in the black and white photo. The intervening years have not been kind to the woodwork, but the underlying structure looks sound. So, keep looking in here, and we will try to keep you informed about goings on down the Apedale Valley.

Christmas Quiz 2016

OK, folks, here it is. Your challenge this year is related to stations and other railway-related locations. For each location, you need to determine if it is real or fictional. 

If you think it's a real place, tell us where it is located (with some degree of accuracy). Extra points will be allocated for wit and verve rather than obsessive accuracy. 

If, on the other hand, you think it’s a fictitious location – then in what film/book/song does it exist? Again, correct amusing answers will score higher than correct dull answers.

So, for example, Apedale Road is a REAL station and is one terminus of the Apedale Valley Light Railway.

The vast majority of the locations are in the UK (note careful choice of words).

As noted above, extra points will be allocated to amusing and educational answers; this therefore makes the concept of “winning” rather an arbitrary one, which is the way it is intended to be and hence differentiates this quiz from the Boxing Day game of Monopoly. OK? Brace yourselves:-

     1.  North Pole

2. Lake, The Lake and Lakeside Loop (three places)

3. Crouch End

4.    Hobbs End 

5.    West Ashfield  

Bonus question:- 4 & 5 can be found in close proximity. Where?

6.    Junction Road Junction

7.    North Haverbrook (bit of a clue - not actually a railway as such....)

8.    Westbourne Oak

9.    Mobil Avenue

10. Bungalow

11. Gorsafawddacha'idraigodanheddogleddollônpenrhynareurdraethceredigion

Bonus question:- What would this score in Scrabble?

12. Milford

13. Hatley

14. Hollerton Junction (which is also served by which heritage railway?)

15. Grumbly

16. Pen Cob

17. Decoy

18. Arlesburgh West 

19. Vauxhall Cross

20. Mornington Crescent

Answers will be published here in a couple of weeks time. Exam papers may be e-mailed to info@mrt.org.uk or to Mr L's e-mail address for those who know it. Good luck!

Santa Restrospect

Well, folks, that's pretty much the Santa Season wrapped up for 2016 - not quite, as we have a charter day later this week for local schools. It's been by far our busiest Santa Season ever, with the trains sold out, and a few additionals crammed in where we can. We've moved well over 2000 people, which ain't bad for a little railway with little coaches! We have checked with Santa and reviewed his log sheets for the weekend, and can therefore confirm that a record 98.7% of children seen were on the Nice List. And he thinks the remaining 1.3% can redeem themselves this week if they try hard.

Certainly on the Nice List are all the people of the Moseley Railway Trust who make all this happen. It's worth taking a moment to remember the people who are on site at 0615 each morning to get the steam loco from the shed and light the fire. And the people still locking up late in the evening. The shop staff who are front and centre with all our visitors. The people who spend the day inflating balloons which are treasured by young ones. The team who designed and created the best-ever Grotto. The Guards and traincrew, and those who restore and maintain the trains and tracks. Did I mention those who spend every evening doing admin work? So, to you all - WELL DONE and HAPPY CHRISTMAS. When you get bored with watching Mary Poppins for the nth time in ITV4, have a look at the MRT Christmas Quiz which will be appearing here in just a moment.....

Santa - First Weekend

We've completed the first weekend of the Santa Campaign at Apedale - lots of visitors, lots of presents distributed by Santa, and hopefully lots of children going home and trying ESPECIALLY HARD to be good between now and Christmas. Our volunteers will now be going home for a well earned break - but we're back on the case next weekend, with a couple of mid-week charters for school parties thrown in for good measure. Many thanks to everyone who came along, and we look forward to next weekend's guests.