MRT acquires WW1 Water Tank

The Moseley Railway Trust have just taken delivery of a former WW1 narrow gauge railway watertank. This water tank wagon, currently devoid of an underframe and bogies, was originally classified in military service as a "Class H" for use behind the trenches during the First World War on the extensive 60cm trench railways built by the British.

The French, American & German armies too used similar 60cm gauge systems, and these short-lived "supply lines" helped preserve the bloody stalemate in that conflict, bring supplies up to the front line, shells to the guns and taking wounded to the rear. Water tanks such as this one would have been used to provide potable water for troops and animals, as well as water for cooking, washing, steam engine boilers etc in the dryer areas of France and Belgium. After WW1, this tank wagon was purchased by W Dennis & Sons along with much other material for the extensive 60cm rail system at their farming estates in Lincolnshire. The tank, devoid of its underframe and wheels saw out it's days as a large water butt for fire fighting purposes, and its recent delivery to MRT represents the culmination of over 4 years work and negotiation.

Utilising a pair of standard WDLR bogies acquired on behalf of MRT several years ago and the construction of a new wagon mainframe, it is intended to reconstruct this historic piece of rolling stock which will be unique in the UK. Of all narrow gauge military railway rolling stock in WW1, these watertanks were the only known vehicles to carry camouflage livery!

MRT Announces New Site

Moseley Railway Trust is pleased to announce that its 6-year search for a permanent new site is over. Following the removal of the former Moseley Tramway from the grounds of Ridge-Danyers Tertiary College in Cheadle, Stockport, the Moseley Industrial Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Trust Ltd was incorporated on 21st April 1998. The Trust’s collection of around 40 narrow gauge industrial locomotives and extensive collection of rolling stock has since been in storage at its restoration site at Buxworth near Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, during which time a number of important restoration projects have been completed. The most visible of these has been the WW1 Protected Simplex (on long-term loan from Leeds Museums and Galleries) restored in conjunction with the Channel 4 TV Series ‘Salvage Squad’.

An initial approach by the Trustees of the Apedale Heritage Centre near Newcastle-under-Lyme was made early in 2003, and agreement has now been reached to provide a new home there for the Moseley Railway Trust’s (MRT) museum and railway. The Apedale Heritage Centre (AHC) is run by the Apedale Heritage Trust, which is supported by Newcastle Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council; all three organisations have been most helpful in the negotiations. The AHC was created on the site of Apedale Mine, one of the last working coal mines in Staffordshire. Visitors to the Centre can take a tour of part of the former mine, and learn about mining and local industry in the Museum. There is also a café and the usual visitor facilities. Earlier in 2004, four MRT narrow gauge locomotives including an ex-mines locomotive were moved to the Apedale Heritage Centre and placed on display in the Museum there.

Central to the project has been the acquisition of land adjacent to the Heritage Centre, made possible by a joint purchase between the MRT and the Apedale Heritage Trust. Once the last formalities of the purchase have been completed, the Trust’s collection will be moved to Apedale. The Trust’s plans are already well advanced to construct a short running line of about 500 yards from the Heritage Centre towards Apedale Road. The formal planning application and line construction, estimated to take about 18 months from arrival on site at Apedale, will provide a passenger service along the edge of Apedale Country Park commencing sometime during 2006, and the Trust already has sufficient track materials to realise this objective. In parallel with this, the Trust will start work on planning for a museum to house the collection and display it to the public. It is expected that grant applications will be made to support this project, with construction work on the Museum starting by the end of 2006.

The Trust is pleased to recognise the help provided by the Trustees and others from the Apedale Heritage Centre, and officers from Staffordshire County Council, especially Steve Morris, and Joe Berman from Newcastle Borough Council in making this project a reality.

MRT Locomotives on display

Moseley Railway Trust has now installed the first part of a display at the Apedale Heritage Centre in Newcastle Under Lyme representing aspects of industrial Narrow Gauge Railways. The Heritage Centre, dedicated to the industrial history of the Apedale Valley near Chesterton, approached the Trust last year with a request to present a display on industrial narrow gauge railways since the Apedale site, a former colliery, had it's own 2-foot gauge system used during coal extraction from a drift mine up until closure by the NCB in November 1969. Subsequent mining operations continued until 1989 and also used short railway lines, and the Heritage Centre now contains displays on aspects of the mining heritage of the area including a Roman display, mining artifacts and the re-recreation of the interior of a miners cottage. Visitors are able to take a guided underground tour to see for themselves the conditions under which miners once worked with former miners as guides. Situated adjacent to the Apedale Country Park, the Centre is also used as a base for visitors wishing to spend time in peace away from the hubbub of the surrounding area. Refreshments and snacks are available, as well as a gift shop. The Heritage Centre is open to the public at weekends and bank holidays throughout the year.

The first phase of the MRT display at Apedale consists of a First World War 20HP petrol engined Simplex Locomotive builders no 1111 of 1918, and a former 28HP mines diesel locomotive built by The Hunslet Engine Co in 9056 from 1982. The 20HP Simplex was built to transport war material from dumps at main line railheads to the front line trenches, and was one of 746 of this type built by the Motor Rail & Tramcar Co of Bedford. The Hunslet mines locomotive displayed represents a type commonly found both underground and on the surface from the 1960's onwards and this example dates from 1982, having worked at RJB Mining at Calverton in Nottinghamshire. The locomotive is flame-proofed, allowing it to work safely underground, and is paired with an underground explosives store wagon which was used to store and transport blasting material to locations where it was needed underground. Both displays are on a short section of rail, with backdrops and photographs used to interpret the history and locations in which these loco's worked.

Two further locomotives will be installed in an extension to the display later in the year.

Apedale Heritage Centre, Loomer Road, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, ST5-7RR

1918 World War1 Motor Rail in 1-hour prime-time television programme.

The Channel 4 television program, Salvage Squad, in association with the Moseley Railway Trust have fully restored former World War 1 Motor Rail loco – LR3090 in just 3 months.

In what is thought to be a first for television, the Moseley Railway Trust & Salvage Squad, have undertaken the full restoration of former WW1 & Knostrop Sewage Works narrow gauge ‘Protected’ Motor Rail (MR1369 of 1918) locomotive. The hour-long programme, due to be screened in early 2003, will follow the full restoration process over a 3-month period at the premises of Dorothea Restorations in Derbyshire.

The petrol-engined machine (commonly known as a ‘Tin Turtle’), on permanent loan from Leeds Industrial Museum, had not operated since the early 1960’s when it was withdrawn from service. In 1980 this loco, in remarkably original condition, passed to Leeds Museum where it was to spend a further 15 years on static display. Acquired for eventual restoration by the Moseley Railway Trust, the machine arrived in 1995 in time for display at its Military Gala. Following the Moseley Railway Trust’s removal from the Cheadle site, this project was classed as low priority. The Trust’s current Buxworth restoration base is tackling more practical equipment in preparation for developing a railway at a new permanent home.

In early 2002 the Moseley Railway Trust were approached by Wall-to-Wall Television, makers of the Salvage Squad programme, to provide a suitable project. This resulted in the former WW1 locomotive being selected over 2 other Trust engines.

Although in substantially original condition, the locomotive was robbed for spares to keep its sister running whilst at Knostrop Sewage works. Amongst other things, this has resulted in the whole of the ignition system (carburettor, magneto, etc) having to be replaced with the correct pattern parts. Thanks are due to Mike Hart of the Ffestiniog Railway Heritage group, for provision of a very valuable source of engine spares.

Restored to original WW1 condition, this locomotive took part in a special Memorial Day on 11th November 2002, on one of the few surviving remnants of the WW1 light railway system in France; CF Cappy-Froissy-Dompierre (APPEVA).

Having arrived back in the UK again, the locomotive has returned to its berth in the Moseley Railway Trust’s Buxworth workshops. Hopes are high that the restored locomotive will make several working visits to UK Heritage railways in 2003.

For further information please visit either the Moseley Railway Trust homepage (www.mrt.org.uk) or the dedicated website for the ‘Tin Turtle’ (www.tinturtle.info)