The Apedale Valley Light Railway has recently branched out in a new and exciting direction - signalling. Signals on narrow gauge railways are a controversial area - some like them, other see them as one stop away from a pit of Hell. However, nonetheless, the AVLR now has one signal post. Before we start getting strongly-worded e-mails from ORR, perhaps I should clarify that this signal is not actually particularly close to the railway, and is in fact purely cosmetic. The aim is to make the railway more visible to the hoards of punters strolling round the Apedale Community Country Park wondering how they can spend their hard-earned cash on a transport-related entertainment. In a classic piece of railway re-cycling, the signal and its components are on at least their third home. The post is ex-Midland main line, then the Cadeby Light Railway, and now Apedale. The hardware and arm are Great Northern Railway, from Leicester Belgrave Road, and then Cadeby. Yes, we do know that GNR equipment is fairly inappropriate for a site in North Staffordshire, next to a North Staffordshire Railway station building. However, it's a nice, compact signal, and we don't have an NSR signal. So there. The second picture shows the signal at Cadeby, being passed by "Isabel", visiting from Amerton. In a curious non-coincidence, "Isabel" will also be visiting us at Apedale for our "Made in Staffordshire" gala, on the 10&11th of September. Get in touch here with offers of signalling hardware or to point out other historical anomalies on the site.
