Moseley Railway Trust
Encyclopedia
The Moseley Railway Trust is a major British
collection of industrial
narrow gauge locomotive
s and other equipment. It originally had its base in south Manchester
, but has completely relocated to the Apedale Country Park
near Newcastle-under-Lyme
, Staffordshire
where a passenger railway is now open and important museum is being established.
Moseley Railway Trust has completed construction of Phase 1 of the "Apedale Valley Light Railway", which opened to public passenger trains during July 2010. Plans for the large new museum building have been approved by the Local Council and it is intended that some construction will commence during 2011.
It is planned that there will eventually be an industrial demonstration railway line running around the perimeter of the MRT/Apedale Heritage Centre site, connecting with a recreation of an adit
called No 7 Drift (from which coal
was extracted by the previous occupiers of the site, the Aurora Mining Company, until around 1996).
, near Manchester, where it operated a two foot gauge railway (the Moseley Tramway), using the Museum's collection of ex-industrial locomotives. During 2007, the collection was swelled by the amalgamation of many items from the former Cadeby Rectory Railway
which arrived directly to the Apedale site.
Construction of the first phase of the Trust's major museum & railway project at the Apedale Country Park
adjacent to the existing Apedale Heritage Centre is now complete, with the first passengers being carried during the latter half of the 2010 Season. Also due for construction is a significant museum and separate non-passenger railway to display its collection of industrial narrow gauge equipment that has been gathered from various industries around the UK over the last 30 years. Please watch the The Moseley Railway Trust website for the latest developments!
The new railway is called the Apedale Valley Light Railway (AVLR), being operated by the Moseley Railway Trust.
Currently there are a small number of other locomotives on display within the Apedale Heritage Centre
, whilst the railway & museum are developed.
Apedale is also the base for the Trust's large collection of petrol and diesel-powered narrow gauge locomotives.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
collection of industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
narrow gauge locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and other equipment. It originally had its base in south Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, but has completely relocated to the Apedale Country Park
Apedale Community Country Park
Apedale Community Country Park is a 454 [154ha] acre country park in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. The park is unusual for the area as it was previously as an opencast mine....
near Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
where a passenger railway is now open and important museum is being established.
Moseley Railway Trust has completed construction of Phase 1 of the "Apedale Valley Light Railway", which opened to public passenger trains during July 2010. Plans for the large new museum building have been approved by the Local Council and it is intended that some construction will commence during 2011.
It is planned that there will eventually be an industrial demonstration railway line running around the perimeter of the MRT/Apedale Heritage Centre site, connecting with a recreation of an adit
Adit
An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...
called No 7 Drift (from which coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was extracted by the previous occupiers of the site, the Aurora Mining Company, until around 1996).
Overview
Until 2007, the Trust's collection had been storage (since 1998) having been forced to vacate its site at CheadleCheadle, Greater Manchester
Cheadle is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It borders the districts of Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Heald Green and Cheadle Heath in Stockport, and the East Didsbury area of Manchester. As of 2001 it had a population of 14,261.-Early history:There has...
, near Manchester, where it operated a two foot gauge railway (the Moseley Tramway), using the Museum's collection of ex-industrial locomotives. During 2007, the collection was swelled by the amalgamation of many items from the former Cadeby Rectory Railway
Cadeby Light Railway
The Cadeby Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in the garden of the rectory in Cadeby, Leicestershire.In the early 1960s the Reverend Teddy Boston became rector of All Saints' Church, Cadeby. Boston was a lifelong railway enthusiast and wanted to build a miniature railway in his new garden,...
which arrived directly to the Apedale site.
Construction of the first phase of the Trust's major museum & railway project at the Apedale Country Park
Apedale Community Country Park
Apedale Community Country Park is a 454 [154ha] acre country park in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. The park is unusual for the area as it was previously as an opencast mine....
adjacent to the existing Apedale Heritage Centre is now complete, with the first passengers being carried during the latter half of the 2010 Season. Also due for construction is a significant museum and separate non-passenger railway to display its collection of industrial narrow gauge equipment that has been gathered from various industries around the UK over the last 30 years. Please watch the The Moseley Railway Trust website for the latest developments!
The new railway is called the Apedale Valley Light Railway (AVLR), being operated by the Moseley Railway Trust.
Locomotives
The Trust has several steam locomotives in its collection - including :- Kerr StuartKerr StuartKerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner...
Tattoo class 0-4-2ST Stanhope (works number 2395 of 1917), currently used to haul passenger trains on the AVLR. - Kerr Stuart Joffre class 0-6-0T (works number 3014 of 1916) from the WW1World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
trench railways in France, currently under restoration off-site - expected during 2011. - Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
0-6-0WT locomotive (works number 1238 of 1916) repatriated from Ghana during 2008, which will be the subject of a full restoration off-site commencing in February 2010 and planned to complete during 2012. - HunsletHunslet Engine CompanyThe Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
War Office class 4-6-0T (works number 1215 of 1916), another World War I trench railway locomotive repatriated from Australia; currently based at Apedale while a restoration plan is worked out.
Currently there are a small number of other locomotives on display within the Apedale Heritage Centre
Apedale Heritage Centre
The Apedale Heritage Centre was created at the site of Staffordshire's Apedale Mine and is run by volunteers. It is located just outside the village of Chesterton near Newcastle-under-Lyme in the Apedale Community Country Park....
, whilst the railway & museum are developed.
Apedale is also the base for the Trust's large collection of petrol and diesel-powered narrow gauge locomotives.
See also
- British narrow gauge railwaysBritish narrow gauge railwaysThere were more than a thousand British narrow gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways...
- West Lancashire Light RailwayWest Lancashire Light RailwayThe West Lancashire Light Railway operates at Hesketh Bank, situated between Preston and Southport in North West England. The Railway is narrow gauge and has a running length of . The full line is longer than this however it follows a ledge above the old clay pit which is narrow enough to prohibit...
- former home of Stanhope - Apedale Country ParkApedale Community Country ParkApedale Community Country Park is a 454 [154ha] acre country park in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. The park is unusual for the area as it was previously as an opencast mine....
- The home of the Moseley Railway Trust & the Apedale Valley light Railway