The Moseley Railway Trust is delighted to announce that it has secured planning consent for the development of its new site at the Apedale Heritage Centre, Newcastle Under Lyme.
At a planning meeting on 30th August, Newcastle Borough Council gave approval for the Moseley Railway Trust to start implementing its ambitious plans. These plans include:-
a.. A 2’0” gauge railway, just over a mile in length, from the Apedale Heritage Centre, running into the adjacent Country Park. b.. Outline planning consent for a spacious new museum building, in which the Moseley Railway Trust’s collection of narrow gauge locomotives, wagons and other artefacts will be put on display. c.. A new storage building to house most of the Trust’s collection of around 60 locomotives. d.. Redevelopment of the existing mine buildings at Apedale to provide workshop and other facilities. Phil Robinson, chairman of the Moseley Railway Trust said “It has always been the vision of the MRT to develop the UK’s premier museum of narrow gauge railways. Gaining planning consent for Apedale is a significant step towards delivering this vision. The hard work now starts, as we have huge challenges in raising the funds to implement our plans, and to construct our railway and other projects”.The new 2’0” gauge railway will be built in phases with the initial phase consisting of about 500 metres from the Apedale Heritage Centre to Apedale Road. It is hoped that construction of this phase will be sufficiently advanced to permit a public open day during the summer of 2007. Full opening of the first phase for public operation, dependant on the HMRI approval, is anticipated around the end of 2007.
The Moseley Railway Trust have been on site for some months since securing a land purchase of the site at Apedale. Thus far, activities have been limited on the site, although a number of locomotives are stored at Apedale and several have been run there. Occasional opportunity has been taken to lay temporary track and run a loco and wagons for a few yards as seen in the pictures. Please note that visitors intending to come to Apedale should confirm (via website www.mrt.org.uk) what activities are taking place on site prior to a visit to avoid disappointment.
