Moseley Trust 50th anniversary - September 21 & 22

The Moseley Railway Trust will be entering its second half century in 2019! Way back in 1969, a school teacher had the idea of building a railway as an educational project. The school was at Cheadle, near Stockport. The first railway consisted of a few yards of track, a tramcar converted from a wagon used at a brickworks, and a horse called “Tim” who provided the motive power. The railway moved to another, nearby, school in 1970.


The intervening years have seen a rollercoaster ride - and not just from the state of the track laid on the school playing fields! The school railway closed in 1998, and the organisation subsequently re-located to Staffordshire and created today’s Apedale Valley Light Railway.

The Trust will mark its golden anniversary with a major event at Apedale on September 21 and 22. Highlights will include at least one visiting steam locomotive – a Stafford-built Bagnall named “Kidbrooke” and the debut of 2017-built steam loco “Edgar” on passenger services. For one weekend only, and subject to completion of the necessary approvals work, visitors will be able to ride on the normally non-passenger Field Railway. This operation will aim to re-create the experience of passenger trains back at the School railway in Cheadle – small diesel locos hauling coaches converted from industrial wagons.

Negotiations are also continuing to bring a further, very special, guest loco to the event.

MRT50 will take place on September 21 and 22. The event will be open from 1030 until last admission at 4pm. Admission will be £6 adults, £3 children. Further details will be published, when available, on the Trust’s website at www.avlr.org.uk and on the MRT Facebook page.