The Moseley Railway Trust has been making strong progress on developing the new museum at its Apedale, Staffordshire, site. Planned to open in 2026, the museum has now reached the “topping-out” stage – the traditional moment when the building has reached its maximum vertical extent. The museum will complement the existing Apedale Valley Light Railway (AVLR), a narrow gauge railway operated by the Trust using historic steam and diesel locomotives.
To mark this achievement, the Trust was delighted to host Councillor Robert Bettley-Smith, the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Mayoress, Mrs Judy Bettley-Smith to the site on Saturday 1st November. The Mayor said:
“I am delighted to be here today celebrating the topping-out ceremony of the new museum building for the Moseley Railway Trust. What has been achieved here is truly amazing, as are their plans for the future. The museum, which I believe will be world class, will be a centre of excellence for the study and display of narrow gauge railways.”
He went on to say:
“We are just so fortunate to have the AVLR in our Borough as, apart from the proposed world class museum, the railway already offers rides and entertainment for families in a country park setting. I attended their military weekend in the summer and their Halloween event last night, both of which I really enjoyed. My Grandson, and his mother, enjoyed the Teddy Bears outing earlier in the year and we are looking forward to the Santa Specials in December.”
Simon Lomax, acting co-chair of the Moseley Railway Trust, said “We still have a lot of work to do to transform this building into an actual museum. Some of that work is physical, but much is to harness the creativity and insights of our membership to bring this project to life. We are actively seeking the support of local businesses and our local supporters to complete this transformational project“.
The railway museum at Apedale is planned to open in 2026; the Trust is actively seeking donations and other support to ensure that the fitting-out process can be carried out to the highest possible standards, producing an end-product which will enhance the whole area and add significantly to the visitor proposition for this part of Staffordshire.
