Author Archives: Simon Lomax

We have now completed two weekends of practice, familiarisation and re-assessment for re-opening to the public on August 1st. All of our crews have had to get used to a rather different way of working, with new habits to be learnt. Everyone has risen to the challenge, and we’re all now very much looking forward […]

We will re-open to the public on Saturday 1st August. During August, we will operate on every Saturday, plus Sunday 9th, Bank Holiday Sunday 30th and Bank Holiday Monday 31st. We expect to run a similar service in September – Saturdays plus Sunday 13th. Steam trains will run on August 8 & 9, plus the […]

The Apedale Valley Light Railway is now working towards the day when we can welcome visitors to the site again. We are planning that day to be Saturday 1st August. Please keep an eye on this website or on the Facebook page for details of exactly which days we will operate. Inevitably, there will be […]

Moseley Railway Trust recovers equipment from Great Britain’s last peat works railway The Moseley Railway Trust has recovered all of the remaining locomotives, wagons and track from Great Britain’s last peat works railway. The railway served workings on Lindow Moss, near Wilmslow. This location made national headlines in 1984 when the well-preserved remains of an […]

Please forgive a blatant advert, but you may wish to be aware that the Moseley Railway Trust on-line book store is now open. Our supremely trained virtual shop assistants are stood behind the perspex screen and insisting that you take a step backwards. You can enter the cornucopia of goodness here: https://avlr.org.uk/books. At this time, […]

Thanks for looking in. Just to clarify, the Apedale Valley Light Railway remains closed to the public, including non-working Trust members. Some work is taking place on site, but that work is subject to very close controls to ensure that we remain a COVID-secure workplace. At the stage, events from August onwards remain in the […]

This weekend should have been our annual gala, which would have marked the 10th anniversary of the start of train services on the Apedale Light Railway. Sadly, not to be. So, we thought it might be interesting to post photos showing the very beginnings of the AVLR from 2007 to opening in 2010. With the […]

In more normal times, this weekend would have been spent in frantic preparation for the 10th anniversary gala. A highlight of the weekend would have included cleaning the shed floor, ready for its re-use as the display area for model railways, trade stands and the MRT Tea Stall. Sadly, none of that will happen. So, […]

Today we head south. 1984, and this is a contract which was underway to expand the BR tunnel just London side of Southampton station. I believe the objective was to clear the route for 8’0″ containers. Ironically, the job has been repeated in recent years, this time to accomodate 9’6″ containers – just shows how […]

Today, we visit a location which has become a bit of a legend. RAF Fauld, the location of the UK’s largest-ever explosion.The site was storing large amounts of munitions in what was basically a converted gypsum quarry. In November 1944, a significant quantity of those munitions exploded, taking away a farm and around 70 lives. […]