Moseley Railway Trust announces ListerFest for 18 & 19 May 2024

The Moseley Railway Trust is proud to announce ListerFest! To be held over the weekend of 18 & 19 May 2024, this event will take place at the Trust’s Apedale Valley Light Railway. This 2’0” gauge railway is located at the Apedale Community Country Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. R A Lister & Co was an engineering company located at Dursley, Gloucestershire. They became well-known for the production of small internal combustion engines. The company branched out into industrial vehicles which used these engines. Initially, these were the road-based Auto-Truck and then the Rail Truck. These characterful little locomotives were noted for being lightweight, and they therefore found a particular niche in industrial use. Some of the very last locomotives to be used on industrial narrow gauge railways in the UK were of Lister manufacture. ListerFest will celebrate all things Lister! Inevitably, there will be a focus on Rail Trucks, but the event will showcase the vast variety of machines of all shapes and sizes which came out of the factory. As a starting point, the Moseley Railway Trust already has four operational Lister locomotives in the collection at Apedale – the fourth being Lister 52031 of 1960, which has been recently subject to a thorough restoration, and was launched into service at Apedale during the “Anything Goes” event of 24 & 25 June. The Trust invites owners of anything Lister, but most especially Rail Trucks, to get in touch to register interest in attending. 

Exhibit entry forms here (Word) and here (pdf).

Update – Feb 2024:- The fares for this event will be £8 adults, £4 children, £18 family. Standard fares include site admission and a single train ride. Day Rover tickets are available, £25 adults, £15 children, £55 family. HRA passes etc are NOT valid at this event.

We are also delighted to welcome a large number of Lister Autotrucks, a Lister diesel roller and many stationary engines! But plenty of space for more – so please download and complete entry forms.

Update – April 2024

The current list of expected visiting locomotives is as follows (in works number order, where known):

Lister 3834 c/o Mr Brian Faulkner (this is a tentative attendee currently)

Lister 4088 c/o Abbey Pumping Station Museum, Leicester

Lister 7280A c/o Mr Neil Clayton. It is hoped a second loco from Mr Clayton’s collection will attend.

Lister 8022 c/o Mr Brian Faulkner 

Lister 11410 c/o Mr Rick Stewart

Lister 14005 “Steam Tram” c/o Tanat Valley Railway, Rich Morris Collection. Static exhibit.

Lister 28890 c/o Mr Alan Frodsham

Lister 33650 c/o Mr Brian Faulkner 

Lister 34521 c/o The Amberley Museum rail group

Lister 34523 c/o North Gloucestershire Railway, Toddington

Lister 39005 c/o Tanat Valley Railway, Rich Morris Collection. 

Lister 41803 c/o Mr Colin Copcutt

Lister Blackstone 51651 c/o Mr Ian Hughes

Lister Blackstone 54181 c/o Mr Gareth Rees

Lister Blackstone 56371 c/o Mr Brian Faulkner 

Lister-engined Ruston 166010 c/o Mr Martin O’Keefe

In addition, resident Listers 50888, 52031, 52610 and 52885 are expected to be operating, along with Lister-engined Keef No.4. Lister 52528 is a long-term restoration project, but will be on display. Discussions continue with several other loco owners.

On each day, the first train will be at 10:00. Between 10:00 and 11:30, the passenger trains will be operated by combinations of Lister locos. From 1130 until 1400, trains will alternate between Lister traction and steam loco “Stanhope”. Between 14:00 and 15:00, there will be a Grand Parade of Listers around the Field. Between 15:00 and 16:00, Lister passenger trains will alternate with “Stanhope”. Between 16:00 and 17:00, Listers will again haul the passenger train exclusively. After 17:00 on Saturday, we’ll probably do something special – but that will be planned nearer the time. Conscious that many locos have not been seen in public for some years, and certainly have not hauled a passenger train, we will attempt to ensure that every loco has at least one trip on the passenger train during the weekend. The exact order will depend on locos passing Fitness to Run exams and their haulage capabilities being assessed. We will try to publish a loco vs train times schedule nearer the time – but this is likely to be on Friday 17th!