Moreton Park Railway
Sunday 14th May 2017
Even though this was our 10th visit to the railway at Moreton-on-Lugg (between Hereford and Leominster) there were a total of 50 participants. It was a particular honour to have our Founding Member, John Ling, in attendance for the usual comprehensive railtour. The locos used were 03 145 and D2578 (D2302 posed for photographs). BLN 1266.218 (7 Feb 2015) had a plan of this interesting 1m 22ch branch and the associated lines. In 1942 the former Moreton-on-Lugg Royal Army Ordnance Corps Depot was one of the first built by the Americans and stored surplus materials (including the decorations from the 1969 investiture of the Prince of Wales!). It was used for the SAS to 'train' on old railway stock - once former Merseyside EMU carriages.
40 members had a visit to the railway in its MoD incarnation on 15 Mar 1981, arranged by your BLN Editor. The depot and railway closed in the late 1990s. Now there is usually at least one outward stone train for Tarmac daily, sometimes two and they can even run at weekends. Destinations include Radlett, Hayes & Harlington, Elstow (near Bedford), Hothfield (near Ashford) and Acton. The aggregate (200,000 tonnes per year) comes in by road from Gore Quarry (ironically by the former Dolyhir station, CG from Kington 9 Jun 1958) on the New Radnor branch (CG past Dolyhir 31 Dec 1951). The D2578 Locomotive Group is based at Moreton Park with access to all the lines up to the NR boundary.
Titley Junction Railway
Sunday 14th May 2017
53 participants met for 14.00 where once four rural railways also met at Titley Junction, our 5th visit to The Kingfisher Line which, at ¾ mile, is Herefordshire's longest standard gauge heritage railway. D2158 (03 158), initially hauled DMU car W51412, with the green (ex-Droitwich Underwoods Coal Depot) loco on a brake van, later replaced by the Class 03. The Thomas Hill blue loco hauled the Lomac on the two 'siding shuttles' with the usual comprehensive cover. Of note, since our previous visits the carriages had been moved off the two platform roads so these were available right up to the buffer stops for the first time; the sleeping car is now in the dock and the observation saloon has gone. The comprehensive visit was enhanced by the famous Titley homemade cakes and drinks at this delightful rural location.
Many thanks to our local member Stephen Phillips for the excellent arrangements at both railways. Some fine pictures https://goo.gl/8VkCwW of the previous May 2015 visit to the locations.
