Are the best trips the ones you wish you hadn't booked for? I had my name down for the afternoon Apedale railtour, a railway I had never visited, when along came the opportunity to add Amerton. I'd been there several times before, even taking my brother and his wife when they were over from Australia. Adding the morning at Amerton will make a good day of it, I thought. Then I discovered that it was Mother's Day!!

The Amerton story started with 'Isabel'. Bagnall's of Stafford built this 2ft gauge saddle tank in 1897 for Cliffe Hill Quarry near Coalville and she was named after the daughter of the quarry owner. For 49 years, she moved granite before spending seven years rusting. Then in 1953, she was brought back to Stafford to be restored by Bagnall's apprentices and plinthed at their works. English Electric took over Bagnall's in 1961 and Isabel moved to a plinth in Victoria Park, across the road from Stafford station.

Local enthusiasts took pity on her in the 1980s and, with help from Stafford Borough Council, spent years restoring her. But the loco needed a home to show off the significant railway past of Stafford. By 1990, agreement had been reached with Amerton Farm, halfway between Stafford and Uttoxeter, for a 2ft gauge railway to be built. A quarter of a mile was operating by 1992, and a three road shed had been constructed. That has grown to a 1,400yd circuit. Chartley station (formerly Stowe) was just along the road on the Great Northern Railway line to Stafford. It had closed to passengers in 1939 and to all traffic in 1951 with the signalling removed in 1953. Amazingly, in 1957 an SLS enthusiasts' special was allowed to run from Stafford up to the disconnected Bromshall Jn (between Uttoxeter and Blythe Bridge) and back again. Beat that, Kev! The GNR bought the line for £100,000 in a bid to reach Wales by linking to the 'Potts', the venue for our Society visit the next Saturday (Tanat Valley Light Railway).

Chartley platform shelter was gifted and is fully restored at Amerton. Also here is the signal box from Waterhouses at the start of the Leek & Manifold Light Railway, which used to control both the gauges there. That too is lovingly restored and will soon operate the ground frame at Amerton.

The group, well, almost all of the 18 booked (another 18 visited in the afternoon after Apedale), met here at 10.30. As well as Mother's Day, it was the start of British Summer Time. With clocks going forward an hour one member was a little later than he had hoped. Another, quite an important one as he was Kev, the organiser, was stuck at Birmingham New Street, his train running an hour late. Just as Kev arrived, we began with a complete circuit using Coach 2, built in 1939 and previously at Wilson's Pleasure Railway in Orpington. We were hauled by 'Gordon', a 1978 built powerful flameproof Hunslet ex-National Coal Board loco that worked at Allerton Bywater and Castlebridge Collieries in Yorkshire. It is the usual loco in service on diesel days. After our first circuit, 'Gordon' took on the challenge of shifting rolling stock so that we could visit every possible line. It was rather like doing a Rubik's Cube!

For the rest of the visit, the little Deutz diesel took over. Built in Germany in 1937, the connection with Stafford was that Bagnall's had built a few under licence. Now for some new track; first was the headshunt (once a loop). Then into the Carriage Shed, Wagon Shed, Workshop and as much of the Loco Shed as was possible. During this time, ever obliging Amerton volunteers manually pushed a coach to a different road so that we could go that bit further to the ends of lines. Did we have a glimpse of the future? Is this the heritage railway's answer to the shortage of coal?

We returned to the platform to reverse and explore more distant track. The furthest point is Chartley Loop. This made a good photo stop while 'Gordon' cleared more track for us at Amerton. There is a picnic area and it's also where Santa hangs out in December. Back through the non-platform loop at Amerton, it was on to Stump Jn for the Industrial Railway. This will include a Drift Mine and already has a triangle. There were mine tubs and skip wagons but we still managed one complete side and half of the other two sides of the triangle. There was also a stack of track panels, rescued from Eastriggs. The Amerton team, about 20 regulars, now own the whole site and have a lot they still want to do!

Finally, one last track to shunt down - into the car park for the Loading Line. It had no buffer stop, of course, so it was fence kissing. It had been a splendid morning with like minded folk. The time had come to thank the excellent team at Amerton and promise to come back when some of the new track is laid. But not on Mother's Day, please! Most then headed off to the Apedale Valley Light Railway.

Our afternoon party was equally well received at Amerton, which is incidentally 'Baker track' - see p36 bottom right corner of the 15th (latest) Edition. Later three of the participants went to Stafford MoD Depot (RAF No16 Maintenance Unit Siding) once served by a 1¾ mile branch from Stafford, the remains of the aforementioned ex-Great Northern line. It CG/CA 1 Dec 1975 (last train 28 Nov) but was retained until taken out of use 19 May 1985. This Is an interesting, accessible, official trackbed walk almost to the former West Coast Main Line junction with many railway features. Of note, the two lengthy platforms at Stafford Common station were quite different styles from each other. This was because the line was built with a single track (although most structures except Bromshall Tunnel were for double track) and later doubled just from Stafford to Stafford Common, where there was a large busy goods yard that closed in 1968. Walking the route both ways was a pleasant end to a superb day. It wasn't possible to proceed east past Sandon Road (A513) overbridge due to MoD security! (PAS)

The morning party assembles on Amerton platform for their one coach train.
[© Rob Moorcroft 2022]

The points are clipped ready for the first run (the ground frame was being dismantled and the replacement signal box commissioned.)
[© Rob Moorcroft 2022]

The carriage awaits our members (hence the limit of 18 participants); far right our Membership Secretary's husband gets in on the act...
[© Kev Adlam 2022]

Inside the Carriage Shed, the coach (behind photographer) was at the extremity of the line.
[© Rob Moorcroft 2022]

Other coaches have now been repositioned into the carriage shed ahead so that our tour can do more track in the station area.
[© Rob Moorcroft 2022]

The rails are sanded to gain traction.
[© Rob Moorcroft 2022]

The morning Amerton group minus Kev Adlam, who was there - bottom right (Keith Flinders) - at Chartley Halt with its loop.
[© Kev Adlam 2022]

Chartley Halt without the group, during two train running they go round in opposite directions to each other and pass here.
[© Kev Adlam 2022]

The afternoon group at Amerton station, left is the (occupied) station loop, off right is the stock loading line to the car park.
[© James Jones 2022]