MEMBERS of the public will soon be able to experience an important but often forgotten part of Britain's industrial past at a new tourist attraction.

Moseley Railway Trust's narrow gauge railway at Apedale is preparing for its first open day since relocating to Staffordshire from Cheadle, near Stockport, in 2006.

On September 13 and 14, people will be able to see some of the trust's extensive collection of diesel, petrol and battery powered locomotives, and witness the first steam-hauled trains moving round the site.

Since gaining planning permission for the tourist attraction in 2006, the trust has laid down 200 metres of 60cm-gauge tracks, and by September it is hoped this will be extended from Apedale Heritage Centre all the way to Apedale Road.

The MRT's 60 locomotives have been gathered from various different industries and dozens of sites around the country over the past 30 years, demonstrating how important they were.

Narrow-gauge railways were used whenever materials, such as slate, bricks or military munitions, needed transporting round a site, although the advent of conveyors and dumper trucks meant many become redundant during the latter half of the 20th century.

The aim of the MRT is to restore aging machines back to full working order, and show them, not just as static exhibitions, but as fully operational models.

Trust chairman Phil Robinson said: “A huge range of different industries used narrow gauge railways, such as the coal mining, civil engineering and brickmaking, and yet most people won't be familiar with them.

“If you look at a house, the slate for the roof would have come from slate mines where these things were used, the bricks would have been transported on them too. Even if you look at the water supply to the house, sewage works would have had their own narrow gauge railways.”

During the open days in September, the trust's steam-powered Kerr Stuart locomotive will be in operation along the newly laid tracks, although it will not be possible to offer passenger rides.

The MRT eventually hopes to build a museum to house its collection, and extend the railway across Apedale county park, meaning it will serve the practical purpose of opening up to visitors.

Mr Robinson added: “There used to be a railway through Apedale to the Minnie Pit, that was probably taken up in the 1960s or 70s, and so in a way, we'll be restoring a railway to this part of Newcastle.”

“It is exactly like having your own big train set. Some people collect football shirts, some people are into classic cars, we have a narrow gauge railway.

“It's a bit bigger than a train set though, and more dangerous. Most of these locos weigh three tons, with the big ones weighing about seven tons.

“We hope that eventually we will be able to rival attractions like the Black Country Museum, although we still have a long way to go before we get to that level.”

The original Moseley Tramway was founded in Cheadle in 1968 as a school project using materials recovered from a local brickworks, and it now boasts the biggest collection of narrow-gauge locomotives in the country.

The MRT had to leave its original site in 1998, and most of its collection went into storage, but in 2004, trustees from Apedale Heritage Centre offered it a new home.

Mechanical engineer John Rowland has been involved in the project since it first started at Cheadle.

He said: “I think it will be a popular attraction once it is up and running.”