Golden Valley launches £120,000 carriage shed appeal
THE 2FT gauge Golden Valley Light Railway has launched a £120,000 appeal to build a new carriage shed.
The railway – which is based at the Midland Railway – Butterley and home to Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0WT Works No. 7529, which was restored in February 2022 – has said it is “desperately short” of covered storage space, with its two ex-Ffestiniog Railway carriages (Nos. 118 and 119) and 1924-built Ashover Light Railway coach No. 4 currently housed in the running shed. The planned new three-road, 120ft by 26ft shed will enable the GVLR to store all its carriages and some smaller diesel locomotives under cover; “as well as removing the vehicles from possible harm and contamination, it will allow more projects to be undertaken in the running shed,” the GVLR said. The new shed will also allow for the disposal of the GVLR’s life-expired shipping containers, which are currently used for storing smaller items of rolling stock.
Planning permission and building quotations for the new shed have already been obtained, with 60% of the required funding already in place. “Bridging the gap will enable construction to start in 2024,” the railway said. It added: “The much-needed building will not only provide permanent, dry, and secure storage but also help reduce the maintenance burden imposed when rolling stock is constantly exposed to the UK weather. The stock to be housed in the proposed building is both vital for the future success of the GVLR and to the continuing preservation of our narrow gauge railway heritage.”
● For more details on how to donate, visit www.gvlr.org.uk/carriage-shed.html