Oswestry railway landmark is returned

Tuesday 18th January 2011, 12:55PM GMT.

The railway singal gantry is put back into place at Oswestry station

One of the landmarks of Oswestry’s historic railway station has been put back in its rightful place.

A tall signal on the tracks at the back of the station building in Oswald Road was yesterday welded onto its original foundations, which were unearthed during renovation work.

How the original signal looked

It is the latest move by the Cambrian Heritage Railways, which is steaming ahead with its plans to restore the railway which runs from Gobowen via Oswestry and onto Llynclys and Llanyblodwel.

Mr Brian Rowe, from the Cambrian Heritage Railways, said the base to the signal on the platform was found when the platform was being relaid.

Oswestry construction company, JR Pickstock, stepped into help the volunteers from the heritage railway carry out the mammoth task of restoring the platform. Mr Rowe said: “It was a wonderful find. It meant we were able to position the signal in the exact spot that it was in before the railway was closed in the 1960s.”

With the station platform now almost fully restored, the heritage railway says it is on track to have a train running from the Victorian building by Easter.

The track is being relaid through the centre of the town and it will mean visitors will be able to take a ride on passenger trains in Oswestry for a short distance for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Visitors can also catch a train at the Llynclys headquarters of the volunteer run railways for a trip of about a mile. Eventually it is hoped the two sites can be joined up.

View more: Oswestry news.

1
let me have my say

January 18, 2011 at 18:04

Well done to the cambrian railway for persisitng with this vast project, can not wait to see the trains running and i am sure it will start to bring people to Oswestry.

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