Moorland Steam Railway

The **Moorland Steam Railway** is a heritage railway ("tourist/ historic/ scenic railroad" in the USA) that was founded in 1962. It's original route was the former Gladsville line from Northampsmith to Gladsville, but has since been extended three times. It's also marketed as the **Gladsville Line** after the year 1996. This railway is the main setting of 'The Midlander' and about every episode of the mini series.

## History

   After a legal battle against British Railways from closing the Gladsville line in 1962, the secondary route was past into private hands as a heritage railway. As a result, five steam locomotives, ten coaches, Northampsmith MPD and all the stations on the route were passed into the hands of preservationists. Staff on the railway were trained to recreate early 1930s steam operations, which some of the fleet wasn't built in the 1930s, or earlier. The railway soon became involved with the Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) during the 1966-1968 period over the end of steam operations on the mainlines of British Railways, which included enthusiast tours to lines being closed and double-headings with BR locomotives with MSR locomotives on loan. The railway began organising its own tours in 1968 and during the time of the '1T57' train, aka 'Fifteen Guinea Special', the last MSR tour of the 1960s was run headed by 4-4-0 No. 40936.

During the 1970s, the fleet of the railway expanded in mileage when an extension towards the town of Dentin was opened in 1973, connecting with the Dentin Moor Narrow Gauge Railway in the process. Most of the focus was one the motive power and rolling stock fronts, with Labiche from France being the first 1970s-delivered vehicle. Coaches were expanded when mainline excursion were using the newly-loaned BR Mk2as from British Rail. The line's own historic coaches (Thompson and LMS Porthole) were used during the decade for locomotives not fitted with air brakes (a requirement that the BR Mk2a coaches needed for locomotives). Another new international import was Clyde, a 4-6-0 rebuilt from a 4-6-4T in the late-1920s, from New South Wales, Australia. The 1970s also the addition of diesels to the motive power roster, with diesel-mechanical shunter No. 03026 in 1975 and Class 24 Bo-Bo diesel-electric No. 24117.

The 1980s saw the arrival/ return of Hunter, a Class 06 0-4-0DM that was used briefly on the line in 1962 under BR. He was brought to the railway in 1981 following withdrawal but was able to be operated, since his prime mover was write off and had to be removed. The MSR was having trouble with the newly-formed sectors of British Rail as two claimed that the steam services from Northampsmith station to enter the railway delayed them, but was dismissed since the ones complaining were brand new and never experienced working with steam locomotives. Capulet returned to mainline around this time and became the first three-cylinder heavy freight locomotive to run on the mainline since the 1960s.

Regional Railways and InterCity promoted the tours by the MSR and arranged for their Mk1 coaches to be used on these trains, but again dismissed by the MSR's own fleet of coaches and they were used instead of the Mk1s, mostly since they would "weird" behind any locomotive. In 1985, around the GWR 150th anniversary celebrations, a flood threatened the loss of the extension to Dentin, but the line didn't close since two locomotives kept the line open, despite the flood waters. In 1986, the Moorland Steam Railway contracted Caracus Smash Ltd of Galen Junction, Kent, to construct a working replica of a 4-4-0 of Great Western origin, which the locomotive was completed and delivered to Gladsville three years later. That same year (1986), an extension to Rozelle was opened, resulting in Ryde's station layout being changed.

During the 1990s, certain changes occurred on the railway as facilities for their heritage diesel locomotives and multiple units acquired during the 1980s. Proposals for a museum at Northampsmith from 1988 was brought up and went ahead and both the MSR and DMNGR ran tours to support construction of the museum, which was completed by 1997. In 1995, the plans for a marketing name to attract more passengers to the line was brought up due to the Mid Hants Railway going under the name 'The Watercress Line' for a long time and the MSR's marketing name had to also reflect the history of the railway. Hughes suggested the name 'The Gladsville Line' due to him working on the line since 1924. In 1996, the marketing name 'The Gladsville Line' was approved and didn't appear on maps across the whole railway until 1997.

In 2001, a small extension was built to Maitford with one intermediate station in the middle, and is made to resemble branchlines in a more modern era since none of the line's buildings resembled those seen in many countries of the world. It was opened in record time and saw little usage by larger locomotives because of it trying to both replicate a branchline operated by Network SouthEast and a light railway. In 2003, due to financial assistance to the company since 1973, the Moorland Steam Railway bought the DMNGR as a sector of the railway to prevent the company from closure.

## Stations

### Main section (original line)

* Northampsmith (opened: 1867)
* Ryde (opened: 1899)
* Northrop (opened: 1919)
* Birdsville (opened: 1898)
* Gladsville (opened: 1898)

### Dentin extension (opened in 1973)

* Burshton North
* Dentin Moor
* Dentin (later renamed 'Dentin Main')

### Rozelle extension (opened in 1986)

* Northrop North
* Milling
* Wardle
* Montagu
* Rozelle

### Maitford extension (opened in 2001)

* Grendenning
* Maitford

## Locomotives

### Steam

#### Pre-Grouping

* Patrick
* Will
* Hughes
* Raven
* Titan (industrial design from Pre-Grouping era)
* Jumbo
* Argus
* Catherine
* Diarmad
* Lizzie
* Christina (formerly, sold in 2008)
* Killarney (replica constructed in 1989)
* CR 34 (replica under construction)

#### Grouping

* Jinty
* Ella Johnson
* Capulet
* Jenny
* Murphy
* Andy
* Stovold
* Stanford
* Westminster
* Sigrid
* Audie (Built in the USA)
* Daniel (gifted by Dark Railway in 2002)

#### Nationalisation-1968

* Kate (Built to an LMS design)
* Giant
* Zac

#### Non-British

* Labiche (imported from France in 1970)
* Virginia (imported from USA in 1976)
* Clyde (imported from Australia in 1977)
* Cook (imported from Australia in 1981)

### Diesel

* Hunter
* Kenneth
* Bulldog (named in 1997)
* Toffee
* Meld

### DMU

* Cam
* Unnamed 101 class

## Trivia

The story behind the MSR's creation is based on the events of Talyllyn and North Yorkshire Moors Railways, while the extensions are inspired by real preserved railways extending their track work.

* The mainline connection might be inspired by the NYMR sharing Grosmont station with the preserved railway and National Rail.