Good ideas and vision are one thing but practicality and financial viability are another! However, the original Society Members and Trustees formed a Management Committee to look at the feasibility of reconstructing a railway and appointed a consultancy company to look at this very aspect. Much work had already started to gain co-operation and support locally. Thankfully the local authorities were sympathetic with North Shropshire District Council both assisting with the cost of the Feasibility Study, and agreeing to protect the old track beds against unsympathetic development - the latter 'protection' only remains in part (Year 2007). Similarly, Market Drayton Town Council and Chamber of Trade are supportive. The consultancy report received was positive and the Management Committee confirmed a start to the project work.

Sych Farm and adjoining land encompasses the actual railway junction where at one time the line out of Market Drayton station divided. To the North the GWR double track went on through Audlem and on to Crewe. To the North East, what became a single track over the Shropshire Union Canal, the North Staffordshire Railway (known as the Knotty line) wended its way to Stoke-on-Trent.

The Society is now some years on from the Feasibility Study and resulting positive report. At heart we are steam railway enthusiasts and would just like to play trains but we know that is unlikely to happen unless the whole project is commercially viable on an ongoing basis. The work of a small Project Steering Group and within it, a Finance and Technical Sub Committee, has completed its task. We now have a full understanding of the Project Phases with a detailed cost base.

Page Navigation: