Bishop's Castle railway project in £2,000 charity appeal for vital work
After all its fundraising events were cancelled, a Shropshire railway restoration project has appealed to supporters to raise around £2,000 to carry it through this uncertain time.
The Bishop's Castle Railway Society has been working on restoring the historic weighbridge building in the town and its most recent task was making the building watertight. Now they want to ensure the work done so far will not be put in jeopardy.
The railway line in Bishop's Castle closed in 1935 and its weighbridge building was left to rot from the 60s onwards. The society took over the restoration more than three years ago when the building was covered in ivy, and trees were growing out of it.
Chairman John Rimmer said they have made a lot of progress since then, but still with a long way to go they want to make sure the work can be completed.
"The building has been made watertight with temporary windows and doors, but the replicas of the original windows we had made can't be fitted now," he said.
"We were fortunate enough to have an original door from around 1870 that we can make a replica made of. Local company Shropshire Hardwoods, who have made the new windows, find themselves with all work on hold, and by Anthony Jones and Aidan Oakley working in shifts alone in the workshop the doors can be made sooner than expected.
"We have an opportunity to help a local business and jump the inevitable queue when life returns to anywhere near normal."
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The team are now trying to raise £2,300 to help reach their goal of making the building properly and securely watertight by winter.
John said: "One of the problems we face because of the lockdown is we can't actually have events that would raise money.
"We normally host open days which bring people in and they donate money or buy things. We still have a lot to do in the project, we want to install a proper drainage system and electricity, and then finish the inside.
"The town of Bishop's Castle itself has been very supportive of us. People come down to the site and remember the building because it was still used by coal businesses up until the 60s."
Payments by bank transfer can be made to HSBC – Bishop`s Castle Railway Society Co. Ltd, account number 01229877, sort code 40-12-02 ref: Doors
Cheques can be made payable to B.C.R.S. Co Ltd. and sent to Mr Malcolm Jones, BCRS Treasurer, 40 Upper Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, SY3 9JQ.
For more information, please contact John Rimmer on 01588 638998.
