The Ravenglass Railway Museum, in Cumbria, will be opening its doors to the public on 24th June this year.
The museum recently underwent a nine month re-development and is expected to double its footfall and offer a brand-new interactive experience for visitors.
What can visitors expect from the newly renovated museum?
Guests to the museum will be able to take an iconic journeys along the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, or ‘La’al Ratty’, from Ravenglass to Boot in the Eskdale Valley.
The museum owns more than 6,000 objects ranging from 15 inch gauge locomotives and rolling stock, through to uniforms, photographs and historic engineering items.
There will also be objects telling the story of ‘La’al Ratty’s’ industrial past, as well as the daily life of workers on the railway including their uniforms and ‘bait’ boxes. Visitors will be able to play games to determine which job would suit them.
The new development will see these artefacts come to life with interactive exhibitions allowing visitors to not only see the heritage steam locomotives, but to learn how they work too.
A highlight of the attraction will be the steam locomotive ‘Katie’ which ran at Ravenglass in 1916 and has just been restored to working condition for the first time since the 1920s.
The museum will be open whenever the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is running, which is every day in the summer season.
Groups visiting can enjoy guided tours of the museum and groups with ten or more people can benefit from group rates.
Further information about Ravenglass Railway Museum
Ravenglass Railway Museum will be officially opened by Paul Atterbury, a regular expert on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and author of numerous railway history books.
Peter Hensman, chairman of the Museum Trustees, said: “This is an exciting moment in the Museum’s history. None of this would have been possible without the support and encouragement we have received from Heritage Lottery Fund and our other funders. We hope that our visitors will gain much pleasure and interest from our new displays.”
For more information, visit www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk.
