The museum project, known as The Narrow Gauge Railway Centre, will deliver benefits in a number of areas; although presented below as discrete topics, there are considerable overlaps between the areas discussed. The museum will tell the story of the industrial narrow gauge railway, and the lasting legacy which such railways have created for our current lives.
MRT has amassed the UK’s leading collection of industrial narrow gauge railway equipment and related artifacts. The membership of the MRT includes considerable and recognised expertise in this area, and also provides access to loan exhibits of considerable value to a museum. Sadly, the railway heritage movement has tended to regard industrial equipment as ‘second class citizens’ compared to the glamour of main line steam trains; too many industrial stalwarts have been seen as expendable workhorses, discarded or even scrapped when ‘something better’ became available. MRT takes a radically different view; these unglamorous little railways have a unique and socially-important story to tell.
The Narrow Gauge Railway Centre will be located adjacent to the existing Silverdale Station building, the southern terminus of the current Apedale Valley Light Railway. The design of the building is intended to complement the existing reconstruction of the Silverdale Station building, in the style of a contemporary goods shed. Internally, The Narrow Gauge Railway Centre will have three tracks. The detailed internal layout of the museum is currently under development, but inspiration is taken from a number of other museums, including that at Froissy (France – see photo). The Narrow Gauge Railway Centre will include toilets – this will improve facilities for all visitors, and reduce pressure on the current toilets, which are within the Apedale Heritage Centre.
MRT is not currently an accredited museum. However, it is fully recognised that achieving such accreditation will form a vital part of the development of the museum aspects of The Narrow Gauge Railway Centre development. It may be noted that the museum at Apedale will be clearly differentiated from other, broadly similar, museums in the UK. The focus at Apedale will be on industrial narrow gauge railways – this is a unique focus.
Update March 2025 – beginning to take shape!!
July 2025 – the build continues
October 2025 – the “topping out” ceremony
Throughout 2025 and 2026, the build and fitting-out continued. A small, but vitally important, milestone was reached in August 2026 when the toilets were commissioned and opened to the public. No more hired portaloos on event days – hurrah!!
October 2026 saw MRT host the International Feldbahntreffen, which was the first time the Museum had been used to host a public event.
Through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, the focus will be on completion of the project to the point where the building can be fully opened to the public on a regular basis.
