Changes at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
Recent visitors to Wharf will have noticed some big changes taking place at the Museum. Early in November "Jubilee 1897" and the Dundee Gasworks loco were moved out, their places being taken by the Museum’s recent acquisition "William Finlay", which had been shrouded from view on Southside since the summer, and the Baguley 774 internal combustion loco, acquired by the Museum in 1974 but until now in secure storage at Statfold Barn.
"Jubilee 1897" is being moved to the Penrhyn Quarry Railway at Bethesda, with a view to long-term restoration to working order. This locomotive is on long term loan to the Museum from Welsh Slate Ltd. (the successors to the original Penrhyn Quarry Company), and they have granted us permission for the onward loan.
The Dundee Gasworks locomotive, which has been owned by the Museum for many years, is being temporarily removed to secure storage, with a view to ultimate restoration to working order at a site in the north of England.
To support these moves, the main doors at the platform entrance to the Museum are being replaced with a new vertical rising door. A new pedestrian door alongside which will improve access and make future big display moves easier. "William Finlay", unlike its predecessor, faces outwards, and with new access arrangements it will become the "children’s loco", with special provisions to allow disabled people to share in the experience. With the new locos representing industries formerly absent from the Museum’s collection - limestone quarrying, and forestry - new interpretative displays will be provided.
Once the physical work is complete, probably in March 2017, the Museum will greatly expand its educational activity, in support of the STEM initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), with a programme led by its Education Advisor Rebecca Cottrell for local schools, and visiting children.
In early November the Museum was delighted (and relieved) to hear that it had been awarded a grant of £42,700 by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This covers in full the physical changes described above, and the running of the education programme during 2017. This generous support will allow the Museum to employ professional suppliers to deliver the more technically demanding parts of the project.
The grant will also enable us to build on our existing objectives of providing exciting opportunities for visitors young and old to learn about the locomotives and railway artefacts in our collection, and to provide a window into the many roles of small narrow gauge railways in everyday life in the British Isles.
Rebecca Cottrell, the Museum’s Education Advisor, said of the grant: "We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and are really looking forward to working with children to allow them to better understand our heritage".
Richard Bellamy, Head of HLF in Wales, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players HLF grants preserve fine examples of Britain’s industrial and transport genius that not only helped create the nation, bringing jobs and economic prosperity, but also influenced the world. HLF is pleased to support the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum to pass on the experiences and achievements from our working past to future generations."
However, we are not yet out of the woods financially. "William Finlay" was purchased with the aid of a loan from the Talyllyn Railway, and the acquisition is outside the terms of the HLF grant. An appeal was launched to recover the cost of the purchase, transport moves and cosmetic restoration, and is still open for donations. To donate, see the Museum website: http://narrowgaugerailwaymuseum.org.uk.
Make sure you pay us a visit the next time you’re in Tywyn.
Andrew Nock
