Railway Museum Extension: Latest News

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Thanks to your generous donations construction of our railway museum extension is just about complete!

Railway Museum and ExtensionOur plan is to use the left hand unit as a workshop and renovation area, leaving the right hand bays to be used as a clean, dust free environment for our exhibits.

We have already taken delivery of an 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive built in 1906 at the Brush works in Loughborough. However the loco is currently behind Heras fencing and is not easily viewed by the public.

We have launched a £4,800 appeal to raise the remaining funds needed to fit out the museum building.

This money will allow us to provide:-

  • A 50cm tall, 7.2m long, 45 degree angle display board running the full length of the Brush loco with interpretation boards telling the locos story, and provide information about the history of the Brush works itself.
  • New boards for the yellow wagon will explain about goods wagons during the early 20th century and how most companies had their own “private owner liveried” wagons, in particular the liveries of our wagon fleet.
  • The brake van which will have a set of timber steps built so that visitors can go inside. The inside will be lit and on entry an audio presentation will be triggered where the voice of a 1920’s guard will tell visitors about a typical day in the role of a guard.
  • Lastly a further set of steps will lead into the Mountsorrel wagon, the inside of the wagon will be set out with white sheeting and benches as it would have been during the Mountsorrel Sunday School outings. An audio presentation will give the recollection of one of those children that used to ride in the wagons on those outings which ran from 1919 through to 1947.

 
We are pleased to say that a Mountsorrel resident has very kindly offered to match fund every pound that’s raised up to the £4800 total required, until September 1st! So if you can help with a donation, whether it be large or small, every £10 you donate will double to £20, and, if you are a UK tax payer then please consider gift-aiding your donation, which would effectively make your £10 donation worth £25 to the appeal at no extra cost to you!

If you would like to donate by cheque then we have a Donation Form which includes a Gift Aid Declaration for you to complete. Please send cheques made payable to “DCRT” (The David Clarke Railway Trust) to 240 Swithland Lane, Rothley, Leicestershire. LE7 7UE (Please write ‘Museum Building Extension’ on the reverse of cheques).

If you have any queries or you would like to donate on-line then contact us via donate.2019@heritage-centre.co.uk.