The redevelopment of the Museum includes a number of features which will make volunteering easier and more rewarding in the future.

Until now, the hard work of coaling locos has been done by hand with coal loaded from ground level by our hard working crews. Although authentic and great in theory, the reality is often rather less romantic!

Our building team set themselves the task of building a coaling stage for the loco yard, based on those used at Pilton Quarries which will complement the wood store, sand dryer and water tower to complete top class locomotive servicing facilities.

The construction coincided with the trial steaming of Andrew Barclay No.1931 for the new season and the honour of the first shovel of coal was awarded to Eric Bussingham who mixed all of the concrete for the project.