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Four engines in a row - Betty, Graham, Jean and Sir Thomas Royden.
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Discover the living ironstone museum in the heart of Rutland.

The Museum reopens on the 17th April 2025 and our events season starts on the 20 April, Easter Sunday. Keep up to date with what is happening at the Museum on our Facebook page


Archives

At Rocks By Rail we also have archives of items relating to the history of our site, ironstone quarrying, the machines used and the people involved.

Our aim for this area of the website is to provide access to more detailed information.
So if you are a researcher, author or just interested in detail then this page is for you.
Viewing is available by prior arrangement. Email your request to curator@rocks-by-rail.org

Lists detailing some of the many items the Museum holds (pdf).

Schedule of documents on display. (2018-09-xx)
Complete accession register. (2023-10-xx) **UPDATED**
Archive drawing schedule. (2019-11-xx)

Documents of interest (pdf).
Cottesmore ironstone mining industry.
Ironstone workers in Cottesmore from Census data.
Rutland Railway Museum stock list – 1984 edition.
Meccano giant dragline.
Meccano S31 steam excavator.
Meccano S31 steam shovel.

The Ironstone magazine – published for a short period between 2014 and 2016 (pdf).
Each is around 20 pages with colour photographs and includes a table of contents.

Ironstone magazine issue 1.
Ironstone magazine issue 2.
Ironstone magazine issue 3.
Ironstone magazine issue 4.

Here at Rocks By Rail, we produce audio interviews with people who worked in the local quarries.
These recordings are a unique insight into life in those periods of our industrial history.
Please respect the Museum’s copyright and do not re-distribute or use without agreement.

Martin Crowe standing in front of the Museum working Sundew model.

Ian Smeeton talking to Martin Crowe about his time at Ransomes & Rapier, Ipswich selling Cranes.

The book Martin refers to is
“Eighty Years of Enterprise”
Author R.Stanley Lewis
Published by W. S. Cowell Limited

David Kindred recalls Ransomes & Rapier.

Martyn Ward at the controls of the Museum RB22 face shovel.

Ian Smeeton talking to Martyn Ward about his time working for British Steel in the quarries.

For those who are hard of hearing, we have a trial text transcript for this interview. It was created automatically and isn’t 100% but still worth trialling. Download as .txt file.

YEC half Janus, works number 2872 restoration diary.

Yorkshire Engine Company half Janus number 1382 after being restored.

2014: Yorkshire Engine Company half Janus “1382” was taken to Scunthorpe to be completely restored. The diary of some of the restoration can be viewed here.

Left: The fully restored locomotive.
1382 can be regularly seen hauling mineral wagons on the Museum’s quarry days.

Our old website had a blog and tended to duplicate items also on our Facebook page.
We have decided to close the blog on the website. You can view the archived blog content here.

Images of some of the items the Museum holds.

P & W Maclellan cast works plate archive reference RBR 2001.4
Dragline bucket can be seen in the Museum car park.
The working model of Ransomes and Rapier W1400 Sundew.
Wickham trolley from The Lavender Line.
Bill Page 1923 - 2004, a loyal and hard working volunteer.
The main entrance gate at Rocks by Rail.

P & W MacLellan cast works plate (RBR-2001.4).

Wickham trolley ex Lavender Line
(RBRPO-2012.2).

Dragline bucket (RBR-2008.3).

Bill Page 1923 – 2004.
A hard working volunteer.

Sundew dragline model (RBR-2012.5).

Main entrance gate (RBR-1979.13).