East Anglian Railway Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
East Anglian Railway Museum

Entrance to the East Anglian Railway Museum
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Former name	Stour Valley Railway Preservation Society
Established	1968 (1968)
Location	Chappel & Wakes Colne railway station, Essex, England
Type	Industrial railway museum
Collection size	10 Locomotives, numerous other vehicles

The East Anglian Railway Museum is a fun and historic place located at the Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station in Essex, England. It sits on an old railway line that once ran from Marks Tey to Sudbury. Today, you can still see modern trains on the Sudbury Branch Line run by Abellio Greater Anglia.

The museum is home to a large collection of trains, including steam locomotives and other railway vehicles called "rolling stock." Some of these are beautifully restored and working. You can even see real-life versions of Thomas the Tank Engine, Percy, and Toby!

On special event days, you can take a ride on a steam or diesel train along a short track. The museum also hosts popular beer festivals every year in the winter and summer.

How the Museum Began

The museum started as the Stour Valley Railway Preservation Society on September 24, 1968. A group of people wanted to save the history of the local railways. In December 1969, they rented the old goods yard and buildings at Chappel & Wakes Colne Station from British Rail. Just three months later, they held their first public "steam day" for visitors.

The team worked hard to restore the station buildings and the goods shed. The goods shed became a workshop where they could repair and restore the old trains.

In 1986, the society changed its name to The East Anglian Railway Museum. This new name showed that they wanted to preserve the railway history of the whole East Anglia region, not just run trains. The museum became a registered charity in 1991.

The Museum's Train Collection

The museum has many different types of trains and railway vehicles. Here's a look at some of them.

Vehicle Status Guide:

• Operational: The vehicle is in working order and can be used.
• Static Display: The vehicle is on show for people to look at but does not run.
• Under Overhaul/Restoration: The vehicle is being repaired or rebuilt.

Steam Locomotives

These are engines powered by steam. The museum has several, from small industrial engines to larger ones that ran on main lines.

Type	Number	Name	Livery (Paint Color)	Year Built	Works No.	Status	Notes	Photo
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST	11	Storefield (Name not carried)	Lined Brown	1905	1047	Operational	This engine was rebuilt and returned to service in 1999. It was fixed up again in 2015.
Bagnall 0-4-0 ST	(Runs as No.6 for DOWT)	Jubilee (Percy)	Bright Green	1936	2542	Operational	This engine was changed to look like Percy the Small Engine from the Thomas the Tank Engine stories.
RSH 0-6-0ST	54 (Runs as No.1 for DOWT)	(Thomas)	Sky Blue	1941	7031	Operational	This engine was turned into a version of Thomas the Tank Engine and started running in 2008. It was overhauled in 2017.
Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST		Jeffrey	Black	1943	2039	Static Display	You can see this engine on display outside the museum entrance.
W.G. Bagnall 0-6-0ST	3	Lamport	Colchester Crimson	1942	2670	Under Overhaul	This locomotive is being fixed up. It needs new boiler tubes and a new firebox to work again.
London North Eastern Railway class N7 0-6-2T	9621 (BR No.69621)	A J Hill	LNER Post-war Unlined Black	1924		Under Overhaul	This engine's safety certificate for its boiler expired in 2015. It is currently being repaired in Liverpool.

Diesel Locomotives

These engines are powered by diesel fuel, not steam. They were often used for shunting (moving wagons around).

Type	Number	Name	Livery	Year Built	Works No.	Status	Notes	Photo
Drewry 0-4-0	WD72229.	-	WD Bronze Green	1944	-	Operational	Returned from being fixed up in 2024. It sometimes pulls passenger trains.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0		John Peel	Lined Blue		333	Operational	This engine works but is only used sometimes because it doesn't have an electric start.
British Rail Class 04 0-6-0DM	D2279	-	BR Green With Wasp Stripes		-	Operational	This is the main shunting engine at the museum. It's used for driver experiences and sometimes pulls passenger trains.
John Fowler 0-4-0DH	7	(Toby)	Brown		4220039	Out of Service	This engine was changed to look like Toby the Tram Engine for special "Day Out with Thomas" events.
Simplex 0-4-0	2029		Blue			Under Restoration	This is a long-term restoration project.

Multiple Units and Railbuses

These are trains where the engine and passenger carriages are combined into one unit. Many of these used to run on local railway lines.

Class	Vehicle Type	Number	Livery	Year Built	Status	Notes	Photo
Waggon und Maschinenbau Railbus	4w-DM	E79963	BR Green	1958	Operational	This railbus was bought in 2012 and fully restored by 2021. It used to run on the local Sudbury Branch line.
BR Class 101 DMU	DMBS	E51213	BR Blue/Grey	1958	Operational	This train unit also used to run on the Sudbury Branch line.
BR Class 101 DMU	DTCL	E56358	BR Blue/Grey	1959	Operational	This carriage was repainted in August 2024. It also ran on the local Sudbury Branch.
BR Class 309 EMU	BTDC	75965 (309624)	Network SouthEast	1962	Static Display	Arrived in April 2024 and was cosmetically restored by February 2025. It has the unofficial nickname 'Bessie' in the cab.
BR Class 309 EMU	MBS	977966 (309624)	TCS Blue/White	1962	Undergoing Overhaul	Arrived in April 2024 and is now being repaired to protect it from the weather. It carries the name 'New Dalby'.
BR Class 317 EMU	DTSO	77092 (317345)	Network SouthEast	1981	Static Display	Donated to the museum in 2021. It was restored and wrapped in the Network SouthEast design in 2022. It is used as Santa's grotto at Christmas.

Passenger Carriages

The museum has a collection of passenger carriages, some of which are very old.

Freight Wagons and Other Vehicles

This is a collection of wagons used for carrying goods, and other vehicles used for railway work.

A Famous Concert

On June 13, 2009, the rock band Blur played a concert at the museum. This was a special event because it was the same place where they had their very first concert back in 1988.

Just like their first show, the band played to about 150 people inside a goods shed. This was the first show of their 2009 tour. Later that year, they played at the famous Glastonbury Festival and in Hyde Park.

In November 2009, a special plaque was put up at the museum to celebrate Blur and their first-ever live performance there.