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Museum Viewing
Weekends and Wednesdays throughout the year.
10.00 to 17.00 (April - October)
10.00 to 16.00 (November to March)
We are next open for Standard Museum Viewing:
We hold regular event days throughout the year, see What’s On for details.
We are open throughout the year* on Weekends and Wednesdays, and when we aren’t operating during an event day the Museum site is open for you to look around at your leisure.
Our entire site makes up the Railway Museum – and tells the story of 175 years of railways in the East of England and beyond. It’s not just about trains, find out how the railway changed lives, assisted in the war effort and was modernised into the railway network we know now in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
*Please note there are a few days which we are closed – Christmas and Boxing Day, plus some days immediately before and after the Beer Festivals in September. See our What’s On page for details of our events.
What to see on your visit.
Station Buildings – See our preserved station building, ticket office and waiting room and WH Smiths Stand, the place where many would have started their journey.
Chappel Main Signal Box – Located at the end of Platform 1, why not have a go at pulling the levers, and read all about the signalman’s job.
Curio Coach and Bookends Compartment, Platform 2 – A grounded coach – many of these would have been used as Waiting Rooms at rural stations, also have a look through the stock in our self-service book compartment.
Goods Shed – the centre piece of our Museum site, have a look around this building and see how the wagonload freight was essential to the rural area.
Restoration Shed – Have a look at the various engines, carriages, wagons under restorarion by our volunteers. See how the volunteers are getting on with the restoration of Lamport
Thompson Building – 2 automated Model Railway displays, also home of the Braintree and Halstead Model Railway Club (The club volunteers open their display room and layouts on Wednesdays throughout the year, please press Bell on the Clubs door and they will welcome you in and show you around).
Outdoor Train-themed playground for children under 12.
Picnic area, and Picnic Bus.
Museum Display room see pictures below
Heritage Centre – Our Volunteers are currently building a new Heritage Center, We have moved what we can to a new Museum Display room in the Thompson Building- This includes displays and Small Exhibits about local railways, signalling, plus more.( See Pictures Below
On Site Catering
Feeling Hungry?
You can visit Platform Two Cafe, which is run by our external suppliers, Stour Valley Catering – they’re open from 10am – 4pm (please note that food is not served by Platform Two Cafe after 2pm during the winter months) and serve tasty breakfast, lunch & snack options, as well as coffee, tea & a range of cold beverages.
Ticketing
The Museum is a registered Charity run by Volunteers, Gift Aid is a simple way for UK Tax Payers to allow the Museum to claim an additional 25% of the ticket price from HMRC.
We are next open for Standard Museum Viewing:
We hold regular event days throughout the year, see What’s On for details.
