Railway 200
Celebrate Railway 200
This Event will take place on:
We hold regular event days throughout the year, see What’s On for details.
A special day of celebration for the 200th anniversary of the the modern railway network - Railway 200.
The Stockton & Darlington Railway opened on September 27, 1825, connecting places, people, communities and ideas and ultimately transforming the world.
Railway 200 will be a year-long nationwide partnership-led campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspire a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail. It invites community, rail and other groups to get involved.
We will be getting involved on Sunday 13th July 2025 – with our biggest and best ever event of the year. Along with the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, Greater Anglia, local community, the local school, British Transport Police and Greater Anglia station adopters we will be holding an amazing event with interests for all the family.
This will be simlar to our highly successful event in 2024 where we celebrated Chappel 175 – the 175th Anniversary of the Marks Tey to Sudbury Railway Line and Chappel Viaduct..
We are planning to open our New Exhibition hall on the day so dont miss the opportunity to see it for youself , it has taken many years of work from our volunteers !!
There will be unlimited rides on trains hauled by one of our vintage Steam Locomotives and our vintage Diesel Railbus, which has been lovingly restored by our volunteers over the last 10 years)
Free bus rides will be available between 11:00 and 1600 where you can relax and enjoy the sights of the local countryside. This is a round trip which lasts about 30 minutes.
Our goods shed will be playing host to a number childrens activities and of trade stalls, And of course we will also be running steam and diesel trains where you can have unlimited rides all day long! Your admission also includes full access to the museum and its exhibits, including access to our restoration shed.
The miniature railway will be open with unlimited rides and our friends from the Braintree and Halstead Model Railway Club will have their club rooms open, with a wide range of model railway layouts on display.
Don’t forget our train-themed playground for the kids!
Hot and cold food and drinks will be available from Platform Two Cafe (run by Stour Valley Catering) and our very own micro pub, The Viaduct, will be open selling a range of beers, ciders, wines and soft drinks.
Our friends from Molly Moo’s Ice Creams will also be in attendance.
Event Timetable
Our trains run all day long with no fixed timetable from 10:30 to 15.00, and you can have as many rides as you like, whenever you like
10am Museum opens
Goods Shed activites
· Artist, Vik Walsh, will help you to make attractive bunting, rag flags, participate in weaving and play railway themed noughts and crosses.
· See Waj Mirecki’s art exhibition
· Explore the trade stalls
Exhibition Centre: Look and see our new displays
The Viaduct Pub is selling a range of beers, ciders, wines and soft drinks.
You can bring your own picnic to enjoy on the picnic bus, on the field, or at our picnic tables.
Also enjoy
Our ten acres of land, train themed playground and all the amazing events planned for you.
Opening Ceremony 1PM
Location: Between the new Exhibition Centre and Heritage Centre
Children from Chappel Primary School
Chris Green Former Director Network South East
Martin Beable Managing Director Greater Anglia
David Jordan Angel Trains
Nigel Spencer Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex
Representative of the East Anglian Railway Museum
Ribbon cutting to officially open the new Exhibition Centre
Talks by David Gibson (11am) and Nathaniel Dodd (2pm)
Location: Thompson Building
Talk: 11am: ‘What did George Stephenson ever do for us?’
David Gibson is presenting fun facts about 200 years of the railway that will appeal to all ages.
2pm Nathaniel Dodd will be ‘Retracing the lost lines of the Stour Valley’ with photos and explanations. Interest for all ages.
We are delighted to announce that we have been lucky enough to have our friends from two Vintage Bus groups support us and have confirmed they are planning to attend our Celebrations of Rail 200 !!
The Leyland Olympian G864 XDX see Facebook link here
G864 XDX is a preserved Leyland Olympian bus that was formerly owned and new to H.C. Chambers and Son of Bures, Suffolk in 1989.
This group have kindly offered to give free return bus ride during the day where you can relax and enjoy the sights of the local countryside. This is a round trip which lasts about 30 minutes.
Also the AJN 825 Bus will be on display in our Goods Yard, this bus was delivered new to Westcliff-on-Sea Motor Services at Southend on 31st March, 1939 and entered into service on 1st April, 1939. The chassis is a Bristol K type fitted with a Gardner 7 litre engine and a body built by Eastern Coach Works at Lowestoft built to carry 53 passengers being of the Lowbridge type at 13ft 6in high hence the long seats on the upper deck and sunken gangway.
Check out our working Restoration Shed, See how the volunteers are getting on with the restoration of Lamport, the magnificent Victorian Goods Shed, period Waiting Rooms & Signal Box as well as the Thompson Centre & Train themed Children’s Playground, our site of over 10 acres is ideal if you would like to bring your own picnic.
Ticketing
Please note, prebooking closes at midnight before the event, tickets are then available on the door at the prices shown above.
Rail 200 Celebrations at EARM so far in 2025
Rail 200 is a national event, and more details can be found at Railway 200. On 1st January 2025 at 1200 there was a national “Whistle-Up” event, where all train operators and heritage railways were encouraged to sound their horns ans whistles so mark the start of the celebrations. See our involvement below, where Number 11 joined in.
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