On 17th July I was invited to the opening of Rails to the Sands in Cleethorpes, the first exhibition mounted by the Miniature Railway Museum Trust. This takes a look at the phenomenon of seaside holidays and the subsequent growth of pleasure railways in association with seaside resorts – an area not hitherto well-covered in the heritage world.
A selection of large and small exhibits – including steam, diesel and electric locomotives and several items of rolling stock – is included, along with film clips of historic seaside railways and several engaging displays in two galleries. A good friend of mine, Tim Dunn, has worked long and hard to make the exhibition happen, along with colleagues from the MRMT and the nearby Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway – itself an historic 15″ gauge seaside miniature railway, on which guests were able to enjoy a ride after the opening.
You can learn more about the exhibition and its opening times from the Rails to the Sands website. But in the meantime, here are a couple of pictures to whet your appetite.
An overview of one of the galleries, with steam loco "Edmund Hannay" to the fore
There's even a recreated beach line - with Louis Shaw built loco "Lorna Doone" on display. Guess how the sandcastles were made?
What better way to end an afternoon than to ride an historic miniature train? This set once ran on the Sutton Miniature Railway in Sutton Coldfield,the loco being "Sutton Belle"
Glad you enjoyed your visit and kind words, Anthony: although only a small exhibition at the moment, the team is hopeful of a bigger future!