Celebrating 200 years of the railways at STEAM this summer

With funding from GWR’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, the museum has created both a new photographic exhibition and a new monthly event for visitors under-five.

Little Locos launched last month and offers engaging, themed sessions designed especially for pre-school children and their parents or carers. This week’s debut focused on the theme of trains, with singing, play activities and a story time that delighted everyone.

A standout moment from the inaugural session saw families climb aboard the footplate of the iconic City of Truro locomotive to discover what all the fascinating levers do. The session ended with a lively reading of Duck and Diesel Engine, the Thomas the Tank Engine book which features the City of Truro locomotive.

Parents and carers of our first ‘Little Locos’ said of the session:

“The children loved going on the train. I loved that it was informative and learnt things during their visit.

“We enjoyed being able to get up close to the trains and the singing.”

Little Locos will run monthly, with each session themed around objects from STEAM’s incredible collection. Places are limited and must be pre-booked, so early booking is recommended.

Also opening at the STEAM Museum is a new photographic exhibition, Recording 200 Years of the Railway, in partnership with Historic England.

Using the archives at STEAM and Historic England, both of which are housed in buildings that once formed part of the heart of the old GWR works, the exhibition shows images of the GWR and wider British rail network from the early years to modern times.

The exhibition in the museum’s Caerphilly Castle Hall explores themes such as constructing the railway, railway people and the railways at war through a mixture of printed and digital media.

Visitors will see a different side of the railways and how they changed life in Britain, from humble beginnings to a complex network that organised travel, goods and leisure.

Gary Winter, Archive Engagement & Content Officer for Historic England, said: “Historic England is delighted to collaborate with STEAM Museum in this celebration of Railway 200.

“Among the millions of photographs in the Historic England Archive’s collections are a wonderful array of images that show the nation’s railway heritage from the ground and from the air.

“This exhibition gives us the perfect opportunity to put some of our great photographs on display alongside those from STEAM’s own collections in the impressive setting of STEAM’s Caerphilly Castle Hall.

“With contributions from Historic England Archive staff and STEAM volunteers, our photographs illustrate the people and places that helped transform the country from the birth of the modern railway to the present day.”

Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, said: “Thanks to funding from GWR and support from Historic England, we’ve created two new experiences at STEAM that make it a capital-D Destination this summer.

“Seeing the little ones clamber on train engines is a joy. They interact with the heritage in a unique way that is fun and that connects them to the past in a direct and experiential way. Meanwhile kids of all ages get a window into the past through the Historic England photography exhibition that helps bring the Works to life.

“Already the Little Locos sessions are proving popular, so make sure you book your place."

More information, and booking instructions, can be found on the STEAM Museum’s website.