West Somerset Gauge Museum refit complete
THE West Somerset Steam Railway Trust has completed a £60,000 refurbishment of its popular Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard station.
The upgrade, backed by a £40,000 National Heritage Lottery Fund grant, began in July 2018 and centred around a fresh look at Somerset’s railway history, brought up to date using modern museum interpretation methods.
The story of the West Somerset Railway is retold in a way that it will appeal to families and enthusiasts alike, and aims to provide a valuable resource for local schools too as they tackle science, technology, engineering and maths subjects.
The Gauge Museum’s interpretation work has been supported and developed by Smith and Jones Design Consultants Ltd, interpretation and design specialists based in Bristol who help museums, visitor centres and family attractions enhance their visitor experience with carefully thought-out communication and inspirational design.
Trust chairman Chris Austin said: “We have transformed the Gauge Museum not only to appeal to visitors to the WSR, but also to illustrate to our local community the rich heritage of the longest heritage railway in England.
“Our volunteers have pulled out all the stops to complete this huge task over the short winter period, and the results are stunning. I am so grateful to everyone who has contributed to this wonderful project.”
The Gauge Museum will be open whenever WSR trains are running and stewards will also be on hand to open the Steam Trust’s unique Victorian sleeping car on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, plus WSR Gala days, until October.
A planned opening of the museum on March 21 was cancelled and along with the rest of the railway, it will remain closed until the end of the coronavirus crisis.