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Four engines in a row - Betty, Graham, Jean and Sir Thomas Royden.
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Discover the living ironstone museum in the heart of Rutland.

Our 2024 operating season starts on Sunday March 31st.
This year we showcase Sundew’s Great Walk – more on our Facebook pages.

  • IRON AGE SPEAR HEADS???

    At first glance it might seem that the archaeologists and historians at Rocks by Rail have unearthed some very fine examples of prehistoric archaeology in the form of iron age spear heads! Fearsome stuff for those unweary travellers in these parts 3,000 years ago! In reality, our curatorial team have put on display some of…

  • Who put that there?

    To the average punter, the dumping of 20 tons of granite track ballast on a rail line would appear to be bad news – not so at Cottesmore! Volunteers were surprised and cheered to see that through the kind support of aggregate and haulage firm Dickersons, a further load of ballast arrived to assist the…

  • Exhibit Returns to Work!

    On Tuesday 3rd July 2012 locomotive Andrew Barclay 499 left the Museum to return to work in industry! The Heritage movement is used to housing exhibits as they retire from work so the Museum was extremely pleased to assist W H Davis Ltd, railway wagon manufacturers based at Langwith Junction, Mansfield when their regular works…

  • Dig For Victory!

    The redevelopment of the Museum includes a number of features which will make volunteering easier and more rewarding in the future. Until now, the hard work of coaling locos has been done by hand with coal loaded from ground level by our hard working crews. Although authentic and great in theory, the reality is often…

  • National Railway Museum support RbR with exhibit loan

    The Museum has carefully tracked and monitored surviving locomotives and rolling stock used in the east midlands ironstone industry. One such survivor is British Railways 22 ton iron ore hopper built at Shildon in the 1950’s as running number B436275. Despite being built in huge numbers in a programme to modernise industry and rail transport,…

  • A Ghost Returns to its Old Haunts!

    When the huge Exton Park quarry system dieselised around fifty years ago, the resident fleet of distinctive steam locomotives were displaced and now only one or two of the type survive. It was with a great deal of pride that we welcomed part-restored Yorkshire Engine Company No.2521 to the Museum collection in early April 2012…

  • A Railway Emerges

    As the spring sunshine gives way to summer weather, our railway system starts to emerge for the months of building and heavy work. In the last month, the track under the concrete loading dock has been relayed including a staff and loader crossing, a catch point and the curve to connect with the passenger line…

  • A Chance Survivor

    Few wagons survive from the early pioneering days of quarrying in the east midlands so the Museum was intrigued to hear that a steel hopper wagon based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway might be a unique survivor. Preserved from the Rowntrees factory in York for use as a service vehicle on the famous tourist…

  • Hitting The Buffers!

    Trains need to stop and ours are no exception! In advance of operational visitor trains from our new platform, we have installed a reclaimed buffer stop at the end of the line. While not quite rivalling those at Kings Cross or Euston, our new installation will still carry out the same vital function on our…

  • The Great Divide!

    Still bearing signs of its former installation at Ketton Cement, the new bullhead point is installed at the junction of the platform and quarry lines. The pointwork is a vital and complicated piece of the railway infrastructure and the Museum was extremely pleased that a local firm was able to donate an old but hardly…

  • Drains and Foundations

    The railway trackwork needs good drainage and the team made sure that the new platform track bed included a deep lateral drain running to the existing drainage system. Using protective matting under a layer of limestone hard core, the required substrata were gradually installed. Once in position and connected to the existing manhole, the limestone…

  • Hopper Bounces Back!

    We regularly host  volunteering days with local schools, groups and companies. On 10th October 2011 we were pleased to welcome back a party of young volunteers who attend the local Oakham School. While many of the groups were involved in assisting with the major Museum rebuilding project, a team of young women were able to…

  • Let’s Get Started!

    After a great deal of planning and preparation, the track team started the central area rebuild today! The track was dismantled and the area cleared for the first time in 30 years as the planned redevelopment of the area became a reality. The fishplates, keys and rails were the first items to be removed, revealing…

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