A working museum dedicated to preserving the history of railways in the Eastern Counties, our Victorian buildings, restored trains and working signal boxes tell a story of a time when the railway was one of the largest employers in the region. Open Weekends and Wednesdays from 10.00 to 17.00 - Please See Timetable for Details.
Pull levers, press buttons, dress up as the Station Master and learn all about the railways of yesteryear. Enjoy coffees, cream teas and light lunches on a vintage railway carriage - also open to the public. Mike Stanbury is a Trustee and Former Chairman of the East Anglian Railway Museum, having been involved with the organisation for over 50 years.
Pull levers, press buttons, dress up as the Station Master and learn all about the railways of yesteryear. Enjoy coffees, cream teas and light lunches on a vintage railway carriage - also open to the public. Mike Stanbury is a Trustee and Former Chairman of the East Anglian Railway Museum, having been involved with the organisation for over 50 years.
Services
Find out when we are open, prices and details of any special offers, as well as accessibility information and what else you can expect to find on site during your visit. If you wish to find out about our special events, please have a look at our What's On Page. The East Anglian Railway Museum is a registered charity that is run and operated by people like you.
Small Trains Day including Unlimited SteamTrain Rides and your opportunity to Drive a Diesel for 10. Another firm favourite with families this is a great way to visit the Museum and have unlimited rides in our vintage wagons pulled by one of our fleet of Steam Engines.
If you would like to Drive a Diesel for 10 please use the our online booking system to book your slot - please be aware this is an approximate time, and you should arrive in good time for your time on the engine.We operate unlimited rides between 11am - 3pm, the museum opens at 10am right through until 5pm during the dates below!
If you would like to Drive a Diesel for 10 please use the our online booking system to book your slot - please be aware this is an approximate time, and you should arrive in good time for your time on the engine.We operate unlimited rides between 11am - 3pm, the museum opens at 10am right through until 5pm during the dates below!
Join Thomas & Friends for a day of family fun at The East Anglian Railway Museum. Take a ride behind Thomas, meet The Fat Controller and say "Hello" to Sodor Station Sweepers Rusty and Dusty. Please read the terms & conditions carefully and use the contact form (or contact number) on their website if you have any specific enquiries.
We prefer contactless / card payments where possible to reduce unnecessary contact. 5% discount if tickets purchased online. You can add on one of our 'Family Trails', which is an excellent way to keep your kids on their toes looking out for items as they follow the route round the museum. Museum Day ticket prices include a 10% voluntary donation which enables us to reclaim tax on the whole ticket price under Gift Aid.
The East Anglian Railway Museum is based at Chappel & Wakes Colne Railway Station, a working station on the Gainsborough Line that links Marks Tey in Essex with Sudbury in Suffolk. We are located in the villages of Chappel and Wakes Colne, near Colchester in Essex on the A1124 Colchester to Halstead Road.
Reviews (18)
Dawn Helm-Nurney
Dec 31, 2021
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Amazing place. My boys loved it here. The trains and museum are really interesting. You can ride the steam train too. The have lots of events throughout the year. The staff are really helpful too. Martin went out of his way to show us some stuff and gave us extra information, brilliant. We'll definitely visit again.
Daniel Schofield
Dec 30, 2021
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Laura Rozier
Dec 21, 2021
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The best day out with my train crazy 4 year old! We rode on Thomas, saw various characters, meet the Fat Controller, saw the rusty & dusty show, Father Christmas and more! So much to do and see he was knackered! The festive day with Thomas was great for all ages! We will deffo be back in the summer!
Random Rosh
Dec 21, 2021
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Henry Spurgeon
Dec 18, 2021
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Visited here for the CAMRA beer festivals, Thomas the Tank Engine days and general visits. It has always been a great experience and continues to grow/improve. Lovely peaceful site to explore, lots to see on steam days and plenty of friendly volunteer staff helping it all run smoothly. Highly recommend to families and train enthusiasts.
Gav War
Dec 14, 2021
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Craig Messenger
Dec 12, 2021
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Chris Gurton
Dec 12, 2021
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Hannah Rose
Nov 04, 2021
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We had the best day out with Thomas! Every single part of the day was superb! My little boy loved Thomas, Toby and the troublesome trucks and waving at sir topham hat! The staff and volunteers were fantastic, really great atmosphere and lots to keep our little one entertained. Thank you for a great day ❤️
Sarah Clarke
Oct 28, 2021
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Gill Gant
Oct 09, 2021
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Claire Skidqueen Sales
Sep 27, 2021
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Fantastic heritage rail station, which still has mainline trains stopping on site. Vast array of various theme days running throughout the year, with something that is suitable for both young and big kids. Reasonably priced theme days, but entry to the station, shop and cafe is free if you're not riding any trains. The platform 2 cafe serves hot and cold drinks and some lovely looking meals, there are kids meal options too, all reasonable in price. Staff are friendly and informative, helpful if needed and make the whole experience very pleasant. Well worth a visit with all the family, set in some
Bel Ballantyne
Sep 19, 2021
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A few interesting things to see from a non train enthusiast prospective, but my 3 year old son loved it. Visited on a standard admission day on a Wednesday, so only small number of visitors. Tickets were sold out for the Thomas day. Spent most of the day there. Old signal box which was quite cool, pulling the old levers. Watched them shunting trucks about using a diesel engine. Looked around the restoration shed where Thomas and Percy where currently being stored. Explored some old carriages and a few rooms. Also big grass field for a picnic although not many benches. Old London bus you can sit
Elena Wilkins
Aug 29, 2021
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Absolutely loved our visit today. The children loved meeting and riding with Thomas and his friends, and even though Percy was ‘poorly’ they were thrilled to still be able to have a photo with him! The staff/ volunteers were amazing, friendly and looked great too!
The food in the cafe we initially thought was a little pricey BUT soon changed our mind when we received our food. Massive portions and all freshly made! It was delicious and so worth the money.
10/10 from us.
The food in the cafe we initially thought was a little pricey BUT soon changed our mind when we received our food. Massive portions and all freshly made! It was delicious and so worth the money.
10/10 from us.
Jo Heard
Aug 28, 2021
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What a well organised fun day we had at the museum today. We have been in the past but today was our first Thomas Day . It was a great atmosphere and myself my partner and his autistic child had a ball. He was able to have more than one ride on each train It was so nice to see so many people and all the attractions open. We have our tickets booked Christmas. Thank you to all staff for a great day
Sally Wagland
Aug 28, 2021
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Anna Dada
Aug 11, 2021
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Terry Husher
Jul 20, 2021
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