Full steam ahead as Rail Gala Weekend returns to Amberley Museum, showcasing one of the most important collections of industrial railway equipment in the UK

​The museum will be showcasing its railway collection this weekend, with the Rail Gala taking place on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23.

There will be lots for visitors to see and do on the day, from riding on steam and diesel passenger trains, to visiting the model railway exhibition.

The history of the Industrial Railway Collection at Amberley actually goes back further than the initial concept of the museum, with the formation of the Brockham collection and acquisitions by the Narrow Gauge Railway Society during the 1950s and 1960s.

The Brockham collection included two 2ft gauge steam locomotives, Polar Bear and Peter, both at that time in varying states of disrepair. Restoration of both was subsequently completed at Amberley.

Peter will be in steam over the gala weekend and visitors can enjoy a ride behind this magnificent 105-year-old locomotive.

Polar Bear was taken out of service on October 29 last year due to the expiry of its ten-year boiler certificate and now needs a complete mechanical and boiler overhaul, including retubing and restudding of the boiler and a new main steam pipe.

Initially, the collection at Amberley Museum was envisaged as a small operation, demonstrating typical industrial narrow gauge trains. The first locomotive to arrive on site was the Motor Rail Hibberd 1980/1936, donated by Southern Water and previously used at the City of Chichester Sewage Works at Apuldram.

In 1982, the local Thakeham Tiles company decided to dispense with its short narrow-gauge railway in favour of a conveyor belt system. The company donated the entire railway, track, wagons and locos to the museum on condition it removed the whole thing over one weekend! It was done – a great achievement.

Some of the track, one of the locos and the wagons are still in use at Amberley. Thakeham Tiles No.4 is Hudson Hunslet 3653/1946. The rear end was rebuilt by Thakeham Tiles to enable the locomotive to enter a low building containing a wagon unloading hopper.

Hudson Hunslet 2208/1941, Thakeham Tiles No.3, is also part of the collection. This originally worked at the Trevor Quarry Co in North Wales and after purchase by Thakeham Tiles, received the same cab modifications as No.4.

This was originally as far as development of the collection was to go until in 1982, when the collection of industrial and narrow gauge items that had been kept at the Brockham Museum site, near Dorking, was brought to Amberley as the Brockham Museum Trust found it was unable to develop further.

With it came many interesting locomotives, rolling stock and sundry related items and the much-enlarged collection has become one of the most significant in the UK. It also resulted in the railway collection at Amberley taking a completely new direction, in that a passenge r-carrying line was proposed and built.

Visitors to Amberley Museum on Rail Gala Weekend can enjoy seeing trains in action alongside all the other attractions the museum has to offer, including beautiful nature trails, the Southdown Bus collection, a working print shop and historic craftworkers. Tickets must be pre-booked online via www.amberleymuseum.co.uk

You can help support the overhaul of Polar Bear at www.justgiving.com/campaign/supportpolarbear