News from the Midland Railway Study Centre

Summer 2010

The Museum have started work on a new display close to the Study Centre which will incorporate artefacts from our collection. A Midland Railway booking office is being constructed which will allow visitors to "look back in time".

Our volunteers continue to work hard behind the scenes cataloguing our collections. The most striking outcome of this work is Andy Boothman's efforts to organise the dozens of rolls of Carriage & Wagon plans, many of which remain in the same condition in which they were rescued from Litchurch Lane in the early 1970s. Once this treasure trove is fully examined it will prove invaluable to the modeller of Midland Railway rolling stock.

Visitors continue to make use of the research facilities, with a wide range of topics being studied. Even so, we usually have capacity during our opening days, so if you are interested in doing some research, please get in touch.

Winter 2009/2010

The Study Centre has been working with Derby Museum's Education Officer, Laura Simpson who is developing several railway themed displays and activities for children in the Silk Mill Museum. Whilst there's not much we can do to help with the activity aimed at under 5's (a scavenger hunt around the museum rewarded by the opportunity to become an "engine driver"), we have added to the Uniform themed display. Whilst various junk shops have been visited for old uniform caps for the children to use, the interpretation will involve facsimile material from the Study Centre's collections.

This postcard from the John Alsop Collection illustrates MR women employee's uniforms during the First World War

Behind the scenes the winter period has seen a minor reshuffle of storage with non-accessioned material being moved out of the main Study Centre store into an annexe - freeing up some much needed space in the main store itself.

The Study Centre continues to work with external organisations to assist in their aims. We hold a drawing of the Whatstandwell station footbridge, for example, which will prove invaluable to Peak Rail in reassembling the Darley Dale footbridge this summer. Topics studied recently range from the effects of the MR abolishing second class travel on wider society, to the study of geomorphology on the decisions of early railway pioneers in building railways. Meanwhile there continues to be a more-than-steady trickle of family history related enquiries with genealogists anxious to learn more of their ancestor's railway careers.

Recent Donations to the Study Centre are now listed on their own page.

All-in-all, although the winter - in particular the recent snowfall - naturally results in a down-turn in activity in the Study Centre, it continues to see regular and productive use.

NEWS FROM THE MIDLAND RAILWAY STUDY CENTRE
Summer 2010 The Museum have started work on a new display close to the Study Centre which will incorporate artefacts from our collection. A Midland Railway booking office is being constructed which will allow visitors to "look back in time". Our volunteers continue to work hard behind the scenes cataloguing our collections. The most striking outcome of this work is Andy Boothman's efforts to organise the dozens of rolls of Carriage & Wagon plans, many of which remain in the same condition in which they were rescued from Litchurch Lane in the early 1970s. Once this treasure trove is fully examined it will prove invaluable to the modeller of Midland Railway rolling stock. Visitors continue to make use of the research facilities, with a wide range of topics being studied. Even so, we usually have capacity during our opening days, so if you are interested in doing some research, please get in touch. Winter 2009/2010 The Study Centre has been working with Derby Museum's Education Officer, Laura Simpson who is developing several railway themed displays and activities for children in the Silk Mill Museum. Whilst there's not much we can do to help with the activity aimed at under 5's (a scavenger hunt around the museum rewarded by the opportunity to become an "engine driver"), we have added to the Uniform themed display. Whilst various junk shops have been visited for old uniform caps for the children to use, the interpretation will involve facsimile material from the Study Centre's collections. This postcard from the John Alsop Collection illustrates MR women employee's uniforms during the First World War Behind the scenes the winter period has seen a minor reshuffle of storage with non-accessioned material being moved out of the main Study Centre store into an annexe - freeing up some much needed space in the main store itself. The Study Centre continues to work with external organisations to assist in their aims. We hold a drawing of the Whatstandwell station footbridge, for example, which will prove invaluable to Peak Rail in reassembling the Darley Dale footbridge this summer. Topics studied recently range from the effects of the MR abolishing second class travel on wider society, to the study of geomorphology on the decisions of early railway pioneers in building railways. Meanwhile there continues to be a more-than-steady trickle of family history related enquiries with genealogists anxious to learn more of their ancestor's railway careers. Recent Donations to the Study Centre are now listed on their own page. All-in-all, although the winter - in particular the recent snowfall - naturally results in a down-turn in activity in the Study Centre, it continues to see regular and productive use.