East Anglian Railway Museum
East Anglian Railway Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
For over 50 years the East Anglian Railway Museum has been transporting visitors of all ages back in time to discover the unique history of the region’s railways. The site covers over 10 acres, you can explore our Victorian station, goods shed and signal boxes to see how passengers and freight have been transported over the years. With displays of steam and diesel locomotives, vintage carriages and wagons there is something to interest everyone. Our heritage centre looks behind the scenes of running the railways with a host of smaller artefacts on display. Working restoration shed where Volunteers bring the Engines and Rolling stock back to life. The Museum also includes a railway themed Children's Playground, Picnic Area and an ex-London bus converted into a Children's Play Bus. The award winning Platform 2 Café will be open every day the museum is open*, serving delicious homemade cakes, afternoon teas, lunches and great coffee! Picnic Area Venue hire for Weddings, Parties, etc
Duration: More than 3 hours
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- Sarah H5 contributionsGreat staff and lots to do for little onesWent to the Thomas day out , was great experience the trains were brillant and plenty of train trips to go on. Enjoyed the mini railway lots of fun. The santa and elf was very good. All staff at venue were very friendly kind and helpful we would highly recommend a visit , thanksVisited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 10 December 2023
- Caroline H4 contributionsFantastic day outWe visited EARM Transport Extravaganza day after our original plan fell through. We mainly planned to see the vintage cars but before we even got that far we had been on 2 train rides and a bus! Fantastic day out - so much to see even on a non-event day. Staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend.Visited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 27 May 2024
- Neil Jay27 contributionsHistorical railway museumBeen visiting Chappel for many years, this time we went by train. The fun of arriving at a railway museum by train, you get discount on the museum tickets if arriving by train. We went on a non event day so we could soak up the atmosphere at our leisure. This is more a museum than a railway, everything is based within the yard and a few minutes walk around the site. Lots of Essex and Anglian railway history, many exhibits. Platform Two cafe does wonderful food which you can enjoy while sitting in a carriage ,well stocked gift shop, knowledge and friendly volunteers, toilets at Platforms 1 & 3, there is disabled access ( please see reception for more information). A short walk down the lane takes you too the impressive viaduct, ( take care as you will have to walk in the road). Wonderful place for a day out, plenty of atmosphere, railway history and a nice escape.Visited June 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 12 July 2024
- Caroline W1 contributionGreat staff and day out!We loved Day Out With Thomas! We quickly found out our 3 year old loves Thomas but doesn't like the noise of the steam trains and whistles. It could have been a very short trip if it wasn't for wonderful lady at Reception who lent us some ear defenders that had just arrived for this very purpose. After this, our son lived riding the trains with the ear defenders on and enjoying the model railway, miniature railway, kids park and the double decker bus in the back field next to the railway line. Food was reasonably priced although we waited about 45 minutes for it. We came away with some fond memories and loved the experience. Great value for money. Thank you East Anglian Railway Museum!Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 19 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
266 reviews
Excellent
148
Very good
74
Average
24
Poor
9
Terrible
11
Olly Cat
London, UK68 contributions
Feb 2020
My son took me out for the day during my recovery from surgery with the intention of visiting the railway and having a meal at the station restaurant. We saw advertised a "Full English Breakfast" which as a special treat we ordered. The first disappointment was that the waitress told us that they had run out of mushrooms. Not a problem so we placed our order including a pot of tea for two, paid £21:90p and waited, and waited. After 90 minutes I went to the counter to ask what was happening and was told they had run out of food. However, other customers were still being served and we saw food delivered to the carriage which serves as the seating area. After some discussion the manageress declared that they would "give HIM his money back" and we left. It seems our faces did not fit in or we were not the right Colour. Do not expect anything like civil service should you visit this place. We were only grudgingly given our money back.
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hollie M
Wickford, UK46 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
We chose the Thomas day as my nearly 2 year old adores trains and my 4 year old also likes Thomas.
After seeing quite a negative review I felt the need to write this.
Firstly the parking attendants, ticket office, you name it are volunteers and all were friendly, helpful and gave lots of a advice. The website states very clearly about leaving buggies as they can't go on trains etc. So we left ours in the car, we also saw others with under one's using baby carriers. It's clear as a bell on the website and in the conformation emails that follow.
You go over the platform to the opposite side to access the trains and where you are also greeted by Thomas!! Very exciting for everyone to see, older or younger! Yeah the stairs are old and when wet potentially slippery but it's a old railway so can't complain!
As for the rides lasting 3 minutes - absolutely not the case! Yes it's only a 3/4 miles track (or something like that from memory) but again, the site clearly states this AND rides are unlimited! Thomas ride, Daisy ride and troublesome trucks all last up to 10 minutes, perfect for little ones with itchy feet. Complaining about the trucks being open air in December...erm it's a truck carriage, trucks don't have roofs on so don't go on if you're not wrapped up! Thomas had enclosed carriages as did Daisy! There is the miniature railway, the model railway complete with Sodor and Thomas trains all operating. The gentleman looking after it were happy to answer questions and very informative! There is also a good playground for under 12s and a old 80s London double decker to play on too!
We saw Santa and it's short n sweet but it's all you need. Tinkle the elf cracked jokes, Santa came out, gave the children a gift each (we got a Thomas puzzle and a game) and he sat with the kids and had a little chat and asked for pictures. It's not pitched as a "experience", it's to meet Santa, which the kids did and were very happy!
After that, The Fat controller, Rusty and Dusty done a little mini show singing songs and reading a Thomas story too.
Rounded off with a fabulous hot chocolate to warm us all up.
It's really sweet place and it's the second time we have been, once in the summer on a Steam day. I'd recommend this, especially with younger children too. Well done to all the fab workers for trying to give the kids a lovely Christmas!
After seeing quite a negative review I felt the need to write this.
Firstly the parking attendants, ticket office, you name it are volunteers and all were friendly, helpful and gave lots of a advice. The website states very clearly about leaving buggies as they can't go on trains etc. So we left ours in the car, we also saw others with under one's using baby carriers. It's clear as a bell on the website and in the conformation emails that follow.
You go over the platform to the opposite side to access the trains and where you are also greeted by Thomas!! Very exciting for everyone to see, older or younger! Yeah the stairs are old and when wet potentially slippery but it's a old railway so can't complain!
As for the rides lasting 3 minutes - absolutely not the case! Yes it's only a 3/4 miles track (or something like that from memory) but again, the site clearly states this AND rides are unlimited! Thomas ride, Daisy ride and troublesome trucks all last up to 10 minutes, perfect for little ones with itchy feet. Complaining about the trucks being open air in December...erm it's a truck carriage, trucks don't have roofs on so don't go on if you're not wrapped up! Thomas had enclosed carriages as did Daisy! There is the miniature railway, the model railway complete with Sodor and Thomas trains all operating. The gentleman looking after it were happy to answer questions and very informative! There is also a good playground for under 12s and a old 80s London double decker to play on too!
We saw Santa and it's short n sweet but it's all you need. Tinkle the elf cracked jokes, Santa came out, gave the children a gift each (we got a Thomas puzzle and a game) and he sat with the kids and had a little chat and asked for pictures. It's not pitched as a "experience", it's to meet Santa, which the kids did and were very happy!
After that, The Fat controller, Rusty and Dusty done a little mini show singing songs and reading a Thomas story too.
Rounded off with a fabulous hot chocolate to warm us all up.
It's really sweet place and it's the second time we have been, once in the summer on a Steam day. I'd recommend this, especially with younger children too. Well done to all the fab workers for trying to give the kids a lovely Christmas!
Written 19 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan B
Tewkesbury, UK227 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
Really enjoyed our time at the museum. We went on a day when they were running a steam train so went on that four times! Wasn't expecting to be as much to do as there was. What I thought would be a couple of hours visit turned out to be over five. With the rides on the train, also a miniature railway (which in all fairness isn't the best), model railway, the park as well as the actual museum exhibits it was well worth the entrance fee. I think it's probably quite unique as is attached to an active train station.
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your great review and spending 5 hours here
The miniature railway is at the first stage in its new location, when time and money allows our Volunteers plan to extend it further around the site.
Hope to see you again soon
East Anglian Railway Museum
Written 11 April 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Floridge
Great Yarmouth, UK1,051 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
I appreciate the time and dedication given by the volunteers to keep the museum and the railway events going, but sadly I was a little disappointed with my experience.
On arrival we headed over to the platform for the train ride, we piled on with lots of families only to find we were on the wrong train. There was no one around to guide us.
Following the crowd we made it to the correct platform and boarded a little trolley train. Again no one to welcome us or talk to the children. Mostly at these experiences there are lots of enthusiastic volunteers on every corner but only a guard who was quite mute. The driver arrived said nothing, drove us a few yards up and down a short piece of track and even the kids were embarrassed. I was expecting to go to the viaduct!
The cafe was nice, although a bit under resourced for a busy summers day, and the exhibitions were just lacking a little something. It’s a bit of a jumble and some interesting bits are easy to miss in the portakabin Heritage Centre.
Railways buffs and 4 year olds probably appreciate it more than we did, maybe our expectations were just too high.
On arrival we headed over to the platform for the train ride, we piled on with lots of families only to find we were on the wrong train. There was no one around to guide us.
Following the crowd we made it to the correct platform and boarded a little trolley train. Again no one to welcome us or talk to the children. Mostly at these experiences there are lots of enthusiastic volunteers on every corner but only a guard who was quite mute. The driver arrived said nothing, drove us a few yards up and down a short piece of track and even the kids were embarrassed. I was expecting to go to the viaduct!
The cafe was nice, although a bit under resourced for a busy summers day, and the exhibitions were just lacking a little something. It’s a bit of a jumble and some interesting bits are easy to miss in the portakabin Heritage Centre.
Railways buffs and 4 year olds probably appreciate it more than we did, maybe our expectations were just too high.
Written 20 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matthew M
Enfield, UK68 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
We enjoyed a good few hours at this museum & cafe with two young children (2 and 5 years old. It was a Diesel day so the ride on the small diesel train, and miniature railway were the highlights. Most exhibits are ‘hands on’ including a red double decker bus, and trains that are painted like Thomas and Percy. A bit of a queue for the cafe (it was Wednesday in half term) but good jacket potatoes and sandwiches which you can eat on a train or outside. There were not many volunteers or staff to hand to help when we visited and we found signage a little confusing but got there in the end and think most would enjoy a visit.
Written 30 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Telboy freelance
Southport, UK301 contributions
Nov 2021 • Family
Where do I start with this gem.....
Booked it online night before 20 quid bargain
Arrived at 10am and went into reception met by a friendly member of staff informed me of where to go and even phoned the cafe to make sure they were open very polite friendly and that was an initial view from this gentlemen and basically how it carried on throughout the visit
The exhibits were fantastic you could go.on the carriages and for me reliving my youth haha what's more you could go into a signal box a real one and have a go on the levers fantastic kids loved it
We then decided to go to cafe and in site I'm sure it said breakfast so was a bit disappointed only baps available and sod take half hour for the sausage and bacon bap which was a tad excessive however the staff again were lovely and great with the children and was great sitting on a carriage having our snack
We then continued down the site to the goods shed and went on a later carriage then into goods shed there is also a bus you can go on and a kids park to play in and last but not least the model train set which was great
Definite recommend this place and the volunteers go out their way to say hello and helpful they do such an amazing job and a definite gem of a place
Booked it online night before 20 quid bargain
Arrived at 10am and went into reception met by a friendly member of staff informed me of where to go and even phoned the cafe to make sure they were open very polite friendly and that was an initial view from this gentlemen and basically how it carried on throughout the visit
The exhibits were fantastic you could go.on the carriages and for me reliving my youth haha what's more you could go into a signal box a real one and have a go on the levers fantastic kids loved it
We then decided to go to cafe and in site I'm sure it said breakfast so was a bit disappointed only baps available and sod take half hour for the sausage and bacon bap which was a tad excessive however the staff again were lovely and great with the children and was great sitting on a carriage having our snack
We then continued down the site to the goods shed and went on a later carriage then into goods shed there is also a bus you can go on and a kids park to play in and last but not least the model train set which was great
Definite recommend this place and the volunteers go out their way to say hello and helpful they do such an amazing job and a definite gem of a place
Written 10 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob C
Chelmsford, UK23 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
As a family we were excited for the children to enjoy a 3 hour session with Thomas the tank engine and friends.
However in the end it was quite the opposite.
The train ride on Thomas and friends is extremely disappointing. You go about 5 miles an hour or under 100 yds up the track, back down again to change track the and Back. It took under 10 minutes and thankfully we only did it the once.
The open cart that Percy pulled was at least a little bit more interesting but obviously for safety goes just as slow.
Santa was shocking. He couldn't have been over 25. And the gifts I purchased before hand for £7 each weren't even Thomas related and in bulk I doubt they even cost 50p each.
I don't know if I was expecting too much, but for the price I definitely hoping for more. We paid £55 for two adults and 2 kids plus £14 for presents on top.
If you've got children that desperately want to walk everywhere but are unsteady on their feet I'd say this event is not for you yet. Reminding that it's a working train station and yard.
Rusty and dusty show was..not great. Glad the little one caused a fuss so we could walk out.
Also, Would it hurt to pressure wash Thomas for the event? And why does he have fake paint splatters all over him?
Overall it just didn't seem like there was alot to do after taking a picture of the trains.
Would also not recommend for Xmas. Too damn cold and the train got stuck for 45 minutes up the track with us people on it.
However in the end it was quite the opposite.
The train ride on Thomas and friends is extremely disappointing. You go about 5 miles an hour or under 100 yds up the track, back down again to change track the and Back. It took under 10 minutes and thankfully we only did it the once.
The open cart that Percy pulled was at least a little bit more interesting but obviously for safety goes just as slow.
Santa was shocking. He couldn't have been over 25. And the gifts I purchased before hand for £7 each weren't even Thomas related and in bulk I doubt they even cost 50p each.
I don't know if I was expecting too much, but for the price I definitely hoping for more. We paid £55 for two adults and 2 kids plus £14 for presents on top.
If you've got children that desperately want to walk everywhere but are unsteady on their feet I'd say this event is not for you yet. Reminding that it's a working train station and yard.
Rusty and dusty show was..not great. Glad the little one caused a fuss so we could walk out.
Also, Would it hurt to pressure wash Thomas for the event? And why does he have fake paint splatters all over him?
Overall it just didn't seem like there was alot to do after taking a picture of the trains.
Would also not recommend for Xmas. Too damn cold and the train got stuck for 45 minutes up the track with us people on it.
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark H
Hitchin, UK40 contributions
Aug 2021
I was given a Driver Experience as a birthday present and visited on a sunny Summer Sunday in August 2021. The whole time exceeded my expectations. The welcome was friendly and both Michael and Chelsea who oversaw the trip were keen to answer questions and to ensure that my wife and I enjoyed the event. We were shown around and on the loco Mike and Jack in particular were keen to show me what to do. Within minutes, I was starting to move the engine and bring it to a stop on several trips. This is a working museum rather than a preserved railway but it enables you to go back in time and to appreciate the atmosphere of a country station before the car took over the world. The whole place is run by enthusiastic volunteers who are clearly having as good a time as their visitors. Thank you and we'll be back!
Written 18 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fatberts
Huntingdon, England, United Kingdom99 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Fairly cheap to get in compared to other train / railways but for a good reason the train only goes about 1/2 a mile you are literally on it for 5 minutes.
Loads for children to do , great park , little exhibition, nice mini railway . All the staff were wonderful and helpful except the woman serving in the cafe .
I appreciate it was hot and busy but she was very rude .
Food took 40 minutes to arrive and we only had a paninis and a kids bag . Which was an absolute rip off . Kids bag £5.50 - you get half a sandwich, a bag of crisps, a fun size Milky Way and a juice oh and two broken crayons . This must have a cost price of £1 . Food was nice but I won’t bother again
Loads for children to do , great park , little exhibition, nice mini railway . All the staff were wonderful and helpful except the woman serving in the cafe .
I appreciate it was hot and busy but she was very rude .
Food took 40 minutes to arrive and we only had a paninis and a kids bag . Which was an absolute rip off . Kids bag £5.50 - you get half a sandwich, a bag of crisps, a fun size Milky Way and a juice oh and two broken crayons . This must have a cost price of £1 . Food was nice but I won’t bother again
Written 2 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
john e
1 contribution
Dec 2022
My young son loves steam trains regardless of if they are working or not. Yesterday we went on a visit and one of us checked the closing time which was at 16:00.
We wanted to have lunch and then have a quick look around the museum.
Unfortunately, as we arrived at the Cafe at 14:00 we were told rather abruptly that they closed at 14:00 and refused to serve us any food. The staff could see we had a young child but that made no difference. To make matters worse they said they could serve us drinks but no food! To my mind if you can serve one you can serve the other, and it would not have taken much for them to keep the kitchen open 10 minutes longer so we could eat properly.
When we arrived at the museum nobody told us that the Cafe would close early at 14:00. The website for a non-operational Wednesday clearly states 15:00!
Not a pleasant visit and rather disappointing as we had to leave early to go home and eat. Customer service and welcome at the Cafe leave a lot to be desired.
We wanted to have lunch and then have a quick look around the museum.
Unfortunately, as we arrived at the Cafe at 14:00 we were told rather abruptly that they closed at 14:00 and refused to serve us any food. The staff could see we had a young child but that made no difference. To make matters worse they said they could serve us drinks but no food! To my mind if you can serve one you can serve the other, and it would not have taken much for them to keep the kitchen open 10 minutes longer so we could eat properly.
When we arrived at the museum nobody told us that the Cafe would close early at 14:00. The website for a non-operational Wednesday clearly states 15:00!
Not a pleasant visit and rather disappointing as we had to leave early to go home and eat. Customer service and welcome at the Cafe leave a lot to be desired.
Written 29 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear of your disappointment regarding Platform Two Cafe, which is run by an external supplier to the Museum, Stour Valley Catering. They can be contacted via their Facebook site. We will follow up your comments, and ask that they let our Visitor Reception Staff know should they be closing early any days in which we are planned to be open. Again, please accept our apologies and we hope to see you back at the Museum.
Written 3 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thinking of booking Thomas Day Out ......but how long is the running track ?
Are the children liable to be disappointed with the length of time spent chugging along on Thomas.
Written 7 May 2018
It's not a long track but it is a great day out if the weather holds, there are lots of attractions as well as other friends of Thomas to see.
Written 7 May 2018
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