Crewe Heritage Centre

Crewe Heritage Centre is a railway museum located in Crewe, England. Managed by the Crewe Heritage Trust, the museum is located between the railway station and the town centre; the site was the location of the 'Old Works' which was demolished in the early 1980s.

1. History

The centre was established in the old London, Midland and Scottish Railway yard, which was once part of Crewe Works, between the junction to Chester and the West Coast Main Line. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on 24 July 1987. It was renamed in 1992 as Crewe Railway Age by the owning registered charity but, after the management of the centre was taken over by a new group of volunteers, the museum returned to its original name of Crewe Heritage Centre in early 2008.

1. Exhibits

The centre has a series of exhibits, ranging from the only surviving APT-P train, a miniature railway, model railways, three open signal boxes (Crewe Station A, Crewe North Junction and Exeter West) and a varied collection of standard gauge steam, diesel and electric locomotives, as well as occasional visiting locomotives. The Main Exhibition Hall features many artefacts and exhibits associated with Crewe, from its locomotive and carriage construction to its famous junction railway station.

1. = Advanced Passenger Train =

Built by British Rail (BR) the 1970s and 1980s, this Class 370 Advanced Passenger Train (APT) is the only surviving APT-P set. Numbered 370 003/006, it is open at all times with an occasional cafe run from the original buffet car (selected days only). The APT-P museum can be found inside one of the carriages, with photographs on display from the APT project. The set was tilted for the first time in preservation in 2013. In early 2018, an additional surviving APT powercar (M49006) arrived at the museum. It is displayed separately alongside the main set.

1. = Miniature Railway =

Constructed in 1992, the Crewe Heritage Centre Miniature Railway is a 600 metre long 184mm (7.25 in) gauge ride, the railway takes visitors on a trip from 'Crewe Old Works' station to 'Spider Bridge' station via Forge End station and the optional return journey. The railway includes a mixture of Steam, Petrol and Battery Electric locomotives; rides on this attraction are included in the museum admission price.

1. = Exhibition Hall =

The Heritage Centre is also home to a 1,000m2 Exhibition Hall, which doubles both as an event space and as the main museum building. It features displays and exhibits about the town of Crewe. During the 2018/19 closed season, the building underwent a light refurbishment; this included replacement of the original 1987 entrance doors and a full internal repaint.

1. = Signal boxes =

Crewe Station A: Open for display purposes, this box was moved onto the site after closure in 1985. Crewe North Junction: Built in 1939 and designed to withstand the Luftwaffe bombs of World War II, the box is constructed out of concrete and has an 46 cm (18") thick roof and 38 cm (15") thick walls. Located between the West Coast Main Line and Crewe-Chester line, its location is perfect for viewing passing mainline trains. Demonstrations of how the box was used often take place and are linked to a simulator. In 1987, the building was extended to provide more room for the Heritage Centre, including a cafe and small shop, and to include a large U.S. model railway.

Exeter West: Used to control the split at Exeter between the Great Western Railway and the Southern Railway. With 131 levers, it was a Special Class A signal box, with only the best signalmen authorised to operate it. Since being rebuilt at Crewe, volunteers operate it on every weekend using a demonstration 1960s timetable; this includes the hectic Summer Saturday service, which saw famous expresses such as the Torbay Express, Atlantic Coast Express and the Cornishman.

1. Examples of stock held


1. See also

List of museums in Cheshire

1. Distinguish from

Crewe Railroad Museum in Crewe, Virginia, USA

1. References


1. Further reading

Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2012). Stafford to Chester. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 73-75. ISBN 9781908174345. OCLC 830024480.

1. External links

Official website

Nearby Places View Menu

Crewe Works Railway

The Crewe Works Railway was a minimum-gauge internal tramway system serving Crewe Works, the main locomotive construction works of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and later the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The system was first introduced by John Ramsbottom the LNWR Locomotive Superintendent from 1857 and it was a pioneering use of locomotive propelled vehicles within a manufacturing plant. The Crewe system was soon adopted elsewhere. There were four sections to this system built at different times and each in turn significantly altered several times before final abandonment. The four sections were: The Original LNWR (Old) Works (authorised 17 October 1861) The LNWR Steel Works (authorised 20 October 1864) The LNWR Deviation Works (built in the late 1860s) The Spider Bridge extension to Crewe railway station (built in 1878). Of the above, the first section dating from 1862 was within the original locomotive works first built in 1843 and expanded many times as the railway system grew. Prior to the introduction of the tramway, most internal transport was by hand-cart and barrow. The original lines totalled 550 yards (500 m) and a further 300 yards (270 m) were added later. The "Old Works" section ceased operation around 1929. The second, the steel works section, and largest of all, was always self-contained. From its authorisation on 20 October 1864, it lasted under locomotive haulage until the closure of steel production in 1932, but also in one short (and occasionally used hand-propelled) section in the iron foundry until about 1960. The third, the deviation works section (latterly devoted entirely to the joinery department), was an extensive system built on at least three levels and was an entirely separate, hand-propelled tramway, which survived in spasmodic use until about 1980. Several relics, including examples of trackwork and three wagons, survive from this installation. The fourth and final extension of the works tramway was of the "Old Works" system through to Crewe station, built in 1878 with the construction of the famous "Spider Bridge". This was essentially a typical railway footbridge providing pedestrian access from the works to the station and built on stilts and suspension cables for several hundred yards across the entire Crewe North junction. The bridge carried the 18-inch, single-line tramway down its centre. The spider bridge terminated at the station in a "T" junction with a footbridge spanning all passenger platforms at the north end of the station. The bridge from the works survived as a footbridge until 1939, but was apparently little used by locomotives after 1920. Goods for transfer between the works and the station had to be transferred between the tramway and the station platform via the footbridge steps. This was an unusual and serious limitation of its usefulness. Following the abandonment of the locomotive-hauled tramway, most internal works transport at Crewe has been provided by rubber-tyred, diesel/petrol-powered tractors and trailers.

Industrial Landmark

Crewe Stadium

Crewe Stadium, also known by several other names including, Earle Street, LMR Sports Ground and BR Sports Ground, was a stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. Located north of Crewe railway station, it was used for speedway and stock car racing. The track was redeveloped in 1993 and is now the site of a retail park.

Stadium

Christ Church Tower, Crewe

Christ Church Tower is a Gothic Revival church tower in Prince Albert Street, Crewe, Cheshire, England. It was built in 1877 for Christ Church parish church, and retained when much of the church was demolished in 1977. Within the shell of the former church there is now a memorial garden. The tower has a ring of ten bells, all cast by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon in 1912. The tower is a Grade II listed building.

Church Historic Site

Crewe North Junction signal box

Crewe North Junction signal box is signal box with a Westinghouse All Electric Style 'L' lever frame which was commissioned, along with Crewe South Junction signal box (which also had a Westinghouse Style 'L' frame), on 29 March 1940 as part of a resignalling project at Crewe railway station. It saw continued use until 19 July 1985 when it was decommissioned for a redesign of Crewe station and its track layout and signalling.

Industrial Landmark