Collection: Rocks by Rail

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection started in 1980 when a small number of exhibits came to the new museum site (formerly derelict land) which was acquired as a replacement location for exhibits that operated under the aegis of the Market Overton Industrial Railway Association located on former quarry land at Market Overton, Rutland.

  During the early development of Rutland Railway Museum the surviving number of quarry and industrial railways was rapidly declining.

  The closure of the ironstone quarries serving the giant steelworks at nearby Corby presented the opportunity for the museum to acquire a representative range of railway wagons that were formerly used on the area’s quarry railways. As the museum sought to show to visitors what a quarry train looked like, a number of similar wagons to form a rake was acquired, rather than individual examples. This approach was followed through in tracking down and collecting historic quarry wagons from other sources where the wagons still existed in industrial service. Because of this approach the museum has the only comprehensive collection of standard gauge quarry rail wagons in the UK being able to re-create authentic historic quarry trains.

  To provide some covered accommodation for the expanding locomotive collection the museum acquired the former quarry locomotive shed at Woolsthorpe in the Vale of Belvoir. This was carefully taken down, transported and rebuilt at the museum by 1985 and used for restoration.

  The use of railways in industry suffered further marked declines in the mid 1980’s and a significant number of privately owned industrial locomotives arrived at the museum as exhibits, reflecting this steady decline.

  In 1986 the museum was able to secure as an exhibit the remaining driver’s cab of the giant SUNDEW quarry dragline which once worked in the County.

  For operational reasons a railway coach was acquired to permit visitors the opportunity of travelling along the museum’s demonstration line.

  The last quarry railway in the UK finally succumbed to modernisation in February 2005, bringing 200 years of industrial history to an end. The last locomotive in use and two wagons were donated to the museum by the quarry company.

  By 2006, the locomotive collection had grown to an almost unmanageable level. Many of these were non-operational privately owned exhibits on loan. A radical review of the collecting policy was undertaken and it was agreed that the collecting policy be amended to more sharply concentrate on the industrial heritage of quarry railways in the region. This led to the cessation of loans and the departure to other museums and railway preservation sites of a significant number of privately owned locomotive exhibits which did not fit the revised collecting policy. Under this policy change a number of museum owned locomotives that did not fit the revised policy were also found new homes at other railway sites. At the same time the museum was also able to secure the donation of a local ironstone quarry steam locomotive to the collection.

  In 2007 the museum site was expanded by acquiring adjacent land for a car park. This enabled the formation of a rail-connected mock ironstone quarry to be constructed to enable exhibits to be demonstrated to visitors. Some operational quarry machines obtained earlier were thus able to be put into a more authentic setting to better interpret quarry and quarry railway heritage.

  Major earthworks and rationalisation of the centre sidings of the museum was undertaken which ultimately provided the space necessary to erect a three track exhibition building. Most of the locomotives at the museum are now kept undercover in a secure building with visitor access.

  The museum’s Accession Register holds a total of 152 entries of which 41 ( 27 %) are items on loan to the museum. The vast majority of the on loan items are from the museum’s own members but two exhibits are on loan from the National Railway Museum, with individual exhibits also on loan from the National Coal Mining Museum for England, Bluebell Railway and Nene Valley Railway.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collection is diverse in size and scale. Most of the primary collection comprises large physical exhibits, which are displayed and operated as part of the museum.

  The museum has a number of Core Collections.

  • Vehicles and large exhibits directly related to the primary theme.
  • Documents, drawings, photographs and ephemera relating to the primary theme.
  • A collection of railway locomotives reflecting our primary aim.
  • A unique collection of railway freight wagons relating to the primary theme.
  • A range of quarrying equipment often used in conjunction with ironstone and quarry railway operations.

  The museum has two secondary but related themes. We are aware that some of our exhibits are complementary to our central theme but are worthy of consideration in their own right.

  1. Exhibits that were used in other quarrying and industrial activity in the region or the close proximity of the museum.
  2. A range of mechanical quarry plant exhibits built in Lincoln and reflecting the rich engineering heritage of that local City. In particular these exhibits are the products of Ruston & Hornsby as well as Ruston Bucyrus.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC