Conserving the past to inform the future

Return to Home Page

Recent Accessions

Enamel plate from the Victoria departure board. The Museum already owns the plate for Shefield Park and Horsted Keynes. Purchased by the Museum.

An LBSCR horse box lamp. Now included in the newly set up cartage display. On loan.

A Southern Railway advertising model. Now included in the newly set up cartage display. Purchased by the Museum with a 50% donation from the Carriage Shop at Horsted Keynes.

Enamel plate from the Victoria departure board. The Museum already owns the plate for Shefield Park. Purchased by the Museum.

The duplicate plate on the wall of the Museum.

One of the nameplates attached to the locomotive. Photo by Andrew Strongitharm.

Following the naming on the Class 66 locomotive Bluebell Railway at Horsted Keynes on 28 March 2013, GBRf the owners of the locomotive presented a duplicate nameplate to the Bluebell Railway. The locomotive had hauled the first train from Victoria to Sheffield Park in preservation.

Though not yet complete the Withyham Signal Box is now open for visitors when a Steward is in the Museum. Under supervision visitors can pull the levers. There are display panels describing the box and how it was used.

Two items put on display the same day. The Southern Sales League Ashtray was purchased by the Museum. The SECR armband was kindly donated by a visitor.

Two SECR items. A tin plate advertisment detailing Cross Channel services and a magnifying glass marked SECR Loco Dept. Purchased by the Museum.

Two of eleven model signals, scale 1.5 inch to 1 foot. Each can be operated with the attached minature frame. Generously donated by Mr R Coffin who made the signals.

A LBSCR WW1 service badge. All the Pre-Grouping Companies provided these badges to staff but for some unknown reason the LBSCR version is incrediably rare. Purchased by the Museum.

A British Railways totem sign from Machynlleth was found in the East Grinstead tip and has been presented to the Museum. The photograph, showing digger driver Darren Poulton, was taken on 4 March 2011.

A pair of LSWR gradient arms from Evercreech New on the Somerset & Dorset Railway. They will be used in the new Museum display. Purchased by the Museum.

A very unusual enamel sign, donated to the Museum a while ago by a member. It has now been restored. We believe this to be a very early Pullman sign.

One of 17 unusual advertising enamel signs recently donated to the Museum. It is hoped that all will find a place to be displayed on the Railway.

A very unusual SECR poster, dated 1919. Purchased by the Museum.

For some time, the Museum has had two model paddle steamers on loan from the National Railway Museum. Recently, after a survey by NRM staff, it was decided that each required some preservation work. The ships sailed off to the Science Museum for this work to be done and returned on Wednesday 15th September. The ships are in the new Museum at Sheffield Park.

PS Whippingham is seen above and PS Paris to the left. Click on the names for more information. Paris.     Whippingham.

Single line staff from the Cuckoo Line. Purchased at auction and donated by a member for the signalling display in the new Museum.

Smokebox number 30582 from an Adams Radial tank. (The Bluebell Adams was numbered 30583 by British Railways). Purchased by the Museum.

A superb O gauge model of a Brighton Atalntic in LBSCR livery. Generously donated to the Museum by a Bluebell Member.

LBSCR poster advertising the Cross Channel route via Newhaven - Dieppe. The model ship Paris, which the Museum has on loan from the National Railway Museum, operated this route. Purchased by the Museum.

A bound copy of the South Eastern Railway timetables for 1853. Twelve individual months bound together probably for use in the Railway Offices. Purchased by the Archive.

Not actually a new accession but a refurbished one. London Jack has been collecting money for Woking Homes for many years and before taking his place in the new museum it was decided to give him a well earned face lift. While the new museum is being built London Jack will be on show in the Museum room at Horsted Keynes. You can read more about Jack HERE.

One of three Southern Railway waiting room benches previously in use at Worplesdon station. All three have been donated to the Museum by South West Trains when they were replaced by modern metal versions. Two will be used in the waiting room area of the new museum with the third in the museum area at Horsted Keynes.

Enamel plate from the Southern Railway train departure board at Victoria. Generously donated to the Museum by a Bluebell Member.

LB&SCR wood/bone whistle on chain. Purchased by the Museum. A similar Southern Railway whistle has recently been donated to the Museum.

Brighton Railway Guide for Easter 1914. Purchased by the Archive.

Nameplate from Electro-Diesel 73004. Purchased for the Museum.

A superb LB&SCR Cap Badge. Generously donated to the Museum by a Bluebell Member.

1950s poster giving very visual information about the time taken to travel on the Atlantic Coast Express to Devon and Cornwall. Purchased by the Museum.

Southern Railway ships flag based on the naval Red Ensign. The flag was used on the Cross Channel ferries between Dover and Calais or Dunkerque and included sailings of the GOLDEN ARROW and the NIGHT FERRY. Purchased by the Museum.

Four pre-grouping publications from the LB&SCR and SE&CR. The Brighton Railway Homes booklet gives details of residential locations served by the Brighton. The three SE&CR booklets list places to visit for holidays, the route to the Continent and the annual report of the St John’s Ambulance, SE&CR section. Puchased by the Archive.

A glass paperweight produced by the LB&SCR for the Southern Belle. Almost impossible to photograph, the words etched into the glass read “LONDON BRIGHTON & SOUTH COAST RAILWAY - The Southern Belle Limited Pullman - The last word in luxurious travel - VICTORIA & BRIGHTON in 60 Minutes Each Way - Weekdays & Sundays”. Puchased by the Museum.

A London, Brighton & South Coast Railway handlamp. It is stamped YARD BOX NEW CROSS. Generously donated to the Museum by a Bluebell member.

Purchased as part of an end of collection auction lot, these six pages of foolscap paper make the case for British Railways to close the branch line between East Grinstead and Lewes. The savings effected by closure are £68,000 against a lose of revenue etc at £9,000. A re-typed PDF version of the document, without appendices, is available HERE. This document will be lodged in the reference section of the archive.

These plaques replaced the clock over the doorways at either end of the Pullman Car. Fingall, running on the Bluebell Railway, has had the clocks replaced so returning it to its original condition. The Museum was fortunate to be able to purchase both Fingall plaques.

In the new Museum there will be a section on transport predating railways. This piece of original Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Tramway dates from c1805 will be included in this section. Purchased by the Museum.