MIDLAND RAILWAY CENTRE
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO THE MIDLAND RAILWAY CENTRE
INFORMATION
Location: Off the A6179 at Butterley Hill, north of Ripley.
Visit: Enjoy a stroll through the 35-acre Country Park, which will reveal glimpses of an industrial past as well as sightings of wildlife.
Refreshments: Refreshments are available in the shop at Butterley Station and Deeleys Tearoom at Swanwick Station. Check for special offers.
Ripley stands in an elevated position with good views across the valleys of the River Amber and Derwent. The market place is the focal point of the town. Ripley is a good place to shop with a wide variety of shops.
MIDLAND RAILWAY CENTRE
The Midland Railway Centre at Ripley came about as a result of a proposal to commemorate the role of the Midland Railway in the industrial history of Derby. In 1969, the decision was taken to create both a working and static museum dedicated to the history and development of the railway. After considering several options, the Pye Bridge to Ambergate line, which had closed in 1968, was selected.
Derby Corporation and Derbyshire County Council supported the project, realising the benefits that reclamation would bring, including leisure opportunities, in an area of industrial dereliction. Unfortunately, only part of the original line remained as the track west of the A38 had vanished with the realignment of the A610, leaving only the three and a half miles from Hammersmith to Pye Bridge.
Escalating costs saw the withdrawal from the project of both the County Council and Derby Corporation. However, the Midland Railway Project Group, a voluntary labour force, which had supported the venture from its earliest days, remained. The volunteers decided to continue with the project and they formed The Midland Railway Company Limited on 20 February 1973, which three years later became the Midland Railway Trust.
A formidable task for the volunteers lay ahead when work started in 1973, but slowly and surely, the railway took shape. Butterley became the base, and an identical station was moved from Whitwell to replace the original one that had once stood on the site. In 1975, a steam open day with locomotives in steam and memorabilia on display took place.
Over the years, The Midland Railway Centre has expanded so that it is now much more than a railway and provides a great day out for all the family. With a railway museum to explore, a demonstration signal box, a Victorian railwayman’s church, a country park and much more. But the main highlight for most visitors is a ride on a train.
