History
The museum’s journey began in 1968 when the Stour Valley Railway Preservation Society (SVRPS) was formed with the aim of preserving the recently closed stretch of line from Sudbury to Long Melford. However, due to funding challenges, this initial project was unsuccessful. Undeterred, the society re-established itself in 1969 at the disused Chappel and Wakes Colne Station after securing a lease from British Rail for the derelict goods yard, goods shed, signal box, and station buildings. Despite the site’s dilapidated state—lacking electricity and with dismantled tracks—the first public steam day was held just three months later, marking the beginning of the museum’s operational history.
In 1986, to reflect its broader focus on representing the railway history of the Eastern Counties, the society was officially renamed the East Anglian Railway Museum. The following year, the museum purchased the Chappel site from the British Railway Property Board, securing its future. It gained charitable status in 1991 and became a Registered Museum in 1995.