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Inside The Steam Train Museum

Series 1 & 2

Duration: 8 x 45'

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Covering all things steam, engineering, and restoration this behind the scenes documentary series gets to know the endearing and somewhat bizarre characters that band together, get stuck into restoration projects, and come up with fresh ideas to help keep a charity-run museum going. 

Looking into the history of steam engineering and the people who work to preserve it, this is a year in the life of an eccentric British attraction and the people who make it so unique.

From restoring full-size steam engines, rebuilding railway tracks to restoring a wooden cockerel from a set of Victorian gallopers. 

This series shows the unique challenges faced when working with steam, from the trials of driving a road steam engine in modern-day traffic to following a new volunteer who learns to drive a steam train for the first time. 

Sharing all things steam, this obs-doc series sees a new steamboat taken for its maiden voyage, traction engines put to work repairing roads, sawing and winching trees, and the museums oldest engine going cross-country to visit another railway for a special engine gathering. 

From miniature traction engines to industrial beam engines, and from model railways to learning to drive the real thing. The staff and volunteers are united in their passions and reveal more of the hidden stories and history woven into this magical place. 

Series 1:
Episode 1 ‘Preservation’: 
New volunteer Phil learns how to drive a steam engine despite doubting his abilities. Brian, the museum's carpenter, repairs a golden cockerel for the Victorian gallopers and struggles when it comes to fitting it. A steam locomotive is restored to full working order in time for the special event and the volunteers hitch a ride on some traction engines into the local town for a celebratory beer.

Episode 2 ‘Special events’:
John and his team of volunteers drive a steam roller to a local show causing delays along the way as they travel at a max speed of 4 miles an hour! At the museum, manager Al juggles the day to day operating of the site and everyone prepares for the Museum’s 1940’s event. Dave has trouble starting a vintage bus and young volunteers, Alex and Taz enter into the spirit of the day by cooking lunch in a steam engine; the traditional 1940’s way.

Episode 3 ‘Halloween’: 
Phil and Stuart go to huge effort decorating the site with homemade pumpkin-scarecrows, graveyards, and mummies in readiness for Halloween. Brian cooks breakfast on the shovel for the engine drivers and John tells ghost stories from the fairground. As the event gets underway, we meet many eccentric volunteers as they dress up in costume to scare the public on the ghost train while retired Minister David entertains the passengers on the journey.

Episode 4 ‘Christmas’: 
Staff member Phil struggles when driving a vintage fire engine covered in Christmas lights to the local market town’s Christmas event. We follow Chris and the ‘track team' as they replace a long stretch of railway line in the woods. Manager Al has to take over the role of Father Christmas in the grotto and Brian cooks a roast chicken in a steam engine as they celebrate the end of the year at The Steam Museum.

Series 2:
Episode 1 ’60 years of steam’: 
To celebrate 60 years since the collection began, the museum are preparing for their anniversary steam gala event, however, they encounter a few problems along the way. The resident steam roller is put to work repairing potholes as it would have in its working day. One of the museum’s oldest engines has a last-minute repair before visiting another railway to attend a historic engine gathering. Engineer Brian has his hands full trying to keep the Museum’s largest engine on track mid-event, and we meet volunteer Dan who has wanted to drive the engines at Bressingham since he was a small boy and has now achieved his dream.  

Episode 2 ‘The steam obsession’: 
The gallopers roundabout receives some much-needed attention as the roof is replaced and the organ repaired before the start of the open season. Volunteer Mark passes a steam test on his miniature traction engine and he takes it out on a road run to celebrate. Episode 2 introduces the enthusiastic live steam model railway group as they work on their layout and run their model trains at Bressingham, and showman’s engine ‘Queen Mary’ visits the museum to power the lights on the gallopers roundabout. 

Episode 3 ‘Steamboats and Steampunk’: 
Engineer Brian has the task of repainting an engine ahead of the upcoming steampunk event where bizarre costumes and unusual activities descend upon the museum for a day of “Victorian retro-futurism”. Office manager Julie learns to operate a steam engine for the first time, and the museum take their new steamboat exhibit for its maiden voyage on the Norfolk broads, despite a worrying last minute temporary fix to a hole in the hull. 

Episode 4 ‘Fire and steam’: 
The volunteers get to work clearing up damage after a winter storm, the vintage fire engine has its engine removed and overhauled to full working order and a visiting traction engine is put to work sawing wood and winching out a dead tree. The heat is on during the fire engine rally, as soaring temperatures force the museum into drastic action, and after completing his training on the smaller engines, volunteer Phil is now learning to drive the museum’s largest working train.

 

For Channel 5

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