EAST Anglian Railway Museum is a popular attraction for both lovers of steam trains and youngsters wanting to learn about history.

The station in Wakes Colne hosts the popular A Day out With Thomas days as well as steam days and its famous beer festival.

However, the museum has a much deeper and more interesting past than many may believe, that has led it to where it is today.

The museum started as the Stour Valley Railway Preservation Society, which was formed in 1968.

The aim was to preserve the recently closed three-mile stretch of line from Sudbury to Long Melford.

However, the project received little funding, meaning it was soon scrapped.

The following year, in 1969, the society was brought back at Chappel and Wakes Colne Station.

This time was different due to a lease being secured from British Rail to use and rebuild the vacant railway buildings and goods.

The sweat, grit and determination put in was rewarded when, three months later, an operational locomotive carried a small number of passengers along some of the re-laid track.

Many years of restorations passed combined with lots of hard work.

Finally, in 1980, the Chappel site became a public attraction and was renamed to what it is now, the East Anglia Railway Museum in 1986.

The museum was handed a charitable status in 1991 and officially became a registered museum four years later in 1995.

Since 2005, the museum has had a greater emphasis on interpretation and display facilities, a large variety of events take place each year to raise funds to support the museum’s activities.

Peter Martin, chairman of trustees at the museum, said: “The whole place is a living history lesson and there are numerous exhibits in the museum.

“But history doesn’t stand still., we got something through recently that was only in service two months ago.”

Full opening times and other information about events and volunteering at the museum can be found online at earm.co.uk.