East of England - Suffolk

It never paid its way and was effectively broke before it opened. Operating in receivership from the start, the line was never fully completed, the rails just petering out in the middle of a field. But it still managed to struggle on against all odds for 50 years.

In 1991, after almost all traces had disappeared, a group of enthusiasts decided that this country railway, once so important to the area should not be forgotten. ‘The Middy’, a fine example of rural English history, now resurrected as Suffolk’s only standard gauge railway museum and, ironically, is probably busier now than it ever was.
Today’s ‘Middy’ and its Museum is not just a treat for enthusiasts, but a genuine look back at how a rural railway served it’s community up to 100 years ago.

In 2012 The Heritage Railway Association made the MSLR their Interpretation Award Winners for recreating the unique atmosphere of a rural light railway. In 2014 we were awarded the title of Suffolk Museum of the Year in competition with the 40 other accredited Suffolk Museums.

This year we have an exciting programme featuring up to three locomotives in steam, including the Cockerill Belgian tram engine, a vertical boilered well tank over 100 years old, ex Central Electricity Generating Board Bagnall saddle tank, works no. 2565 and LNER Y7 no. 985.

You can enjoy steam train rides in genuine Great Eastern Railway 4-wheel coaches along our over 1/4 mile of track from Brockford Station to Dovebrook, where the track side walk takes you along the route of our next project – the extension of the line to over double the current length, for which we now have planning permission to proceed.

At our station at Brockford we have original buildings, passenger and goods vehicles, displays, artefacts and exhibitions and our works for restoration and maintenance of vehicles and rebuilding our own locomotive. On site facilities include the MSLR Museum, café, shop, picnic area and real ale bar coach, The Kitchener Arms.

The railway is open from 11.00a.m. – 5.00p.m. every Bank Holiday and summer Sundays until 28th August 2017. For full programme details visit www.mslr.org.uk

Groups are welcome but contacting us in advance is advisable to ensure coach parking is available.


Event: Summer Programme 2017
Venue: Brockford Station, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5PW
There are three locomotives now based at Brockford and steam trains will be running every Bank Holiday and summer Sundays until 28th August, followed by our Steam Gala 9th & 10th September with a fourth guest loco.

Visitors will be able to ride as often as they like in genuine Victorian Great Eastern Railway 4-wheel coaches and all the railway’s onsite facilities including The Museum, cafe, shop and real ale bar coach will be open when trains are running.

Locomotives include LNER Y7 no. 985, Corkerill vertical boilered tram engine and ex-Central Electicity Generating Board Bagnall 0-4-0T.

For more press information contact John Reeve
email press@mslr.org.uk t: 01986 798019