Reviews of East Anglian Railway Museum. (Museum) in Colchester (Essex).

East Anglian Railway Museum

859 Reviews

57 Comments

Museum

Museum

Station Rd, Wakes Colne, Colchester CO6 2DS, United Kingdom

Description

Information of East Anglian Railway Museum, Museum in Colchester (Essex)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of East Anglian Railway Museum

Popular times

Tuesday

Friday

Saturday

Reviews of East Anglian Railway Museum

D. H.

Amazing place. My boys loved it here. The trains and museum are really interesting. You can ride the steam train too. The have lots of events throughout the year. The staff are really helpful too. Martin went out of his way to show us some stuff and gave us extra information, brilliant. We'll definitely visit again.

S. D.

This railway museum is run like a well oiled machine for events both big and small. The site is pleasantly spaced out with many helpful vantage point for photos and film and and cafe is exceptionally good value for the quality and size of meal. I’d suggest this place to locals and faraway visitors alike; it’s even doable from London as a day out.

M. D.

Great not so little museum! Kept my two boys (3 and 1.5y) busy for most of the day! Highly recommended, especially if you could visit on one of the steam days. We will certainly be back soon!

R. B.

What a wonderful museum. Called in here on the off chance, and spent a good couple of hours wandering round the exhibits followed by refreshments on site at the super cafe. A very friendly and warm welcome was given by all. Highly recommended! Thank you 👍

k. k.

Fantastic place to visit I visited on Saturday 19/2/22 got there about 10 it was great fun for the family of all ages. Plenty to see touch go inside etc get that real feel of stepping back in time in the old carriages . I would highly recommend

L. O.

Great experience with the Thomas Day Out. Son was absolutely over the moon to see and ride Thomas, Percy and Daisy. Staff was brilliant and very helpful. The place also offers re enactments, a little park for small kids, a play area with lots of tracks for kids to play, a double decker bus kids can go in and a miniature railway to ride. All inclusive in the price.

J. W.

Very nice railway is worth a visit if they are doing an event. My son loved the Thomas the tank engine day they did. Friendly people a little play park a nice cafe on an old train carriage. Very nice model railways.

B. B.

A few interesting things to see from a non train enthusiast prospective, but my 3 year old son loved it. Visited on a standard admission day on a Wednesday, so only small number of visitors. Tickets were sold out for the Thomas day. Spent most of the day there. Old signal box which was quite cool, pulling the old levers. Watched them shunting trucks about using a diesel engine. Looked around the restoration shed where Thomas and Percy where currently being stored. Explored some old carriages and a few rooms. Also big grass field for a picnic although not many benches. Old London bus you can sit on. Small model railway to look at. Also a small miniature railway, although this was closed. Small playground with a train. Decent toilet facilities on site. The cafe seemed closed when we visited. Small shop on site too.

H. S.

Visited here for the CAMRA beer festivals, Thomas the Tank Engine days and general visits. It has always been a great experience and continues to grow/improve. Lovely peaceful site to explore, lots to see on steam days and plenty of friendly volunteer staff helping it all run smoothly. Highly recommend to families and train enthusiasts.

C. T.

Great bit of fun for the toddler on the special Thomas day, there was 4 of the characters with unlimited rides all day. Plenty of toilets and places to eat. Little one also loved the park, double decker bus and mini railway.

T. S.

What an amazing experience. Thomas the tank engine and the other steam trains. Chappel beer festival was great. Highly recommend both.

R. R.

We really enjoy visiting this museum and also the events that they host. Today we attended the Christmas day out with thomas. Everything was well set out and managed and my children were able to enjoy all the rides and shows. Santa was brilliant and put in a lot of effort.

C. “. S.

Fantastic heritage rail station, which still has mainline trains stopping on site. Vast array of various theme days running throughout the year, with something that is suitable for both young and big kids. Reasonably priced theme days, but entry to the station, shop and cafe is free if you're not riding any trains. The platform 2 cafe serves hot and cold drinks and some lovely looking meals, there are kids meal options too, all reasonable in price. Staff are friendly and informative, helpful if needed and make the whole experience very pleasant. Well worth a visit with all the family, set in some lovely countryside, with amazing views.

T. H.

One of the thr best museums i have visited. So much to do and see. The staff are so friendly. Had 5 rides and could have had double. The cafe is excellent. If you get chance to drive the diesel, do it.

A. E. D.

It seemed pretty disorganised and it feels that more could be done with the objects on display. Saying that, the miniature railway model was magnificent and staff at the café lovely. We went on Wednesday so not many visitors neither, probably a better experience on a more busy day.

G. G.

I thoroughly recommend the driving experiences at the museum, takes you back to days gone by! Have a go at everything from driving, signals, crossing keeper and guard. All the volunteers are so enthusiastic and know all about their jobs and the museum. Well worth a visit

J. H.

Took our two girls (2yrs and 3yrs) on the train here. You get off the train and your there although its not clearly sign poster on where you get your tickets from as u too I have to almost leave the main line railway station to get to the ticket office and shop. We visited on a Saturday when there were No special events on so it was very quiet. Lots to see with a lovely cafe which does lovely lunches at good prices.

M. C.

Went there in a party of 5 today, age range of 23-78. We all had a great time, really friendly and helpful volunteers which made the experience even better. Dogs are allowed and are able to ride the trams/trolleys too! Fantastic day out with lots of facilities. Would return if we holiday in the area again. Thanks to all involved.

P. A.

It was a really enjoyable day, not overly expensive but the train journey was not very long

K. R.

Was at the East Anglian Railway Museum for a Day out with Thomas, 3 year old and I loved the day out, not just the rides with Thomas and his friends but the museum and the miniature steam railway as well. Great for a family day out

E. J.

We went for the Day out with Thomas. It was brilliant, all three of my children had the best day!

L. H.

We went on a Diesel Day and it did not disappoint! Very informative with lots to see during your visit. It's bigger than I thought it would be as well. There are volunteers who are very informative. Overall, we had a great day and I would highly recommend visiting here!

C. R.

Really nice and good value, staff friendly. Wish there was a little more there to see at site but nice place to visit for a couple of hours. It's interesting that it's a live station as well as a museum and the ride on the train is a nice attraction too. The Thomas days are great for kids!

P. M.

Went with my 2 year old granddaughter. She loved it, and so did I!

O. T.

Such an interesting place for any age. Staff is so helpfull and ready to answer the questions.

K. M.

We went along for Father's Day so it was relatively busy. Had our picnic on the benches before going on the train in the coal carts. Wandered around the museum and model railway, then all went on the ride-on mini train. It could do with some backdrops or something as nothing visually pleasing as you ride back and forward. Had a lovely cup of tea while my daughter had her tasty ice cream. Really enjoyed the day and will likely go back at some point.

A. W.

Great place, we wandered around the marshaling yard gawping at an eclectic collection of interesting things, the whole place exudes eccentric charm. Wonderful day out with my son, it deserves more visitors. Free parking is great.

M. G.

We had a great time looking & getting a steam train ride on a steam weekend. There's plenty to see a resturant car to dine in with some lovely food a small bar for a quick beer miniature railway museum to look around very friendly welcome all smiles & waving. A great day out with or with out a little one. Ourc2 year old boy loved it...

S. L.

Very fun little museum. Child of all ages friendly, but need to carry pram over footbridge. Includes mini-railway, play area, rides on the diesel train (during summer hols), model railways, and a cafe. Worth pre-booking for a reduction, and also come on the train for a 5% discount.

V. H.

Myself, my husband & my 3 year old twin girls enjoyed our time here, it was our first visit & our children’s first time on any moving train/bus, they thoroughly enjoyed their trips on both & were fascinated by the model trains. My husband & I enjoyed the event but felt a couple of members of staff we dealt with left us feeling unfortunately a bit disappointed. On the bus ride my husband (who sometimes behaves like a big child) wondered about pressing the bell, to me I’d have thought quite often there would be people inquisitive about the bell, having had curiosity get the better of him my husband pressed it (before the bus had begun moving at all) to be faced with Martin the driver turning round & speaking to him in what felt like a rather rude manner, if the bell wasn’t to be trialled by passengers at any point they should be covered up or there should perhaps be signs to let people know and perhaps better customer relation skills taken into account when speaking to anyone aboard about an issue like this. The café ordering area was another disappointing experience as the lady taking orders came across quite short mannered when taking our order, speaking to both myself & my husband quite abruptly, we appreciate it was busy & there was some noise behind her from other staff which she mentioned but for a first visit & not knowing the full menu details we would have expected more. Finally the miniature railway ride, when we first arrived we were told they were closing for lunch and would be back at 1:15, we went on the play park nearby the occupy our girls for a little longer & went back to wait at 1:10, at just after 1:15 the train came along but something was said by the driver & they were to return in another 10 minutes, slightly struggled to keep two 3 year olds who were eager to ride the train occupied whilst in the queue but eventually it returned for a ride, my husband & I were concerned about there being two mechanics (by the looks of things) on board on return & got the gist that there was some kind of issue with the train but nothing was mentioned to us, we boarded the train to move a few meters forward on the track & then a reverse back to the train sheds then back to the platform, so maybe a 5 minute ride if that, one of our girls was clearly disappointed having been so eager to ride the train, it would have been a better time for us considering the children to have been made aware of any issue with the train (which we heard a possibility about from a friend who also visited today after our experience) before boarding so we could avoid the disappointment not only of the children but ourselves. I appreciate a lot of the staff are perhaps volunteers and we did enjoy seeing all the model trains & other things on offer but it’s disappointing to go on a pretty rare family day out & come home feeling this way. Despite these issues I would say still definitely worth a visit, enough there to spend a few hours, nice day out.

A. M.

Second time I return this place, loved it to bits, been here about 7 years ago, by myself, this time decided to bring my wife and kids to see it too. I love it, the dedication and passion these people put into the trains is formidable, worth a visit if you are around Colchester, we drove down here from East London just to see the museum.. worth every minute!

S. T.

We went to the Thomas and friends day which was such a lovely afternoon. We got to ride on all 4 trains. Perfect for children and steam train lovers.

J. I.

Attended a 'Railway Experience Day' - learnt how to run a signal box, control a crossing, and to run a guard's van - but most of all drove a steam train!! A very well run day with really enthusiastic staff, all volunteers. Highly recommended.

C. M.

Visited here today. It's only a small museum in comparison to the big ones like the railway museum and Midlands railway centre but a lovely place in its self. No big steam locks but plenty of tank engines and carages. Well maintained and looked after place with a nice picnic area. A really nice morning out for the family. Very educational for all ages! And not expensive either which the money goes towards the preservation of engines. The guys in the restoration shed very friendly telling us things about the carriage there working on. Brilliant place

W. S.

What a fantastic day out! Went for the Thomas event and expected it to be absolutely packed but it wasnt. Good atmosphere and plenty of things to keep us entertained for most of the day. The staff were brilliant and knowledgable and all got into the spirit of the day which only made things even better. Well done!

S. C.

Great museum. They haven't stood still and seem to be trying to improve the experience. This place is very easy to socially distance and many sanitisation points available around the place.

A. C.

We visited the East Anglian Railway Museum, in particular on a transport extravaganza event day. I have tried to give a balanced rating, but for the record we really enjoyed the event day - and our small person loved watching and riding the trains and buses. There is a fair amount of parking on the field out front and you enter the museum through the shop and up to the platform (main station for railway!). Accross the foot bridge and there is a selection of trains, some in much better shape than others. The trains were running fairly regularly between a steam engine and a old (but newer) passenger train. The downside is that the track the trains have to run on is not very long in either direction and thus isn't a long journey. There is a shed to have a look round and also some bits and pieces to look at in the building at back. On the event day they also opened up the model railway building and the field had some car user clubs. Little man also enjoyed a stint on the playground and the mini railway. If going to this then I would recommend picking an event day so you can make the most of everything running etc, otherwise I can imagine it might be a fairly short visit in comparison.

R. F.

A little disappointing, as the website seemed to sell the place as much larger and more bustling than it is. Collection is small and honestly there is very little to see or do. Bit of a shame to have to be honest about it, because there is clearly a very passionate volunteer community within the museum who work very hard. A tidy up of the grounds and a little paving would go a long way.

S. h.

it was very interesting, full of buildings and trains and the history of the station and what it would have been like but the lady at the entrance didnt look as though she wanted to be there! She gave us no information where the exhibitions were and no map ! It was very worthwhile and the cafe had two very friendly lovely ladies and the food and drinks were well worth the money, its just a shame that the woman at the entrance desk was not friendly and welcoming!!

E. H.

Nice little place, you do feel that so much more could be achieved here, with more investment it could become a real pull for tourism, the train rides are very short and can be little disappointing. The cafes and food are basic, service is good although a little worrying when the chef had to ask how to cook the scrambled egg that was ordered

T. T.

Pricey but the kids liked it. Little souvenir shop on the way in and the way out as they've hemmed you in with a fence. There is a little park here too although it quite a walk from the entrance. Lots to see though. Miniature railway too although it wasn't open when we were there.

P. O.

Excellent for railway buffs but platform 2 cafe is best kept secret in this part of Essex. Proper bacon sandwiches and pastrami rolls. Dont worry if its raining you can sit in an authentic railway carriage and eat as they did in bygone days.

R. W.

This is a very good place to take a family to experience the Railway as it was. The centre is well positioned with plenty to see. The catering is excellent with very friendly staff. Also on site is a fantastic model Railway.

K. M.

We loved it! Lots of information about the station and a lot of history. There was even a playground for the little one. The best bit was definitely the cafe where you can have lunch on the carriage. The food was delicious! The only downfall would be that it’s difficult if you’re using a buggy.

G. k.

Went to the Thomas the Tank engine day, lovely and sunny, it was a very enjoyable day, seeing the trains that I used to read and watch to my children. Saw my favourite train Toby, so made my day. It was lovely to see the steam engines and sit in the old carriages, that you see on the t.v. and the young children that were there, they were excited and the smiles on their faces, waving at the other trains, conductor's, people waving back. A lovely day, would go again.

T. B.

Had a great day here with our Thomas the Tank obsessed 3 year old on a day where there were displays and engine rides happening all day. Despite not being a Thomas the Tank themed day, you can clearly relate the trains in the station to relevant characters, with a tiny bit of imagination required (only as the trains didnt have the faces on). The only downside was the small cafe, so would recommend a picnic.

C. J.

Visited on a Wednesday. No special events were on so it was very quiet. Lots to see. Spent 1.5 hours there. Good value for money.

L. R.

Great little museum set in an old goods yard, especially good for the little ones with lots going on. On the big event days there are up to four different trains running. Ride on the diesel, in coaches, or in the wagons.

T. O. T. D. Y.

A great railway museum to visit for an hour or two next to a track in regular use. Miniature and model railway too and restoration shed. Look out for Thomas and Percy.

J. B.

A great place for the family. Loads to see, so be sure to explore. Staff are enthusiastic, and very helpful volunteers, full of knowledge. The maintenance shed is a really interesting place to spend some time, as many of the locomotives are being worked on in front of you. There is also a unique opportunity to drive an old war department diesel for a very reasonable price, although I can't be sure if this is available daily, so best to check. Well worth the visit.

R. S.

We went to see Thomas, we enjoyed the time we spent there. We didn't go with children, unlike everyone else who had kids. We enjoyed what we saw.

M. G.

Very nice little museum, all the workshops were open so you can see the restoring progress of the old carriages. Shame though that the class 306 EMU unit wasnt really in a well preserved state, just seems a bit neglected and rusting away in the sidings. I hope this will be their next restore project.

M. F.

Oldy worldy. Family ticket £22. Would recommend to go there only when the weather is nice. Got picnic area and playground for small kids.

D. “.

Great museum with a lot of exhibits and plenty to see and do. There is definitely a Great Eastern bias which reflects the area well, with a lot of specific exhibits.

T. C.

Wonderful railway museum that walk's you through time in the actual building themselves from ticket office to engine sheds which l loved the most plus Victorian teak coaches

M. B.

We took our children on one of the Thomas experience days. We were among the first to arrive so not too much in the way of queues once we got in. We had an issue with the dates for which the online system booked our visit but the staff quickly sorted it out and we could start our day. To minimise waiting times between train rides you need to know in which order to take them otherwise little ones can start getting impatient. So for the set up on the day we did Thomas first then daisy then James. One of the staff pointed out you needed to go on daisy first. Then Thomas then James. This is because once Thomas takes to the rail its 20 + min before daisy can go and James can only go after daisy come back. The only thing my 5 year old complained about was that the trains were limited only to a short bit of the track. He wanted to ride much longer. You can go on henriatta at any time. There was also a miniature train to ride on. There's a playground which one of my kids didn't want to leave, my sons favourite were the model trains. The staff was very accommodating in letting him request where on the tracks and what trains he needed moving if they were not in motion. There is a picnic area and a picnic bus which the kids can also pretend to drive. We brought food and stayed until 2. 30 pm. You can get your hand stamped if you want to eat out and come back later. You can buy food on site but can't comment as we didn't. All in all a lovely day out for train or none train enthusiasts. Would recommend and will probably visit again

O. B.

This places is a rela hidden gem! We were staying in the area and visited on the off chance and had a really good time. While when we went none of the trains were running (we knew this before and decided to go anyway) there was still plenty to look at to while away a couple of hours. There is a good little cafe on site and also a small children's playground and our five year old had a great time running around the carriages.

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