Our October Running Day, In Pictures

Last week Brighton Toy and Model Museum proudly hosted another of our famous Running Days. These days are a rare treat, and one that you won’t see in most museums, for it is on running days that we take down the Perspex screens that come between our visitors and our exhibits and actually set the toys and models in motion, just as they were made to be.

A lot of museums, quite naturally, don’t do this kind of thing. After all, every moment’s use adds a little more to the wear of the trains that we have on display, and eventually that wear mounts up. So we only run our model trains for a few hours per year, and to let our visitors view them in their glory, the screens have to come down.

You wouldn’t think that the Perspex would make so much difference! While it never impedes the view of the model trains, buildings and bridges we have on display, it does reflect light and get in the way of leaning right up close to the trains. So, as long as you don’t touch, we don’t mind if you lean in to get a better look, or even take photos (without flash of course).

However, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so please enjoy our photoblog of Markiln, Hornby, Minic, Bing, Bassett-Lowke trains, buildings and bridges, some of which, such as the Marklin railway bridge, we believe to be the only surviving examples.

The First Train Running Day Of The Year!

Our first Running Day of 2017 will be on 22 of April!

Running Days are a much anticipated opportunity to see some of the rarest and most delicate model trains in our 0 gauge collection running as Marklin, Hornby and Bassett Lowke intended.

Our Running days are always popular with collectors and aficionados as well as the general public as they afford visitors the opportunity to see trains that are normally kept motionless behind screens going full tilt around our superb diorama without the impedance of Perspex.

The museum opens at ten thirty and remains open until 5pm, with trains running from 11 until 1pm, when the museum curators and collectors break for lunch. After their break, and they return at 2.30 and continue running the trains until 4.30. Admission on the Running Day is £10 for adults, £5.50 for disabled and £5 for children under 16.

While the experts break, the museum remains open to visitors, who can enjoy all the other exhibits we normally offer, including our recent dolls’ house addition, our huge collection of toy cars, stuffed toys, and construction kits and so much more.

If you want to stay informed about this, or any other special events that are put on by Brighton Toy and Model Museum, why not follow us on Facebook for all the latest information on our activities and other news and events in the Brighton and Hove area?

New exhibition-grade Bassett-Lowke traction engine model

Burrell-type traction engine, 1:16 scale exhibition-grade model

We've just put a new acquisition on display, a rather lovely 1:16 scale exhibition-grade model traction engine based on the Bassett-Lowke castings set. We believe it to have been engineered in around 1962, which is supported by the numberplate, GK 1962.

As well as being quite beautifully painted and lined the model has a wealth of additional fine detailing that wasn't standard for builds of the B-L kit, including wooden duckboards and accessories.

The model was in Chris' workshop for around a month before it went on display, eliciting oohs and ahhs from all who saw it. Apart from the exceptional build quality of the model, the model fills a "gap" in our collection, as the model was one of the longest-running products in Bassett-Lowke's catalogue, and featured regularly in their post-war advertising and catalogue covers, and until now we didn't have one.

We are now very happy.