Crewe Heritage Centre is a railway museum in Crewe, Cheshire, England. Managed by the Crewe Heritage Trust, the museum is located between the and the town centre; the site was the location of the original Locomotive Works, which was demolished in the early 1980s.

History The centre was established in the old London, Midland and Scottish Railway yard, which was once part of Crewe Works, between the junction to and the West Coast Main Line. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on 24 July 1987. It was renamed Crewe Railway Age in 1992 by the owning registered charity; however, after the management of the centre was taken over by a new group of volunteers, the museum returned to its original name in early 2008.

Exhibits The centre has a series of exhibits, ranging from the only surviving APT-P train, a miniature railway, model railways and three open signal boxes, with a varied collection of standard gauge steam, diesel and electric locomotives; occasional visiting locomotives are also on show. The main Exhibition Hall features many artefacts and exhibits associated with Crewe, from its locomotive and carriage construction to its famous junction railway station.

Advanced Passenger Train

Built by British Rail (BR) in the 1970s and 1980s, this Advanced Passenger Train (APT) is the only surviving APT-P set. It is open at all times, with an occasional cafe run from the original buffet car on selected days only. The APT-P museum can be found inside one of the carriages, with photographs on display from the project. The set was tilted for the first time in preservation in 2013. In early 2018, an additional surviving power car (M49006) arrived at the museum. It is displayed separately alongside the main set.

Miniature railway Constructed in 1992, the miniature railway is a long gauge ride, which takes visitors from Crewe Old Works to Spider Bridge, via Forge End, with the optional return journey. The railway includes a mixture of steam, petrol and battery electric locomotives; rides on this attraction are included in the museum admission price.

Exhibition Hall The Heritage Centre is also home to the Exhibition Hall, which doubles both as an event space and as the main museum building. It features displays and exhibits about the town of Crewe.

During the 2018/19 closed season, the building underwent a light refurbishment; this included replacement of the original 1987 entrance doors and a full internal repaint.

Signal boxes

There are three signal boxes on site: Crewe Station A: open for display purposes, this box was moved onto the site after its closure in 1985. Crewe North Junction: built in 1939 and designed to withstand the Luftwaffe bombs of World War II, the box is constructed out of concrete and has an thick roof and thick walls. Located between the West Coast Main Line and Crewe-Chester line, its location is perfect for viewing passing main line trains. Demonstrations of how the box was used often take place and are linked to a simulator. In 1987, the building was extended to provide more room for the Heritage Centre, including a cafe and small shop, and to include a large US model railway. Exeter West: used to control the split at between the Great Western Railway and the Southern Railway. With 131 levers, it was a Special Class A signal box, with only the best signalmen authorised to operate it. Since being rebuilt at Crewe, volunteers operate it on every weekend using a demonstration 1960s timetable; this includes the hectic Summer Saturday service, which saw famous expresses such as the Torbay Express, Atlantic Coast Express and the Cornishman.

Examples of stock held Class Number Previous number Pictures of the same / similar exhibits Built Owner Type Livery Status 03073 D2073 1959 Crewe Heritage Trust Diesel shunter BR Blue Exhibit; in use 37108 D6808 1961 Private owner Diesel locomotive BR Blue Exhibit; not currently on site Class 43 (HST) 43018 N/A 1976 Crewe Heritage Trust Diesel locomotive BR Blue Static exhibit 43081 N/A 1978 Crewe Heritage Trust Diesel locomotive East Midlands Trains Working exhibit; donated by Porterbrook. Chosen for preservation due to being the 8000th locomotive manufactured at Crewe Works 47192 D1842 1965 Crewe Heritage Trust Diesel locomotive BR Green Working exhibit; currently on hire to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway 87035 N/A 1974 Crewe Heritage Trust AC Electric locomotive Virgin Trains Static exhibit 90050 90150 1990 Freightliner AC Electric locomotive Railfreight Distribution / Freightliner grey Static exhibit; on long-term loan 91120 91020 1990 Europhoenix AC Electric locomotive Europhoenix Static exhibit; on long-term loan Class 370 (APT) 370 003/006 N/A 1980 Crewe Heritage Trust AC Electric multiple unit InterCity Static exhibit DVT (Mark 3B) 82118 N/A 1988 Crewe Heritage Trust Driving Van Trailer Abellio Greater Anglia Static exhibit

See also List of museums in Cheshire in Crewe, Virginia, USA.

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