| Inspiration Train - travelling exhibition marking 200 years of railways Posted by Mark A at 21:27, 21st May 2025 |     |
Travelling exhibition. Presumably, many destinations to be added to the schedule. (This is another reason why a terminus needs multiple platforms, it'll be disappointing if the Inspiration Train doesn't rock up at Newquay.)
Mark
https://railway200.co.uk/inspiration/
| Re: "The Inspiration Train" Posted by IndustryInsider at 21:37, 21st May 2025 | |
A fantastic idea to help celebrate this massively significant year for the railways, and the catalytic reaction it had on the country.
| Re: "The Inspiration Train" Posted by grahame at 14:15, 22nd May 2025 | |
Travelling exhibition. Presumably, many destinations to be added to the schedule. (This is another reason why a terminus needs multiple platforms, it'll be disappointing if the Inspiration Train doesn't rock up at Newquay.)
It seems to miss out the current GWR territory completely ... Moor Street and Severn Valley Railway are sorta-close. Wouldn't it be nice if they laid a platform for it to visit at Westbury, where people can visit from 6 different directions, then leave the siding as a legacy to be used to ease congestion at the station and improve services for years to come.
| Re: "The Inspiration Train" Posted by ChrisB at 20:35, 22nd May 2025 | |
Many more places to follow those currently available, so be patient.
I've booked for Birmingham Moor Street. Late enough to avoid the school trips
| Re: "The Inspiration Train" Posted by grahame at 20:40, 22nd May 2025 | |
Many more places to follow those currently available, so be patient.
Mind you ... with a single train running around it's interesting to look at the unallocated dates and see where it could get. There are only a couple of opportunities for it to make long diversions - otherwise it's going to be "on the way".
| Re: "The Inspiration Train" Posted by MVR S&T at 21:06, 22nd May 2025 | |
Yes agree, cant see it coming down to the sticks, would be nice for a visit to platform 5 at Southampton!
| Inspiration Train at Paddington from 8th to 13th December 2025 Posted by grahame at 11:01, 18th November 2025 | |
Bookings to view the Inspiration train at London Paddington in December opened today.
https://railway200.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/70983?catID=66018
https://railway200.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/70983?catID=66018
I have booked ... for Saturday 13th December
Essential information - Before your visit
Time:
Please arrive at the station no earlier than 10 minutes before the time indicated on your ticket.
Time:
Please arrive at the station no earlier than 10 minutes before the time indicated on your ticket.
Wow ... I would normally arrive at Paddington in good time and perhaps partake of one of the various refreshment establishments there. Do they really want me to time it ultra-tight?
Separate post / thread to highlight this on the diary
| 'Inspiration train' Posted by JayMac at 20:34, 25th November 2025 | |
Railway 200's Inspiration Train is currently (24th-29th November 2025) visiting Bishops Lydeard station on the West Somerset Railway.
I visited today, 25th November, along with fellow forum member PhilWakely. GWR had laid on a free shuttle (a Class 150) service from Taunton so we joined that for the rare opportunity to take a passenger train via Norton Fitzwarren Junction onto West Somerset Railway metals. That shuttle service is running again on Friday 28th November 2025 should anyone wish to make the trip to visit the Inspiration Train. The Inspiration Train is free to visit and the shuttle service from Taunton is also free. Booking is required though. This can be done on the WSR website. Tickets need to be booked at least 12 hours ahead of visit.
https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/events/view/inspiration-railway-2002-travelling-exhibition-train-visit-to-west-somerset-railway
The Inspiration Train itself? An okay exhibition. You can only put so much into Mk3 carriages while allowing for footfall through them. There are things to play with that will interest children, with historical artifacts, pictures and text to keep the grown ups interested. The best feature is the sand-pit, which Phil and I both enjoyed (big kids at heart!) The sand-pit is a little hard to explain. It has an interactive animation projected onto it, which changes the features of a railway landscape (hills, tunnels, rivers, track, viaducts...) as you change the topography of the sand. The animation changes in real time as you move the sand around. For example, if you pile it up and a hill and tunnel are built. Just be careful not to block tracks or derail the trains!
No more than half an hour is needed to walk through the exhibition. Here's a video of the day wot I made.
https://youtu.be/yk_o9FcQc3k?si=7WYuLw-MIujDNZtF
| 'Inspiration train' Posted by PhilWakely at 21:04, 25th November 2025 | |
The best feature is the sand-pit, which Phil and I both enjoyed (big kids at heart!) The sand-pit is a little hard to explain. It has an interactive animation projected onto it, which changes the features of a railway landscape (hills, tunnels, rivers, track, viaducts...) as you change the topography of the sand. The animation changes in real time as you move the sand around. For example, if you pile it up and a hill and tunnel are built. Just be careful not to block tracks or derail the trains!
I have no idea how I managed to do it, but I did derail the train!
| 'Inspiration train' Posted by GBM at 08:18, 26th November 2025 | |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002msyc/spotlight-evening-news-25112025
Local BBC TV evening news. Inspiration starting at 20:25.
Viewable for a limited period?
| 'Inspiration train' Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 08:32, 26th November 2025 | |
A video news report, from the BBC:
200th rail anniversary exhibition train arrives
An exhibition train marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway has arrived at the West Somerset Railway.
The train, called Inspiration, is on a nationwide tour with more than 200,000 people expected to visit.
The West Somerset Railway is the only stopping point for the mobile exhibition in the West.
The train is emblazoned with the words Past, Present, Future and Together.
An exhibition train marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway has arrived at the West Somerset Railway.
The train, called Inspiration, is on a nationwide tour with more than 200,000 people expected to visit.
The West Somerset Railway is the only stopping point for the mobile exhibition in the West.
The train is emblazoned with the words Past, Present, Future and Together.
| Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by grahame at 21:43, 13th January 2026 | |
Inspiration train - touring again ... at at Salisbury from 21st to 23rd February. Book via:
https://railway200.co.uk/inspiration/
Sporting an eye-catching livery, visitors young and old will go on a journey of discovery exploring the railway’s 200-year story of innovation, brought to life by interactive exhibitions and hands-on activities
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by bobm at 20:56, 14th January 2026 | |
Bit strange this announcement. Places have been available to book on the official website since before Christmas. Also the Swanage and Mid Hants heritage lines.
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by grahame at 08:43, 15th January 2026 | |
Bit strange this announcement. Places have been available to book on the official website since before Christmas. Also the Swanage and Mid Hants heritage lines.
Possibly "strange" because I have only just picked it up ... as a results of a message that alerted me towards dates later in the year and planning for 2026.
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by bobm at 13:39, 15th January 2026 | |
Not at all - the announcement which I saw this week, and presumably the one you saw, made it sound like it was being promoted for the first time.
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by Mark A at 12:53, 28th January 2026 | |
Ah, another good reason to re-equip bare-bones infrastructure provision at terminii. Newquay now on the destination list.
Mark
https://railway200.co.uk/Inspiration/
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by Kernow Otter at 07:06, 29th January 2026 | |
Unclear from the website as t how to acquire tickets for the Newquay visit. Any pointers please?
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by grahame at 07:15, 29th January 2026 | |
Unclear from the website as t how to acquire tickets for the Newquay visit. Any pointers please?
https://railway200.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/74469?catID=66018
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by Kernow Otter at 08:00, 29th January 2026 | |
Thanks Grahame. My 10 y/o just found it for me....
Booked for Newquay.
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by Mark A at 17:48, 29th January 2026 | |
Thinking of where in the Coffeeshop area people would like to send (in a positive way) the Inspiration Train. Not sure what it needs by way of length of platform face and of course it needs not to bring the network to a halt... Parkend?
Mark
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:17, 29th January 2026 | |
The remains of the Minehead branch line stub at Taunton?
Sorry - did I say that out loud ??
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by grahame at 13:08, 30th January 2026 | |
Thinking of where in the Coffeeshop area people would like to send (in a positive way) the Inspiration Train. Not sure what it needs by way of length of platform face and of course it needs not to bring the network to a halt... Parkend?
Mark
Mark
Not sure where it will be is Salisbury - probably in platform 5. And Temple Meads can probably manage it in Platform 13. Newquay before the enhanced service is introduced is logical, and the west-facing bay in the downside at Taunton too. I suspect the London-facing empty carriage bay at Plymouth might be possible - and if they'd known it was to be closed for so long, it could have visited the Looe line platform at Liskeard this month.
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by grahame at 09:32, 20th February 2026 | |
I'm headed for the 14:30, tomorrow (21st), family health issues permitting. Wondering as to whether to do Romsey in the morning.
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by grahame at 06:08, 23rd March 2026 | |
Anyone headed to Bristol today?
| Re: Inspiration train, winter of 2026 - first South West venue announced Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 07:22, 8th April 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Museum train showing 200 years of rail pulls into Cornwall
The Inspiration train at Newquay Station
A special train with hands-on interactive exhibits has pulled into Newquay Station to celebrate 200 years of public rail travel in the UK.
Inspiration is a mobile exhibition which toured the country last year as part of national celebrations and its tour has now been extended due to its popularity. It arrived in the north Cornwall town on Monday as part of its 60-stop tour which Network Rail said had already attracted 80,000 visitors.
Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, said: "Railways are one of history's most important inventions and inside this train you can explore the story of rail in a fun and family-friendly environment."
Mike Lamport who is involved in Railway 200 and is also a railway heritage advisor said the focus of the tour was to show people the history of the modern railway but to also look forward in a bid to "attract the rail workers of the future".
Lamport added: "There is so much to do on the train; from building bridges, to pulling levers. You can have a go on a model railway and just learn a huge amount - it's great."
Lee Goodson, GWR station manager for West Cornwall, said: "We're excited to be hosting the Railway 200 Inspiration train." He added that it has already "really captured the imagination since the beginning of the tour".
The Railway 200 tour focuses on the past and the future
The exhibition train is in Newquay until Saturday. Tickets are free but those wishing to go along are advised to book in advance.
The Inspiration train at Newquay Station
A special train with hands-on interactive exhibits has pulled into Newquay Station to celebrate 200 years of public rail travel in the UK.
Inspiration is a mobile exhibition which toured the country last year as part of national celebrations and its tour has now been extended due to its popularity. It arrived in the north Cornwall town on Monday as part of its 60-stop tour which Network Rail said had already attracted 80,000 visitors.
Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, said: "Railways are one of history's most important inventions and inside this train you can explore the story of rail in a fun and family-friendly environment."
Mike Lamport who is involved in Railway 200 and is also a railway heritage advisor said the focus of the tour was to show people the history of the modern railway but to also look forward in a bid to "attract the rail workers of the future".
Lamport added: "There is so much to do on the train; from building bridges, to pulling levers. You can have a go on a model railway and just learn a huge amount - it's great."
Lee Goodson, GWR station manager for West Cornwall, said: "We're excited to be hosting the Railway 200 Inspiration train." He added that it has already "really captured the imagination since the beginning of the tour".
The Railway 200 tour focuses on the past and the future
The exhibition train is in Newquay until Saturday. Tickets are free but those wishing to go along are advised to book in advance.
| Re: Inspiration Train - travelling exhibition marking 200 years of railways Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:28, 23rd August 2026 | |
As this subject has cropped up as an 'anniversary date', I have moved and merged a few previous posts on the Coffee Shop forum, specific to the Inspiration Train, here.
As ever, nothing has been deleted, the original post headings have been retained wherever possible, and those posts are now listed here in chronological order as a definitive topic.
I hope this helps, with ease of future reference.
CfN.
