Weekend celebrations will include an Edwardian beach scene to replicate a special excursion to Felixstowe when the line first opened, complete with sand and a Punch and Judy show.

Museum trustee Keith Froom said: “The day after the first passenger train they ran a special excursion train to Felixstowe.

“We can’t get there any more, so we are bringing Felixstowe to Brockford.”

As part of the event, those who used the railway, which opened in 1908, to travel to school are invited to the museum next Saturday for a special School Train Reunion.

“This railway used to transport children from all the villages to Stowmarket for their secondary education,” said museum trustee David Chappell.

“It wasn’t a commuter line where thousands of people could travel to work every day – it was about local people and the school children were very much a part of that.”

A number of people who used the line before its closure in 1952 are expected at the reunion.

Ralph Lambert, 71, of Mendlesham, used to cycle a mile-and-a-half to get the train to school in Stowmarket from Brockford Station.

He is taking his grandchildren to the reunion, where he hopes to meet up with old friends who caught the same train.

“There are so many stories from our journeys on that train,” he said.

“There used to be gates across the line at Old Newton and one morning the woman who was in charge of opening them forgot and we went right through them.”

The centenary celebrations are taking place at the museum at Brockford Station, Wetheringsett next Saturday and Sunday, 11am-5pm.

The school train reunion will be held at 2pm on Saturday.

For more information and details of entrance fees, call 01449 766899.

WebWatch: www.mslr.org.uk