Bressingham Steam Museum celebrates Martello’s 150th anniversary

Bressingham Steam Museum toasted one of its own on the Easter weekend, as attention turned to one of its most successful locomotives.

The site’s Martello engine is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, having been built in Brighton in 1875.

Having recorded almost 100 years of service on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, it was withdrawn in 1963 and sold to Butlins in Ayr, by which time it had clocked up more than 1.5 million miles.

Bought by Bressingham in 1971, it remained in storage for several years before a restoration project commenced in the late 1990s. In July 2016, it passed its steaming tests and has been used by the museum ever since.

Visitors to the site over the Easter bank holiday were invited to share in the celebrations, while enjoying an Easter egg hunt, various craft activities and the chance to sample life as a firefighter.

Abi Mintey, the museum’s curator and events manager, said: “It was so great to see so many people come and wish Martello a happy 150th birthday.

“A big thank you to everyone who attended over the weekend, even with the rainy weather on Monday.

“We are really pleased with how the celebrations went and it’s great to see how much everyone else loves our famous engine.”

Martello will be back in action at the museum’s Steam Gala between Saturday and Monday.

The bumper, three-day event will see an array of visiting traction engines, with a packed timetable on its railways.

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