The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust invites visitors to embark on a fascinating journey through time with its new multi-site trail, “Making Tracks: Celebrating 200 Years of the Modern Railway.” This immersive exhibition commemorates two centuries of the modern railway, offering a unique opportunity to explore the pivotal role of the Ironbridge Gorge in this global historic innovation.
Running until December 31st, the museum exhibition spans across seven of the Trust’s renowned museums, including Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, and Enginuity. Each location showcases specialist artifacts and captivating displays, providing a comprehensive narrative of rail-related monuments and objects from the Trust’s nationally significant Designated collections.
Widely recognized as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site played an unparalleled role in shaping modern industry. It was here that Abraham Darby I pioneered the use of coke for smelting iron ore, a breakthrough that dramatically increased efficiency and reduced costs, laying the groundwork for large-scale manufacturing and monumental engineering achievements, including the iconic Iron Bridge built in 1779, which predated and influenced the development of railway systems.
The trail provides an exceptional platform for visitors to delve into the rich railway history and the profound influence of industrial advancements in the Ironbridge Gorge. Featured artifacts range from satirical prints within the acclaimed Elton Collection, offering a unique artistic record of early railways, to a decorative vanity set inspired by train designs, illustrating the pervasive “Railway Mania” that integrated trains into everyday life.
Notable displays include a reconstruction of Covent Garden underground station at Jackfield Tile Museum, highlighting the decorative ceramics in railway heritage, and a commemorative Great Western Railway plate crafted by Coalport Chinaworks in 1835, celebrating Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s engineering prowess. These pieces underscore the intricate connection between industrial art and the burgeoning railway network.
Kyla Hislop, Acting Head of Interpretation at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, emphasized the Trust’s excitement in participating in the nationwide bicentennial celebrations. She noted that local entrepreneurs profoundly impacted technological advances critical to rail travel, and through the museum’s collections, the trail illuminates the social history of rail and its transformative impact on human lives, offering new insights into how Ironbridge shaped railway development.
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager at Railway 200, expressed support for the new trail, highlighting its contribution to telling the 200-year story of the railway and its ongoing influence. A specially designed IGMT Railway 200 Passport, particularly engaging for children, guides visitors between sites, allowing them to collect stamps and uncover engaging stories, making it an ideal family day out.
Coalbrookdale itself was a crucible of innovation, with early 18th-century wooden wagonways gradually replaced by cast-iron plateways, significantly enhancing goods transport efficiency. In a monumental step towards the modern railway system, the Coalbrookdale Company cast the first iron railway rails in 1767, solidifying the region’s pioneering status.
Further cementing Ironbridge’s legacy in steam-powered rail, Richard Trevithick brought his high-pressure steam locomotive ideas to the Coalbrookdale Company in 1802. His prototype laid the foundational groundwork for the steam engines that would power Britain’s expanding railway network. The advancements in iron production and early rail technology at Ironbridge were instrumental in setting the stage for the 19th-century railway boom, fundamentally transforming industry, trade, and transportation across Britain and beyond.
