National Railway Museum seeks nostalgic photos ahead of 50th birthday in 2025

The National Railway Museum is asking the public to send in photographs of their visits through the years as it makes plans for its 50th birthday celebrations in 2025.

• The National Railway Museum turns 50 in September 2025
• Museum seeks photographs from visits through the years for new campaign
• NRM50 will celebrate the public’s personal connections with the museum

The NRM50 campaign will share images of treasured memories captured at the museum, from nostalgic snaps of childhood visits taken during the museum’s early years, to more recent favourites from the family album.

Photographs must be sent in by Friday, 15 November. They must include at least one person as a subject and permission must be granted from both the photographer and those featured. Digital copies only should be emailed, along with a short description and the approximate year it was taken, to: 50years@railwaymuseum.org.uk

A selection of images will be used in publicity materials to celebrate the half-century milestone.

The National Railway Museum was opened by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in September 1975. It was the first national museum to open outside of London, and has remained a firm favourite ever since, attracting almost 700,000 visitors last year. Around 40 million people have visited the National Railway Museum and its sister museum, Locomotion, since they first opened.

Pete Livesey works as a Digital Analyst at the museum. A formative visit to the museum in 1993 was captured on camera by his late Grandfather.

Pete explains: “The National Railway Museum was always an exciting family day out. My grandad worked on the railways and would tell us all sorts of stories as we went around. Those visits inspired a lifelong love for the museum and a passion for science and heritage.

“Now, I take my own son on trips to the museum, and he loves it too! The three-year-old me would be thrilled to learn that he would be working here one day, and I can’t wait to see some of the other memories that have been captured through the years.”

The opening of the National Railway Museum was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the first passenger journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in September 1825, regarded by many as the birth of the modern railway.

Celebratory events are planned throughout 2025 as part of Railway 200, a year-long campaign to celebrate the bicentenary of the modern railway. 

2025 is set to be a landmark year for the National Railway Museum. In Spring, construction will start on the museum’s brand-new welcome building, Central Hall - part of a c£100m masterplan to improve and regenerate the National Railway Museum and Locomotion.  

Station Hall, home of favourites such as the royal carriages, is currently undergoing a £10.4m restoration project ahead of reopening, complete with a fully replaced roof and refreshed display.

The transformative masterplan has already delivered the hugely popular Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery at the National Railway Museum and a brand-new 40-vehicle collections building, New Hall, at Locomotion.

As the museum looks to the future, NRM50 provides the perfect opportunity to share your own special memories from the last half-century.