First off I’d like to introduce myself, and more importantly the Cambrian Heritage Railways Project and Museum.

My name is Jacob Evans and as well as being brought in to help out with the museum, I’m also in charge of the CHR funding team who’re looking at possible sources of funding to keep the project going, to improve the museum, to restore engines and to conserve and improve listed buildings we intend to use.

The Cambrian Heritage Railways Project is working to restore the railway line from Gobowen station through Oswestry to Blodwel, with a number of halts, most notably at the Old Oswestry Hill Fort and the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital in Gobowen.

We intend to do this in two stages; firstly we’re restoring the track from Oswestry Station to Gobowen Station because this will allow for the introduction of a heritage railway, by which we mean steam trains running on a restored track, and also a functioning train linking Oswestry with its nearest train station.

Secondly, we’ll restore the track south from the Oswestry station to Blodwel, this section will act as a heritage railway and will have fewer halts.

Projected funding costs are high, a very rough estimate placing it at around 5 million although this sure to vary, almost inevitably increasing rather than decreasing!

The museum has been set up and run by volunteers for a number of years now; as such it has a homely feel which is so cherished by the visitors. It is my intention to reorder some of the artefacts on display thereby creating a more obvious timeline, to increase the number of artefacts relating to the Oswestry area, to make it more family friendly and to minimise the impact the wrong environment will have on the artefacts.

However, to do all of the above we need money. To try and help fund these projects we’ve set up a small, but ever growing, shop in the museum, and are campaigning to increase awareness of the museum and the CHR in general.

Donations, membership, sponsoring a brick, and more recently a sleeper, or simply using our museum shop are a few ways you can help. 

For more information, visit Cambrian Railway Station & Museum on Oswald Road, Oswestry.