The STEAM Museum has always kept the memory of the railway works in Rodbourne alive, and next weekend the sounds and smells will return when the Swindon Railway Festival gets under way.
 
The annual festival, now in its 12th year, opens on Saturday, 14 Sep 2013, and Sunday, 15 Sep 2013, from 10:00 until 17:00.
 
Live steam traction engines from Hatch Heritage and Steam Engineers Ltd., as seen recently on the popular BBC programme Hairy Bikers' Restoration Road Trip, will be on show outside the museum to welcome visitors.
 
Families and rail enthusiasts will be in for a model railway feast as they get to more than 20 model railway layouts displayed throughout the museum.
 
Pop mogul and rail enthusiast Pete Waterman will likely be making a return with his models "Just Like the Real Thing", alongside the dynamic teams of Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol who will be running their latest bits of kit on the test track at their special GWR Roadshows.
 
Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends will also be putting in an appearance with a special children's interactive layout.
 
Councillor Garry Perkins, Swindon Council's cabinet member for economy, regeneration, and culture said, "This year's Swindon Railway Festival is set to be one of the best ever as families and rail enthusiasts gather to enjoy the wonderful world of railways. The model layouts at STEAM are among the best in the country and there is something for all generations to enjoy."
 
Ian Surtees, from the STEAM Museum, said. "All in all, the Railway Festival is set to be a buzzing hub of activity as people of all ages and all walks of life come to celebrate railways from the past and present. I would urge anyone who has never been to the Festival to give it a try as the atmosphere is simply fantastic."
 
Visitors will also get to see a new special exhibition at STEAM called "Dr. Richard Beeching, Hero or Villain?".
 
This small exhibition explores the work of Beeching and includes a photographic display of the lost but not forgotten GWR railway stations.
 
Collectors of GWR and Swindon memorabilia will also be interested in the exclusive STEAM limited edition items available at the festival, including the new 00 Gauge Hornby model of the famous Swindon-built steam locomotive, GWR Star Class number 4003 "Lode Star".
 
The festival's popular GWR Country Barbecue will be under way for lunch in the outdoor Festival Marquee, together with a Real Ale Bar, courtesy of Box Steam Brewery.
 
Tickets are £10 for adults, £8.50 for seniors and £7.50 for children, while under threes go free.
 
There are also a range of family tickets.
 
A ticket admitting two adults and one child is £25, while a family ticket for two adults and two children is £30.
 
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