The Vale of Rheidol Railway has officially opened its brand new museum.

The Aberystwyth-based museum officially opened on 3 May by Steffan Roberts, Deputy Director of Tourism, with a ceremony and inaugural train ride and lunch.

The museum, which has been years in the making, saw the conversion of a 1938 engine shed building into a 5,000 square feet multipurpose display and community event space for the railway’s priceless collection and other exhibitions from around the world.

The team behind the tourist steam train attraction also aims to host community events in the new grand and lofty space, from live music evenings to lunchtime concerts.

As part of the events programme, the railway will be part of Afan Cycles ‘Race the Rails’ bike race to Devil’s Bridge, raising money for West Wales Prostate Cancer Survivors Group on 19 May.

Tickets will be available on the day to allow passengers to cheer cyclists on from the train.

On 25 May a Community and Family Day will include live music from Aberystwyth Tenovus Choir and Welsh language ukulele group Iwcadwli, plus stalls and displays from community groups including RNLI, MIND Cymru and Network Rail.

On 28 May children's activities at the museum include driving a real steam train, train-themed art challenges, dress-up and story-telling.

The conversion was completed both on time and within budget, despite multiple delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The museum conversion was part of a £2.2 million project called ‘Wales to the World’ with the purpose of displaying locomotives from across the globe.

Vale of Rheidol Railway was built in 1902 to take tourists through Aberystwyth’s rolling hills all the way to the stunning Devil’s Bridge. The new museum tells the story of how Wales led the way in narrow gauge railways and helped to export the idea all over the world.

To celebrate, Vale of Rheidol is offering Ceredigion residents 50 per cent off on rides throughout the month of May.

To get the discount on tickets to Devil’s Bridge and back residents simply need to use the code CEREDIGION when booking at the counter with proof of address to qualify.

There will also be free entry for those holding a valid train ticket.

The museum is open daily until November, with tickets £5 for adults and £3 for children. To find out their new events programme and keep informed or to buy tickets go to the Vale of Rheidol Railway website.