2005 has seen a number of developments "outside the glass" as well as the ongoing work on the Museum's scenes. The entrance and shop were refurbished to create a more open, welcoming entrance and expand the space available for shop goods. Also a new tea-room was built to provide better seating facilities for the consumption of tea, coffee, cold drinks, cakes, chocolate or biscuits. Judging by the response, these new facilities seem to be much appreciated by our visitors.

• The Dartmoor scene celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005 and the scene received a much needed facelift in honour of the occasion, with re-colouring of much of the "tors" and the valley beneath the timber viaduct. A few new figures also found their way into the scene, including a birdwatcher and a butterfly collector.





• To celebrate the anniversary many of the original trains seen on Dartmoor through those 50 years were re-created, as far as possible. Sadly some of the vehicles are no longer available - several were only on loan to the Museum and have been returned to their original owners, however, the trains did look impressive. Some were not entirely prototypical - a double headed express running over the viaduct and a milk and parcels hauled by the Great Bear were impressive but would have exceeded the loading of the real viaduct by a considerable amount! During the anniversary weekend, the trains were run to a recording of Roye England (the founder of the Museum) giving the commentary in the 1970s.





• Another part of the Dartmoor celebrations saw all trains being hauled by tank engines in honour of the inaugural tank engine - 5624 - which ran over the viaduct in 1955. One of the guest tank engines was the Wantage Tramway engine "Jane" normally seen on the Vale scene upstairs.

• Much of the work on the Vale scene has been to consolidate the work done in 2004 to get the Oxford line operational, ie more trees, more details, completion of fields, etc. Thus progress may seem to have been slow compared with the major steps achieved in 2004, however, the detail work is needed to bring the scenery up to Pendon's high standard. One of the details that has been added now rivals the famous robin, which is no longer the smallest modelled detail in the scene. A cabbage white butterfly now perches on a cabbage in the garden of '77' - a cottage near the canal and Oxford lines. Rumour has it that this butterfly may soon be joined by other butterflies. Suggestions that greenfly have infested roses in one of the gardens may be an exaggeration.





• The next step for the Vale, after consolidation of the area around the Oxford line, is to bring the Bristol line into operation. We already have most of the trains needed to run this line and work is being done to the track to bring it up to scratch, but it will be necessary to complete more of the scenery adjacent to the track before operation of this line can be achieved. This is to ensure the safety of the detailed engines and rolling stock and protect them from the scenic materials. So it will be 3-4 years before you will see regular operation of the Bristol line. You may, however, see occasional test trains on this line in the near future.

Malcolm Smith

Development Co-ordinator