Steam in Miniature at Blists Hill Victorian Town

For two days only, the streets of Blists Hill Victorian Town will be filled with miniature steam engines in action. In total some 16 miniature traction engines representing most of the UK manufacturers will roam the streets, demonstrating how they would have been used in Victorian Britain.

Highlights will be Billy the steam roller and the Merryweather steam fire pump. Visitors will be able to see Billy in action mending roads and the Merryweather firefighting. Other engines will demonstrate stone crushing and road haulage.

This year’s event coincides with Trevithick Day, a celebration of Richard Trevithick, who constructed the world's first steam railway locomotive, a replica of which is at Blists Hill Victorian Town and currently undergoing conservation work.

Trevor Barraclough, Steam Engineer at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “This is a brilliant event for steam enthusiasts as well as those new to the world of steam. It’s exciting for us to get this many steam engines together in one place in an authentic historic setting, and for the public to be able to get up close and see how they work and the things they did.”

Ross Davidson, Visitor Engagement Manager at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “With this event the streets of Blists Hill Victorian Town come to life in a new way. Steam engines turned the wheels of the Industrial Revolution and helped create the modern world of today. Watching engines move down the street, hearing steam hissing, smelling hot oil and smoke, visitors will get a real feel for the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian life.”

For full details of events, tickets and annual pass prices, visit: ironbridge.org.uk