Railway 200 exhibition opens at Herne Bay’s Seaside Museum
- Exhibition commemorating 200 years of railway opened to the public last week
- Curator Mark Jones hosted opening event at Herne Bay’s Seaside Museum
- Trove of vintage photos, posters and uniforms on display until 19 July
A special exhibition opened to the public on Saturday (April 12), celebrating the railway’s role in Herne Bay's growth from quiet fishing village into a thriving seaside destination.
The Railway 200 display at the Seaside Museum unfolds the transformative impact of the railway on the town and surrounding Kent coast over the past two centuries through a carefully curated collection. This includes original signal box diagrams, vintage uniforms and a poster advertising the opening of the town’s first station in 1861.
It is the culmination of the hard work of curator Mark Jones, known locally as the Herne Bay Railway Historian, who has dedicated over 40 years of service to Southeastern and his community.
Pride of place in the exhibition is Mark’s hand-built and to scale model of Herne Bay station, complete with not one, but two Hornby Javelins.
Steve White, Managing Director at Southeastern, said: “There are lots of special things in this exhibition, but most special of all is Mark, who has served his community for 40 years and shares his passion for the railway with others. Railway 200 is all about celebrating the past while looking to the future, and Mark embodies that spirit completely.
“The fact that he has organised 24 events (and counting!) across Herne Bay and Whitstable shows just how far his commitment goes – he’s putting rail at the heart of his community.”
Mark was joined by current and former Southeastern colleagues for a special preview event last week, the first of three months of events celebrating the railway in Herne Bay.
The Railway 200 exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am–4pm, until 19 July at The Seaside Museum. For more information, visit Events – The Seaside Museum Herne Bay.