The Railway Workers Museum (Musée du Cheminot) was set up 25 years ago and houses a large collection of objects from the daily life of railway workers, presented across 1,000m² of exhibition space. From station offices to the train crew’s dining room, the museum has reconstructed typical scenes from the life of a railway worker at the start of the 20th century.
A rich collection – from steam trains to today’s high-speed rail
Since a large part of Ambérieu-en-Bugey’s population used to depend on the railway to earn a living, it’s hardly surprising that a small group of passionate rail workers decided to create a museum to retrace the history of the local railway. Their association is recognised for its contribution to the local community.
Wander through the museum’s authentic reconstructions and get an insight into the objects and places that formed part of a day in the life of a railway worker. The ground floor is dedicated to the museum’s history and the world of trains, while the first floor depicts typical scenes from the lives of railway workers.
An intriguing collection of objects from back in the day of steam trains
Come and discover with wonder:
- model steam trains,
- driver’s cabs from the 20th century,
- the lamp room,
- the apprentices’ workshop,
- the signal box,
- all the different maintenance tools and the different types of tracks built since the first ever railways,
- the braking system set up in Ambérieu-en-Bugey,
- the stationmaster’s office from the 1950s,
- the canteen,
- and lots other surprises lying in store…
All aboard for a journey back in time!