The Basque Railway Museum to run special classic train services to celebrate ‘International Museum Day’ on Sunday

- The celebrations will also include exhibition of different classic vehicles and a steam crane

On Sunday 17 May, the Basque Railway Museum will celebrate ‘International Museum Day’ with a day of festivities that will include special classic train services and different exhibitions.

On 17 May, the eve of International Museum Day, classic trains will be centre stage. Special services will run between the museum (Azpeitia) and Lasao station at 11.00 a.m., 12.00 noon and 1.00 p.m. 

The first will use the Alsthom 1004 diesel engine that was run by the Basque-Asturian Railway Company and was built in Tarbes in 1965.

At 12.00 noon and 1.00 p.m., classic steam trains will depart, pulled by two engines: ‘Euzkadi’ – built by Krauss (Munich, 1920) for Ferrocarriles Vascongados – and ‘Zugastieta’ – built by Sharp Stewart (Glasgow, 1888), for the Amorebieta to Gernika railway.

The Grafton steam crane (1920) will also be operated. It was built for Babcock & Wilcox and was in service at the factory until 1997; it was therefore the last steam driven vehicle to be in commercial service in Spain. The planned activities also include ‘Espinal’ – the Orconera mining railway’s steam engine (Robert Stephenson, 1887) – being on display.

On Saturday 16 May, the steam engines will depart as usual, as scheduled for the season. The departures will be at 12.00 noon and 5.30 p.m. 

The opening hours of the Museum facilities are as follows: 

Tuesdays to Fridays (not bank holidays):
Mornings: from 10.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
Afternoons: from 3.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

Saturdays:
Mornings: from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
Afternoons: 4.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Sundays and bank holidays (except Mondays):
Mornings: from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

The Basque Railway Museum boasts one of the best railway collections in Europe featuring a whole range of vehicles: electric, diesel and steam locomotives, railcars and different types of carriages. It also has one of the Basque Country’s most comprehensive sets of machine tools from the former Urola railway repair shop. There is also a display of railway uniforms from the end of the 19th century and one of the best railway clock collections in the world.

Information for the general public 

• Address of the Basque Railway Museum: calle Julián Elorza, 8 (20730 AZPEITIA-GIPUZKOA). 

• Information hotline: 943 15 06 77

• Email: museoa@euskotren.eus

• Website: www.euskotren.eus