Bowes Railway Company has been hit by a fire that damaged six of the north-east museum's historic wagons. The fire, which broke out early on the morning of 6 March, is believed to have begun on nearby grassland, before spreading to the site.
John Young, the museum's operations manager, said it had been started deliberately. He estimated the cost of the damage at between £140,000 and £160,000, although the six wagons were insured and will be rebuilt.
Young said the museum, which has two full-time staff, had already been under threat for several reasons. It had faced the loss of accreditation, although this had been avoided after a recent revamp of its archives.
The museum is unclear about the future of its financial settlements from the site's owners, Sunderland City Council and Gateshead Council, although Young said recent signs had been positive and more should have become clear at a meeting on 25 March.
The museum is also in dispute with its energy supplier over high bills. Earlier this year, the two councils received a feasibility study they commissioned into the future of the museum, which said that it needed to be more "sustainable and accessible".
The Bowes railway was originally a colliery line that was built to carry coal from pits in north-west Durham to the Tyne river at Jarrow. The earliest section was designed by George Stephenson and opened in 1826, making it one of the world's first modern railways. Bowes Railway Company was formed in 1980 to preserve and display a section of the line.
The East Lancashire Light Railway Company has gained full approval for a £1.6m Heritage Lottery Fund grant to create a new museum. The project is being developed in an 1848 warehouse that used to house Bury Transport Museum, which closed in 2003. The transport museum's collections will be redisplayed in the new museum, which is expected to open next year.
John Young, the museum's operations manager, said it had been started deliberately. He estimated the cost of the damage at between £140,000 and £160,000, although the six wagons were insured and will be rebuilt.
Young said the museum, which has two full-time staff, had already been under threat for several reasons. It had faced the loss of accreditation, although this had been avoided after a recent revamp of its archives.
The museum is unclear about the future of its financial settlements from the site's owners, Sunderland City Council and Gateshead Council, although Young said recent signs had been positive and more should have become clear at a meeting on 25 March.
The museum is also in dispute with its energy supplier over high bills. Earlier this year, the two councils received a feasibility study they commissioned into the future of the museum, which said that it needed to be more "sustainable and accessible".
The Bowes railway was originally a colliery line that was built to carry coal from pits in north-west Durham to the Tyne river at Jarrow. The earliest section was designed by George Stephenson and opened in 1826, making it one of the world's first modern railways. Bowes Railway Company was formed in 1980 to preserve and display a section of the line.
The East Lancashire Light Railway Company has gained full approval for a £1.6m Heritage Lottery Fund grant to create a new museum. The project is being developed in an 1848 warehouse that used to house Bury Transport Museum, which closed in 2003. The transport museum's collections will be redisplayed in the new museum, which is expected to open next year.
