Asturias Railway Museum

The Railway Museum of Asturias opened its doors in 1998 and currently has one of the most important railway collections in Spain.
It is dedicated to the conservation, research and dissemination of the industrial history of Asturias, whose backbone was the railway. The museum connects the history born with the Industrial Revolution with the present and thus acts as an important dynamic element of local and Asturian culture.
The visit
The museum organises temporary exhibitions dedicated to railways and industrial heritage, as well as other topics that complement the contents of the permanent exhibition. In addition, it has a documentation centre that brings together a valuable set of graphic and documentary testimonies, essential for the knowledge of industrial history and the world of railways. The contents are structured in a series of thematic units that show the social, economic, technological and industrial history associated with the world of railways in Asturias, whose network was one of the densest in Spain.
Spaces
The Museum is located at the beginning of the historic working-class neighbourhood of Natahoyo, whose origin, at the end of the nineteenth century, had a lot to do with the construction in 1874 of the Northwest Railway terminal, the current main building of the Museum. The total space dedicated to the Museum comprises three buildings and a wide track yard, with a total of more than 14,000 square metres. Of these, 10,000 make up the permanent exhibition and, in the rest, are located the administrative area, documentation centre, temporary exhibition room, activity room, restoration workshop, reserve and green spaces.
The old station, which corresponds to the Company’s first-class model, responds to the project of the engineer Melitón Martín. A large part of the rolling stock is displayed on its historic platform. In this building they are located in the temporary exhibition rooms, which occupy old station rooms. On the upper floor, in the former office and station master’s living area, are the library and the documentation centre, as well as administrative services.
In 1990 the station ceased to be used as a railway terminal and it was decided to use it as a museum. To this end, a building was designed, parallel to the pre-existing one and linked to it by means of a canopy. It responds to the project of the architects Hernández Sande and houses permanent exhibition rooms and the assembly hall. The facilities are completed by a multipurpose building, intended for exhibition, restoration workshop and warehouses, the platforms and the old track yard of the station, where more elements of rolling stock are located, including those that remain in operation.
The collection
The collection on display is organised into different thematic units that make up a landscape through which the visitor can build their own itinerary. The contents are divided between the old station building and the platforms, the permanent exhibition building, the track yard and the multipurpose warehouse.
The Museum’s collection is made up of a total of more than two thousand pieces, of which more than a hundred are rolling stock, i.e. locomotives, wagons and cars of up to seven different track gauges. They constitute the largest set of preserved historical railway material in all of Spain. In addition, all kinds of objects related to railway work have been preserved, such as lanterns, tools, or telephones.
Services and Activities
The Museum develops an extensive programme of activities aimed at all audiences, which is renewed annually and includes visits and guided itineraries for groups, conferences, unique courses, book presentations, holiday activities, workshops for schoolchildren, activities for adults or disadvantaged groups and many other activities.
Steam Days: During these days, historic steam and diesel locomotives are put into operation. Visitors can travel on short trips through the museum, on trains, in old wooden cars and take special guided tours.
Railway Market: The platforms of the Gijón Railway Market host the traditional Christmas railway market, organized by the Association of Friends of the Railway of Gijón “Don Pelayo”.
Conferences: The Museum organises an annual series of conferences on topics related to the heritage it houses and the research projects it develops. They are normally held on the third Thursday of each month, except August, in the Assembly Hall.
Temporary exhibitions: Referring to the railway, industrial heritage and other topics that complement the contents of the permanent exhibition.
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Library and Documentation Centre
Both the library, the historical newspaper library and the Documentation Centre are aimed at all those users who need to consult material for research and study purposes. Access is free, and it is necessary to make an appointment.