The Uganda Railway Museum (URM) has received a special donation that is set to make the museum experience even more engaging for young visitors, generously donated by Peter, a German national who resides in Entebbe.
When Peter visited the Uganda Railway Museum in Jinja last year, he discovered that the Museum’s model train had been out of operation for some time. He left Uganda, but the story of the little train stayed with him.
Back in Germany, Peter visited the Märklin Museum, a place dedicated to the history and craftsmanship of model railways. His experience there strengthened an idea that had begun during his visit to Jinja: the Uganda Railway Museum needed a model train that could once again capture the imagination of its visitors.
Peter sourced a Märklin model train from Such & Find www.suchundfind-stuttgart.de a well-known collectors’ shop in Stuttgart, Germany, specialising in model railways and other collectables.
When Peter came back to Uganda, his first stop was Jinja City at the Uganda Railway Museum, with our gift from Germany. He also shared his experience at the Märklin Museum beneficial to the development of URM. What began as a conversation during a museum visit has now become a meaningful contribution to the Museum’s work.
And this little train has an important job ahead.
Every year, the Uganda Railway Museum welcomes many children and young people through school visits. For them, the model train will offer more than something to look at. It will help them see, imagine and understand how trains worked and the role the railway played in connecting people, places and communities across Uganda.
Did you know that most of Uganda’s railway equipment, including coaches and locomotives, is from Germany?
The donation also represents a unique connection between Germany and Uganda, personal curiosity and public heritage, and the past and the next generation.
The Uganda Railway Museum, managed by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) in partnership with Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), is delighted to welcome this new addition. We cannot wait to see the excitement on the faces of young visitors as the Märklin train begins its new journey in Jinja.
