End of the line for rail museum (From Free Press Series)

End of the line for rail museum

TORFAEN is set to lose a much-loved tourist attraction, as Griffithstown Railway Museum is forced to close.

The museum has been a labour of love for owner Martin Fay for the past 12 years, but after pouring an estimated five-figure sum into the project.

The decision was reached because of a lack of finances, poor visitor figures and delays in planning permission to improve access and safety on the site.

Mr Fay said: "It's absolutely gut-wrenching to have to close the place, but on the weekend the realisation just hit, that I could not keep on like this."

The vast collection of railway memorabilia - much of which he has collected himself - will be "sensitively disposed of".

Mr Fay has not fixed a closure date as yet.

"It's going to take at least a couple of months to work out all the details," he added.