Ah, the wonderful age of steam. Mervyn Hancock recalls some childhood memories by visiting the museum of the Great Western Railway in Swindon

T here was nothing quite like it. The smell of steam, cinders flying in the eye, and the sounds of the mighty engines pulling rolling stock through picturesque countryside. And for part of my childhood, I not only watched the steam trains passing by the bottom of my garden in Devon, but also travelled on them each day to school.

The passing of these mighty giants has been mourned for decades, but now there's a chance to relive the past with a visit to the Museum of the Great Western Railway which is housed in a beautifully restored Grade-II listed railway building in the heart of the former Swindon railway works in Wiltshire.

The museum tells the story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on the Great Western Railway, "God's Wonderful Railway" – a railway network that, through the pioneering vision and genius of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was regarded as the most advanced in the world.

It literally set the standard for rail travel, and the story of how it was built, operated and acted as a lifeline during peace and wartime is brought to life with videos – mixing rare archive film footage with the stories of ex-railway workers – and hands-on exhibits and interactive displays, famous loco- motives and GWR memorabilia. The museum is peopled by character figures cast from Swindon people – many of them former railway workers.

Visitors are taken into the world of the railway worker in the town, passing through a series of reconstructions, carefully assembled using original equipment, supported by video and interactive displays.

From the hushed tones of The Offices where – in the GWR's heyday before the World War I – clerks toiled to support the workforce of more than 12,000 to the General Stores, an "empire within an empire" which kept Swindon and the GWR supplied with everything from pen nibs to railway sleepers.

It was a massive operation, and in its heyday, Swindon was producing three locomotives every week.

Men toiled in the heart of the works, The Foundry – and as you pass through this area you get a sense of the heat, grime and hard conditions in which they worked. However, it's not as bad as the Boiler Shop, where the noise endured by the workers meant that many were deaf by the age of 30.

There is a more gentle atmosphere in the Carriage Shop, where the sounds and smells of steel and iron are replaced with the evocative aroma of wood.

Then a look at the final product – the GWR express passenger locomotive, Caerphilly Castle. This famous locomotive stands on its own, displayed in "ex-works" condition – all gleaming paint and brass – illustrating the magnificent end-product of many thousands of hours of labour.

The GWR began as a route from Bristol to London – thousands upon thousands of hours of labour by navvies brought the vision of Brunel to life, and the great engineer himself is prominently featured around the museum building.

But best of all for me was the opportunity to drive a steam engine – well not quite!

But there is a 1925 replica of the 1837 broad gauge locomotive, North Star, and a simulator – where you can feel what it was like to drive a steam engine.

And of course it wasn't just passengers who used the GWR – it was a vital means of shifting all kinds of freight, from coal to carpets, broccoli to newspapers.

And to illustrate that fact, there is a huge pile of goods in the museum showing the type of goods which were hauled up and down the lines.

The Wall of Names is a poignant memorial to the men and women who worked inside the Swindon Works, often generations of the same families, which reminds us of the human aspect of the railway story. This viewing platform provides an opportunity to look out over the main Bristol railway line and watch the comings and goings of the modern railway network before returning to the past and exploring a reconstructed station platform, where the last steam locomotive built for British Railways, No 92220 Evening Star, and a 1934 buffet car awaits.

Even the Queen is an avid rail fan and has her own Royal Train, and the museum has a Royal carriage dating back to 1897.

Watch out for the train whistles, doors slamming and station announcements which bring the platform alive with the sounds of travel.

The journey is completed in the final Speed To The West section where displays evoke the railway's role as the holiday line.

Some of the Great Western Railway's famous posters and advertising material are on display, plus a reconstructed seaside pier, complete with working vintage amusement machines.

STEAM is open from 10am to 5pm every day of the week throughout the year. Last admission to STEAM is at 4.30pm. The Museum is closed on December 25 and 26 and January 1.

Please note that STEAM closes at 3pm on December 24. STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA. Tel: 01793 466 646.