Brass, Steel and Fire, National Railway Museum
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![A woman and child at the exhibition entrance. Above them, the title "Brass Steel and Fire" is surrounded by hundreds of spotlit tools suspended from the ceiling.]()
An exhibition showcasing the creativity of engineering across 100 years of model-making.
Brass, Steel and Fire. National Railway Museum, 26 September 2019 – 13 April 2020. Science Museum, 22 October 2020 – 3 May 2021.
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![Visitors in an exhibition gallery with timber framework, seating and locomotive models in showcases on wooden benches, A man sitting in the foreground examines a train model with a magnifying glass.]()
The exhibition featured locomotive models handcrafted from scratch by ‘ordinary people’ between 1810 and 1910. The exhibition was designed for the National Railway Museum in York in 2019 and the Science Museum in 2021.
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![A model locomotive in a table-mouted perspex showcase, on top of a black and white reproduction of a technical drawing. To the right of the showcase is an object label and magnifying glass, with a stool for visitors to sit at the table.]()
The design is deliberately stripped back, with a timber framework that recalled a shed or engineer's workshop. Distressed oak workbenches were used to exhibit locomotive models at accessible heights, while stools and magnifying glasses let visitors get up close to the exhibits.
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![Dozens of work tools – hammers, lathes, drills, handsaws and mallets – suspended from a ceiling. They are spotlit from an angle, and are casting shadows on the white wall behind them.]()
We created a sculpture of used tools for the exhibition entrance. Some of these were contributed by Keith Dodgson, the father of an employee at the Science Museum – a keen model engineer who often experimented with hand-made tools. It was an honour to include his tools in the display and brought home how often ordinary people have contributed to the history of engineering.
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![A large timber framework in a gallery. At the entrance is a large oak text panel titled “A Love of Making,” and a woman looking at locomotive models next to a video of an engine. Inside the frame, visitors look at models displayed on workbenches.]()
Large images and projected film contextualised the displays of models within the timber framework. Oak text panels and multimedia housing enhanced the overall sense of craftsmanship and continuity in finish.
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![A visitor interacts with hand tools set into a wooden bench. He is touching a hand drill, which is illuminating a graphic illustration at head height demonstrating how the tool is used.]()
Interactives included a working lathe which could be operated by visitors, and touchable hand tools which illuminated graphics when touched. These elements appeared throughout the gallery, allowing visitors to explore narratives and understand creative technical processes.
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![A display of tools. A wooden bench with hand tools stands next to a full-sized antique lathe. Above them, lightboxes show diagrams of how the tools are used. To the right, a video monitor shows a selection of dials.]()
A graphic wall extended the shape and structure of the timber frame into a 2D illustration.
