76 years ago, the first Lady Mayor of Brighton inaugurated the Brighton Belle at Brighton Station. Now, the Station is to have on permanent display a spectacular life-size image of the Belle!

 Click on the picture to see an artist's impression of the mural

The wonderful wall mural of a Belle first class carriage is the result of the combined efforts of the 5BEL Trust, train operator Southern, station owner Network Rail, Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton and Hove Bus Company, the Railway Heritage Trust, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, the Littledale-Brough Trust (Collections Trust), local businesses and private individuals. The mural will significantly enhance the visual excitement of Trafalgar Street and the entrance to the Museum - the City’s official Visitor Information Point - and will be seen by many tens of thousands of people each year.

The mural will be sited behind the station arches, as though the train was waiting at a station platform. Cleverly, it will be painted such that the coach ends at the entrance to the museum. A finger post on the brick arch at the western end points ‘To the Station’ and at the eastern end, ‘To the Visit Brighton Information Point, Toy Museum, Royal Pavilion, Cultural Centre and the Sea’ adding visual excitement to the streetscape at the commencement of the City Council’s important new North Laine route.

A Trust spokesman commented "It is wonderful to see so many organisations working together to give residents and visitors a permanent reminder of the train that became emblematic of a town of great style, culture and vibrancy. Very soon, we hope to see the real Brighton Belle in regular operation from Brighton Station."

  Download the latest Brighton Toy and Model Museum Newsletter here