In 1995 the museum won the National Heritage Shoestring Award for achieving the best results with limited resources at the National Heritage Museum of the Year awards.

"In many ways this museum epitomises what originally made the British museum movement exceptional, relying on the devotion and dedication of one individual to an ideal"

Quote from the speech given by Lord Morris, Chairman of the Judges' Committee, at the awards ceremony.

'A fantastic collection of model railways and toys has been built up by Rod Moore, the sole begetter, curator, collector, craftsman, technician and janitor whose enthusiasm matches his technical expertise. One judge commented that they had rarely seen a better collection administered by a better specialist, and this museum is the deserved winner of the Shoe String Award sponsored by Museum Casts.'

Museum Casts presented the museum with their 'shoestring' award (left) and a life size figure (right).

The figure was modelled from a photo of the curators wife when she was nine - see the photo in the pram. It was unveiled by the Mayor of Cockermouth. No dinky little curtain with gold tasselled pull cord was used here, the Mayor having to give a real heave-ho on a long length of string!

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