Dumper trucks symbolically moved in today to help lay the foundations for the National Railway Museum's £4 million new wing.

The Works is being built on the site of the NRM's now demolished engine shed. Once completed, it will give visitors the chance to tour behind the scenes of the museum to see thousands of the museum's treasures on show for the first time - everything from silverware to footwarmers in the new displays.

Visitors will also be given the chance to tour behind the scenes and watch restorers in action on the workshop floor from a viewing gallery.

It will also provide space for many of the museum's locomotives and carriages to take cover from the rain or come home for display, among them the Royal saloons used by the Queen Mother.

Head of the Museum, Andrew Scott, said he expected the building to be completed and ready for opening by next year.

"Laying the foundations of The Works brings us another step closer to finishing our exciting new wing."

Project developer Belinda Morris said: "There will an Aladdin's Cave of things that have not been exhibited before and there will be lots for people of all ages to see and do.

"We will be making it an interactive exhibition so people will be able to do things like pull signal leavers and have a go at building models in activity areas.

"We also intend to create an outdoor balcony so visitors will be able to see trains coming into York station on the East Coast main line and watch them going away again and wire up cameras to send live pictures from the lines.

"It will attract more people to the museum and give them the chance to look behind the scenes and see how a museum works."

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