Railway museum in Dombóvár

The establishment of the Dombóvár Railway History Museum (Dombóvár Railway Collection – Museum Stop, abbreviated: DVM) was preceded by the initiative of Lajos Beles (Szőny, 1941 – Dombóvár, 2007), chief locomotive driver, and the railway collection that colleagues, co‑workers and railway enthusiasts gathered. The collected material was housed in the Building of the Railway Traction Board of MÁV Hungarian State Railways Ltd. (1987‑1988).

History

The material for the new exhibition outgrew the old ground‑floor display space. After Lajos Beles’s death, the former industrial railway reception building on Gyár Street emerged as a new venue. Within the 2008 “Night of Museums” event series, the exhibition was opened, with the venue provided by the Municipality of the City of Dombóvár. The collection’s material was temporarily stored because the industrial building was assigned a different function. The collection moved again, to the basement of the former music school (formerly the AIR basement), where it was presented as the main event of the 2009 Night of Museums. A drier space was needed because the objects and documents on display would have been damaged by moisture. On 9 May 2013, MÁV and the Dombóvár City‑Building and City‑Preserving Non‑Profit Association signed the lease agreement for the use of the shelter. In the former railway control centre, the first presentation of the Dombóvár Railway History Museum’s material took place during the 2013 Night of Museums. The museum’s first director became Tamás Kertész.

The core of the railway collection: locomotive plates, educational tools, locomotive hours, various specialist books, instructions, other service documents; primarily related to the work and history of the Pulling Committee. This material is continuously expanded with material from other committees, e.g.: the Extending Committee, the Rolling Stock Committee, thanks to donors with objects concerning multiple railway areas (e.g., locomotive carriage lamps, specialist books, personal documents, identification cards, work clothing, floor plans, etc.)