A £6million handout has sealed the future of a new Preston museum which is under construction.

It means the new Heritage Railway Project, based at Riversway, Preston, will officially open to the public in two years' time thanks to the Lotto grant.

The venture has been organised by members of the Ribble Steam Railway who have spent the past three years building up the historic museum on three acres of wasteland in Chain Caul Road.

At the weekend people were given an opportunity to view the organisation's work at a transport event in the city centre. Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust organised restored buses to ferry people to and from the Preston Model Railway Exhibition, at the University of Central Lancashire.

Among the buses wheeled into action were the 1958 Leyland PD2/40 in Fishwicks' dark green colours, a 1954 single deck Leyland, in Ribble colours and the last 1980 Atlantean to enter service with Ribble.

Tony Kuivala, curator of Ribble Steam Railway museum, said: "It went better than expected with dozens of people asking loads of really good questions."

Another open day is planned for July and organisers are now cracking ahead with transforming the site.