The 200th anniversary celebrations for the Stockton & Darlington Railway have begun across County Durham and Tees Valley, with the activities centring around a recreation of the steam engine Locomotion No. 1’s first journey.
The S&DR200 festival will see a newly restored replica of Locomotion No. 1 recreate the journey made by the first steam locomotive to travel on a public railway in 1825.
The festival is part of a year of celebrations marking the ingenuity and cultural history of the area and the birth of the modern railway.
From 26 to 28 September, the replica engine will run on sections of the original railway with the passenger carriage Experiment and traditional coal wagons, with viewpoints for spectators along the way.
The celebrations will centre around three attractions: Hopetown in Darlington; Locomotion, a railway museum in Shildon; and the recently reopened Preston Park Museum in Stockton-on-Tees.
Sarah Price, the head of Locomotion Museum, told Museums Journal: “One of the things we were really keen to do here is based around the idea that 200 years ago people came here to see the future.
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“They came to see something that was new and exciting and that would transform lives.
“We want to tell that story. We want to bring inspiration that tells the story of the past, present and future of the railways.”
Celebrations will include a cultural and historical programme with local bands, live performances and activities for all ages.
A new mural is on display at Stockton Station, created by artist and designer Morag Myerscough in collaboration with a refugee community group.
It is the latest in a series of murals being unveiled along the S&DR Trail of Discovery, a 26-mile route between Witton Park and Stockton that follows the sections of the original S&DR line.
Niccy Halifax, the director of S&DR200, said: “200 years ago, the Northeast witnessed one of history’s most exciting developments, with progress on an unprecedented scale: from democratising travel, day trips, communication, newspapers, and time – the list is extensive.”
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“This is our heritage, and we should be proud of these achievements while looking forward.
“It will be an opportunity to discover – or return to – a series of incredible heritage and cultural attractions dotted across the region, all putting on a show to mark this extra special event.”
In York, the National Railway Museum’s newly refurbished Grade II-listed Station Hall will also open on 26 September, simultaneously celebrating S&DR200 and the museum’s own 50th birthday.
Opened to mark the 150th anniversary of the railway in 1975, the National Railway Museum was the first national museum in England to be based outside of London.
The former goods station adjacent to York Station closed for an £11m refurbishment in 2023, led by Buttress Architects.
It will open with a rearranged display of its rail vehicles and collections. Items in the refreshed exhibition include a WHSmith bookstall, first installed at London Waterloo in 1921, and a recently restored floral wreath from Queen Victoria’s funeral train, which has been in storage for over 30 years. The wreath can be seen alongside the museum’s collection of six royal carriages.
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As part of the celebrations, Preston Park Museum reopened on 13 September with a series of exhibitions celebrating the bicentenary, Tracks of Change.
The festival has involved partnerships with three local authorities: Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees borough councils and Durham County Council.
Other major funders include Arts Council England, Tees Valley Combined Authority and the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
S&DR200 runs until 2026 in various locations across County Durham and Tees Valley.
