Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham, is to undertake the museum’s biggest ever rail shunt to create Europe’s largest undercover display of historic rail vehicles.
Managed by specialist teams from Locomotion and the National Railway Museum, the shunt will see 46 vehicles (and one road vehicle) moved carefully inside the newly constructed £8m New Hall.
Locomotion is a partnership between the Science Museum Group and Durham County Council, with the latter having provided significant funding towards New Hall.
Situated opposite the museum’s existing collection building, New Hall is scheduled to open to the public on 24th May 2024. Before then, the hall needs to be filled with the collection of rail vehicles in a complex shunt that will take more than four weeks to complete.
With a crane, two snow ploughs, a pair of track inspection velocipedes, historic steam locomotives, numerous freight wagons and even a tracked Bren Gun Carrier, the lineup is sure to include something to complete every train set. When added to the vehicles already at Locomotion there will be 99 rail vehicles – creating the largest undercover display of historic rail vehicles in Europe.
New Hall will open in time to celebrate the museum’s 20th anniversary in September this year. The museum is also built close to the site of Shildon Works – once home to a thriving railway workshop, employing thousands, which closed in June 1984.
To mark this important link, the new building and the vehicle display will recognise the important role of railways in shaping communities in Shildon and across the North East, as well as the development of the railways across the UK. The interpretation will also tell new stories of the significance of coal in the development of the railways along with related stories of industry and freight transportation.
Durham County Council successfully applied for £20m Levelling Up funding to allow it to invest in Locomotion, including the creation of New Hall. The council seeks to promote the county and its assets to visitors as part of its Inclusive Economic Strategy.
Once rail vehicles are in place, New Hall will receive new interpretation, seating, wayfinding, lighting and other finishing touches ready to open for visitors on Friday 24th May 2024.
New Hall is the centerpiece of a site-wide programme of improvements at Locomotion which incorporates historic coal drops, a collection of railway buildings and Gaunless Bridge – one of the world’s oldest iron railway bridges. A restoration project is taking place to repaint and display the bridge which was originally part of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. This is being funded by the Ironmonger’s Company and members of the public.
As well as New Hall, visitors to Locomotion can see many highlights from the national collection – from the world’s fastest diesel locomotive, HST 43102 The Journey Shrinker to Stephenson’s original Rocket and Locomotion No.1, which hauled the first train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.
The new building will be a key part of plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 2025 as part of Railway 200.
Locomotion’s New Hall has been generously supported by Durham County Council (Lead Funder), The Friends of the National Railway Museum (Major Funder), Wolfson Foundation (Major Funder), The Foyle Foundation (Major Funder), Sir James Knott Trust (Associate Funder), The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust (Associate Funder), The Platten Family Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland (Funder), and Northumbrian Water Branch Out Fund (Funder). The Gaunless Bridge project has been generously supported by the Ironmonger’s Company (Funder) and members of the public.
For more information about Locomotion visit: www.locomotion.org.uk