27 March 2025
|
Brand-new exhibitions, a summer-long festival with Flying Scotsman in residence, guest locomotive lineups, a visit from the Railway 200 Exhibition Train and a host of other events and activities will run throughout the year.
In early April, an iconic statue of Robert Stephenson owned by Network Rail will be installed at the museum, returning the legendary railway pioneer to the region where he made his name. The 8ft 10in bronze figure stood outside London’s Euston station from 1871 to 2020, when it was removed for redevelopment and restored to its original condition by HS2.
A new exhibition, Railway Firsts, opened at Locomotion in February, spotlighting pivotal moments that shaped the railways and our history through signalling-themed pop-up displays. Discover famous and unexpected firsts, from pioneering feats of engineering to the railway’s impact on our holiday habits – and even the world’s very first fixed train toilet.
The museum will also run an expanded schools and family programme through 2025, with hands-on activities, STEM workshops and storytelling sessions. Over the Easter break, activities will focus on ‘movement and journeys’, while learning activities over the early May Bank Holiday weekend will be themed around ‘trailblazers of the S&DR’.
From June - December, the Young Railway Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display, showcasing the artistic flair and passion for rail of the UK’s brightest young photographic talent.
Locomotion’s summer festival returns for a second year from July 19 – August 31, with steam rides, a pop-up beach - and a residency from the legendary Flying Scotsman (July 26 – August 25), offering a mix of rides and static display. Full details and ticketing will be released later in the year.
The world’s first fare-paying passenger rail journey took place on the Stockton and Darlington Railway line, a section of which Locomotion sits alongside, on September 27th, 1825.
Widely regarded as the moment which heralded the inception of the modern railway, the bicentenary is being marked across County Durham and Tees Valley by the S&DR200 festival programme, in which Locomotion are a major delivery partner. The festival will launch with a spectacular open-air event in Bishop Auckland on March 29th, with tickets now on general sale from the S&DR200 website.
Across the 26, 27 and 28 of September, a recreation of the first fare-paying passenger journey will take place, when a newly renovated replica of Locomotion No. 1 runs on sections of the original S&DR line over three days. The engine will bypass Locomotion on September 26th.
Locomotion is also a partner in Railway 200, the nationwide celebration of the bicentenary of the railways. The Railway 200 touring exhibition train, Inspiration, will be stationed at Locomotion from September 20 – October 1 - including over the anniversary weekend.
Curated in partnership with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration will visit over 60 destinations, telling the story of the past, present and future of the railways through interactive exhibition carriages, with a mission to promote careers in rail.
In October, West Side Story, a major new touring exhibition that explores the story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, will arrive at Locomotion.
The Brick Alley LEGO user group will return for another weekend of creativity in November, featuring astonishing railway scenes created from LEGO and interactive building activities.
Comments
Login or register to add a comment
No comments