Nestled in County Durham, the town of Shildon holds a unique place in railway history. Known as the “Cradle of the Railways,” it was the launch site of the world’s first steam-hauled passenger train on a public railway. This historic journey took place on 27 September 1825, when George Stephenson’s locomotive, aptly named Locomotion No. 1, departed from outside the Mason’s Arms public house in Shildon, bound for Stockton. The train hauled 36 wagons and marked the beginning of a transport revolution.
Shildon’s prominence in railway development was no accident. The town was chosen as the engineering headquarters of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR), the pioneering line that connected coalfields in West Durham to the port of Stockton. Timothy Hackworth, a key figure in early locomotive engineering, was appointed in 1827 to oversee the company’s engines. He established his own locomotive works in Shildon, contributing significantly to the development of more reliable steam locomotives.
Over time, Shildon evolved into a major industrial hub. After Hackworth’s death in 1850, the town became the principal wagon works for the S&DR, which later merged into the North Eastern Railway, then the London & North Eastern Railway, and eventually British Railways. At its peak, the Shildon Wagon Works was the largest in Europe, supported by an extensive network of sidings—the largest in the world at the time.
Despite the closure of the wagon works in 1984, Shildon’s railway legacy endured. In 2004, the Locomotion museum was established as a partnership between Sedgefield Borough Council and the National Railway Museum, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The museum incorporated the historic buildings of the former Timothy Hackworth Museum and quickly became a major attraction, drawing over 175,000 visitors annually.
Locomotion was more than just a museum—it was a celebration of Shildon’s enduring railway spirit. It housed over 70 rail vehicles from the national collection, including iconic machines like Sans Pareil, the APT-E experimental train, and the prototype Deltic. The museum’s layout included a demonstration line, historic buildings, and a six-spur apron for showcasing locomotives.
In May 2024, Locomotion underwent a major transformation with the opening of the New Hall—a 47-vehicle collections building that made it home to the largest undercover collection of historic rail vehicles in Europe. This expansion reaffirmed Shildon’s role as a living archive of railway innovation and heritage.
The museum’s name, Locomotion, pays homage to the locomotive that started it all. Though Locomotion No. 1 was not the first steam engine ever built, its significance lies in its role on that historic day in 1825. Built by Robert Stephenson & Co., it symbolized the dawn of the railway age and remained closely associated with Shildon throughout its working life.
Today, Locomotion continues to inspire visitors with its rich blend of engineering marvels, historical context, and community pride. It stands not only as a museum but as a monument to the ingenuity and ambition that propelled Britain into the modern age of transport.
This content was generated using AI based on publicly available sources including the Locomotion official site, Wikipedia, and the National Railway Museum blog.
