Head of Steam - Darlington Railway Museum

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Head of Steam - Darlington Railway Museum

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Head of Steam Museum is located on the 1825 route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the world's first steam-worked public railway. The site encompasses three significant Stockton & Darlington Railway buildings of the 1830s/50s: North Road Passenger Station, the Goods Shed and Hopetown Carriage Works.

The museum is devoted to the area formerly served by the North Eastern Railway, with particular reference to the Stockton & Darlington Railway, and the railway industry of Darlington.

Exhibits include Stephenson's "Locomotion No. 1", built for the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, and "Derwent", the earliest surviving Darlington built locomotive, on loan from The National Railway Museum Collection. Locomotion is one of the oldest surviving steam engines in the world and the first ever steam train to carry fare paying passengers.

A range of smaller items including station and lineside signs, uniforms, furniture, tableware and paintings, complements the larger exhibits. The entrance hall and ticket office are restored in period style, enhanced by displays of items such as porters' barrows, luggage, posters and advertising signs.

The museum also has a dedicated research centre, The Ken Hoole Study Centre, which has an extensive collection of documentary material, photographs, plans, books and periodicals. The core collection was bequeathed by Ken Hoole, (a renowned regional railway historian) but the Study Centre also houses material from numerous other sources, including the library collection of the North Eastern Railway Association. Please see the Study Centre web pages for opening times and how to book an appointment.