Railway 200 Gala

Join us as we join in the nationwide Railway 200 celebrations with our biggest gala yet, featuring five heritage steam and diesel locomotives hauling trains across the weekend.

Railway 200 celebrates 200 years of the modern railway, marking the bicentenary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. However, the history of the Stephenson Steam Railway’s collection, and much of the North Tyneside Steam Railway, predates 1825. George Stephenson’s ‘Billy’ was built in 1816 and the first railway to use this corridor to the Tyne, the High Flatworth or Murton Waggonway, was relayed with iron rails in 1821. So, this event will celebrate our Rail 200 story.

In the museum we’ll start with a talk on early railway history - delivered in front of the oldest surviving standard gauge steam locomotive, 1816-built ‘Killingworth Billy’ - to hear more about the years preceding the birth of the ‘modern railway’.

On the railway, we’ll be pulling out all the stops to inspire the next generation of railway workers and volunteers by putting on our biggest show to date. Two steam locomotives, Peckett ‘Ashington No.5’ and Bagnall 401, will be in action with a supporting cast of our three diesel locomotives hauling a variety of passenger and demonstration freight trains with non-stop railway action across both days.

📸: North East Museums

You may also like the following events from North Tyneside Steam Railway:

• Next month, 1st June, 11:00 am, North Shields 800: North Shields by Rail Exhibition in North Shields
• This July, 4th July, 05:00 pm, Photographic Evening in North Shields
• This July, 5th July, 10:00 am, Diesel Gala in North Shields