THE 200th anniversary celebrations of the birth of passenger railway began in Shildon with a Royal visit.
All roads led to Shildon this morning (Friday) with traffic jams all around the town, which was once at the very centre of the passenger railway revolution. Thousands of people made their way to the celebrated Locomotion Museum to see the evidence of George Stephenson’s genius, which brought the railway to the people. It was September 27th 1825 when the Locomotion No 1 steam train took to the Stockton and Darlington Railway line pulling carriages full of people and musicians to become the very first passenger train in the world.
This outstanding revolution in passenger transport, the invention from the north-east that would change the whole world, was celebrated today when HRH The Duke of Edinburgh arrived by helicopter to kickstart the weekend-long party. And our own Weardale Railway had played its part too ensuring the replica of Locomotion No 1 was in working order to transport the Duke and other visitors along the historic line, recreating that first journey.
One of those ‘other visitors’ was Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the husband of HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, who is the Chairman of the Science Museum Group, which has an interest in such matters. The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, industry and media.
And so, the huge crowd was not only confined to the Locomotion Museum but hundreds of others crowded along the route to Darlington, including in Heighington Station as the Royal party passed by.
Among the crowd was teenage photographer, Lewis Langstaff-Wood, now an accredited photo/journalist. He journeyed from his home in Witton-le-Wear on a professional assignment and took these photographs for the Weardale Gazette.
The celebrations continue over the weekend with more exciting things to see and do not only at the Locomotion Museum but also in Hopetown, Darlington and in Stockton-on-Tees. This very special celebration is our own. The world’s railways were built from the foundation set by local engineers, mechanics, labourers and more and this weekend is a celebration of the expertise and hard work of such men.
