The Duke has attended celebrations in Durham to mark the 200th anniversary of the first journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
The first public journey on the S&DR took place on 27 September 1825 from Shildon to Stockton, via Darlington. It had been tested prior to this, but on this date the locomotive Locomotion No. 1 pulled several waggons of coal and goods, and a carriage called Experiment with fare-paying passengers. Nearly 600 people were on the train by the time it arrived at Stockton harbour. This journey of 26 miles led to the birth of the modern railway that we know today.
During the visit to Locomotion in Shildon, The Duke of Edinburgh met the team of engineers behind the newly restored replica of Locomotion no. 1 and travelled onboard in the ‘Experiment Passenger Coach’, which is a replica of the 1825 coach.
The Duke then travelled to Hopetown in Darlington, and had a tour of the current exhibitions STEAM to the Future and Titans of Steam which celebrate the rail industry and iconic steam locomotives such as Sir Nigel Gresley and the Flying Scotsman.
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