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Locomotion No. 1 Replica Heads to Stockton on Final Leg of 200th-Anniversary Run

A newly restored replica is retracing the 1825 route to showcase the line’s role in shaping modern railways.

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Train driver Chris Cubit rides on a replica of Locomotion No 1 during a test run for 'The Railway 200 Special' at the Locomotion Museum in Shildon, County Durham, ahead of the 200th anniversary of the passenger railways on Saturday September 27. Locomotion No 1 was built in 1825 by George and Robert Stephenson and entered service in September 1825, on the opening day of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), when it was driven by George Stephenson and hauling eleven wagons containing coal, and 20 wagons carrying passengers. Picture date: Thursday September 25, 2025. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Overnight crowds watched the locomotive cross Darlington’s Skerne Bridge under lights before it set off at 6 a.m. from Dinsdale toward Stockton for scheduled civic welcomes.
  • Organizers plan official receptions in Stockton, with the Lord Lieutenant for County Durham and a military gun salute listed for the finale.
  • The three-day journey began Friday at the Locomotion museum in Shildon and is being run in stages at five to ten miles per hour with designated viewing points.
  • Spectators have seen the replica haul the 'Experiment' passenger carriage and goods wagons along controlled sections of the original line.
  • Thousands turned out in Darlington for Saturday’s appearances, where the engine crossed Skerne Bridge after a short delay and repeated the run for gathered crowds.