Rocket arrives at Shildon's Locomotion rail museum

The world-renowned locomotive Rocket has arrived at a County Durham museum.

The engine designed by George and Robert Stephenson in Newcastle in 1829 will go on display at Locomotion museum in Shildon on Friday.

It was moved to allow work to take place at its normal home at the National Railway Museum's Station Hall in York.

Rocket will join two other early locomotives, Sans Pareil and Locomotion No 1, in an exhibition at Shildon.

It made the 60-mile journey north on the back of a lorry on Wednesday for its first visit to Locomotion.

Rocket won the Rainhill Trials, a competition held in October 1829 to find the best design of steam locomotive for the recently-formed Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

It was built in Newcastle at Robert Stephenson and Co, the world's first locomotive workshop, which celebrates its bicentenary later this year.

Dr Sarah Price, head of Locomotion, said: "We are delighted to welcome such a well-known locomotive to the museum, especially one with such strong connections to the North East.

"I am excited for our visitors to see Rocket here in Shildon and I'm sure it will become a star object for our visitors very quickly."

Meanwhile, work has started on a new hall to house 46 vehicles from the national collection at Shildon which is due to open in the autumn as part of the museum's Vision 2025 project.

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