A STEAM engine which spent 13 years on display at a Butlin's holiday camp display has now gone on show at a North-East railway museum.

The Duchess of Hamilton arrived at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon today. (Wednesday, November 21).

It has been based at the National Railway Museum, York, since 1987 and is paying its first Shildon visit.

The loco was pulled from York to Shildon by an NRM-owned Deltic.

Sarah Towers, marketing and communications manager at the museum, said: “It’s the first time that it’s visited Shildon and it’s a really beautiful engine.

“We have tried to get the engine here for some time and we’re glad that we have finally managed to get it here.”

The engine was built in 1938 and gave service to British Rail for 23-years before it was deemed too old.

It travelled to America to appear at the 1939 New York World Fair and returned to Britain in 1942.

The Duchess of Hamilton was saved from the scrap heap by Billy Butlin in 1961 as he used steam engines as children’s playground displays at his holiday camps.

It languished at Butlin’s Minehead camp, in Somerset, in 1962 before being  loaned to the Friends of the National Railway Museum in 1975 who bought it in 1987.

The Duchess of Hamilton will remain in Shildon for the 2013 summer season.

Locomotion is open daily between 10am and 4pm with free entry.