A North-East tourist attraction is in the running for one of Britain's biggest arts prizes, only months after it opened.

Locomotion: the National Railway Museum at Shildon, County Durham, has been short-listed for the Gulbenkian prize for museum of the year.

The nomination is another chapter in Locomotion's success story, which exceeded its annual visitor target of 60,000 within two months of opening in September.

Boss George Muirhead said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been short-listed. It is incredible to recall that this time last year the museum building was nothing more than a structure of girders - and here we are now being discussed as the possible museum of the year.

"We have been astounded by the level of public support and number of visitors."

Four finalists for the prize will be selected in March and the overall winner will be announced in May.

If it is wins, the museum will pick up £100,000 to plough back into the development.

The money could pay for a secure display unit to exhibit a silver model of Locomotion, the engine that hauled the world's first public train from Shildon in 1825.

The museum has the model on loan from the Royal Collection but cannot afford to exhibit it.

Cash could also help realise the dreams of enthusiasts who hope to build a narrow gauge railway on the site.

Judges nominated Locomotion, a partnership venture between Sedgefield Borough Council and the National Railway Museum, in York, because it celebrates Shildon's history as one of the world's oldest railway towns.

Mr Muirhead said: "We hold public events, are developing community education prog-rammes, promoting enterprise and work closely with voluntary groups.

"The museum, and nomination for the Gulbenkian prize, are restoring pride in the town and region and promoting its name as the birthplace of the modern railway."

Published: 14/01/2005