RESIDENTS of a North-East town were bursting with pride this weekend as thousands of visitors came to the region to witness the start of a new era.

Officials unveiled Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon yesterday as people travelled from as far away as Canada to see what the North-East's first national museum has to offer.

Even the early morning rain did not deter people from turning out for the celebrations in the County Durham town.

In fact, the 3,600 people who came far exceeded everyone's expectations, and it is believed that people from as far away as China and Japan will travel to the region in the coming weeks.

Families stepped back in time to the years when steam engines travelled up and down lines carrying passengers all over the country.

It was a time when design and looks were just as vital as the working condition of the engine.

Visitors began their trip down memory lane at the museum's Welcome Centre, which is in the 1884 Sunday School, yards from rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth's Soho works.

His most famous creation, The Sans Pareil, stands in the centre of the building as part of an exhibit that tells the story of how Shildon's love affair with the railways began.

Another attraction is Hackworth's former home, built in 1831, and the Soho Shed.

Volunteers who have painstakingly rebuilt the replica of the 175-year-old Sans Pareil were waiting to take families on a thrilling journey through time, the engine billowing steam as it carried them down the track to the 6,000sq ft collections centre.

The 101-year-old City of Truro, a fine example of the magnificent machines of the time, proudly welcomed visitors to Locomotion's collections centre -the home of 60 of the finest of the NRM's national collection.

She had been lovingly reassembled and polished the day before by experts and enthusiasts after a gruelling journey north on the rear of a lorry from Swindon.

Restored to her former glory after a £100,000 overhaul, she stands outside the collections centre, whistling and billowing steam and enveloping visitors with a sense of nostalgia. Many stood and watched her, breathing in the smells of yesteryear.

One visitor walking past in admiration said: "Don't you just love the smell of steam trains? There is just something about it. They certainly don't make them like they used to."

Young children who have only seen pictures of the engines in books stood back in awe as they wandered around the collections shed taking in engines and wagons that date from the early 1800s.

There was no time for boredom as every few yards a new challenge presented itself to them in the shape of interactive games with a railway theme.

Museum manager George Muirhead said: "It is wonderful, but exhausting. We are very pleased with the thousands who have turned out despite the weather.

"I think seeing so many people in the museum is a real credit to everybody who has been involved in the project.''

Saturday's opening was a low-key event so Shildon residents could see "their museum" for the first time.

A handful of dignitaries, including museum chairman Rod Smith, Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster, Sedgefield Borough Council Mayor Marie Predki, and the head of the National Railway Museum, Andrew Scott, carried out a small ceremonial ribbon-cutting in front of the City of Truro to acknowledge the opening.

The Flying Scotsman, possibly the jewel in the crown of the national collection, will be making the journey from York by rail for the official opening on October 22, which promises to be a huge occasion.

Mr Smith, a trustee of the Museum of Science and Industry, said Saturday was a great day for everybody involved, especially the town of Shildon.

He said: "We are absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with Sedgefield Borough Council.

"We have formed an excellent partnership and they have unlocked doors that we could not, and we have opened doors that they could not.

"This is a very real commitment to the regeneration of the area.

"This will create a wide range of interest and investment in the area, and to see people here today among the exhibits is exciting. We expect to see people visiting Shildon from all over the world."

This weekend was also a learning curve for museum bosses, who have pledged to tackle parking problems. Many people parked on the Dabble Duck Industrial Estate and in front of people's homes instead of taking advantage of park-and-ride facilities.

Mr Scott said: "This is the first weekend and we will be looking at what has happened and learning from it."