On Saturday, the new £11m railway museum at Shildon opens its doors - and its engines - to its first visitors. It will be an historic event in the history of the world's first railway town. Helen Miller looks at what the first visitors to Locomotion will see.

SANS PAREIL

THE Sans Pareil is the true star of Locomotion. Built by Timothy Hackworth in 1829 at his Soho Works in Shildon, it was at the cutting edge of the technology of its time.

It has taken Sans Pareil 175 years to come home and it now stands proudly at the centre of one of the museum's main exhibits in the 1884 Sunday School, in Soho Street, just yards from where it was created.

Hackworth built it as his entry for the famous Rainhill Trials in which the directors of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway tested various locomotives to find the best to run on their new line.

Sans Pareil - which means 'beyond compare' - broke down during the trials and was beaten by George Stephenson's Rocket - although, because many of Sans Pareil's parts were made at Stephenson's factory, some allege it was only defeated by underhand methods.

It was repaired and had a working life of 35 years, and when it came home to Shildon earlier this summer crowds gathered to welcome it home to Shildon.

Hackworth's great-great grandchildren Ulick Loring and Jane Hackworth-Young were among the crowds. Mrs Hackworth-Young said that it was a proud day and that the museum meant that her ancestor was finally getting the recognition he deserved.

DELTIC PROTOTYPE

WITH its sharp lines and daring colour scheme, the Deltic Prototype cuts a fine figure among the engines in the collections centre.

It was built by English Electric in 1955 and in its heyday it was every schoolboy's dream and a must have for model train collectors.

This diesel engine was one of the first major exhibits to arrive at Locomotion. Collections manager Anthony Coulls said: "With its blue colouring and cream stripes it must have made quite an impact in the 1950s when it appeared amongst the dirt of the steam age railway and we hope, similarly, that it will make an impact on the visitors to Locomotion.''

SNOW PLOUGH

North-Eastern Railway Snow Plough No 12 is believed to be the oldest fully restored snow plough in the country.

It was built in 1891 and was part of a fleet of 24 which played an important part in wintertime day to day running of the North-Eastern Railway. Anthony Coulls said: "It is particularly appropriate to us here because we are not too far from the Barnard Castle to Tebay line where trains were frequently snowed in at Stainmore Summit, which is now on the A66.

"The trains had to be rescued by snow ploughs such as this one but we hope we never have any cause to use it!''

251 ATLANTIC

THIS engine was built during the golden age of steam when design and style were just as important as the technology and running of an engine. It was one of the first of its type to be built in 1902 and ran until 1947.

It has been at the National Railway Museum in York ever since. In its time it was seen as both an attractive and exciting engine. It outlived its usefulness after the end of the Second World War.

Now it has made its home in the collections centre in Shildon and is bound to thrill both hardened railway enthusiasts and general visitors alike.

HAND OPERATED CRANE

THE oldest hand-operated crane in the world. Built in 1850, it had a capacity of about five tonnes and was used for light duties loading and unloading materials in railway yards.

Anthony Coulls said: "This is a remarkable survivor, given its early date.

"It has a jib made from a massive piece of timber which was probably growing at least 200 years before the crane was built. It is a very special treat to have this as one of the exhibits at Locomotion.''

HIGH CAPACITY HOPPER WAGON

THIS exhibit will bring back a lot of memories for former workers at Shildon's famous wagon works. It was the first wagon ever to be built there, and Shildon went on to produce another 11,000 after it.

It would have been used on a 'merry-go-round' system delivering coal to power stations.

Anthony Coull said: "When we brought this wagon in we were very pleased to meet the gentleman who had built it at the works. It is really nice to have that link with the past in Shildon and very appropriate that this should be here in our collections centre.''

CITY OF TRURO

The Great Western Railway City Class No 3440 City of Truro will be found in all its glory outside the collections centre. The engine is celebrating its centenary and was the first to smash the 100mph barrier.

It was built at Swindon in May 1903 and has recently been the subject of a £130,000 overhaul.

It was officially retired from service in 1931 when it became an exhibit at the then York Railway Museum. It was known as the fastest locomotive of its day.

It is due to arrive in Shildon today and will remain at the museum until December. It is the first steam visitor to the site - one of the next, in October, will be the Flying Scotsman.

FULL LIST OF EXHIBITS

Row 1

Waterloo and City 3rd class carriage; Southern Railway 2-Bil unit; British Rail (BR) Mark 1 Carriage; London and South Western Adams 563; City of Truro engine; Flying Scotsman

Row 2

London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Royal support vehicle; LNWR Royal brake generator car; London Midland and Scottish (LMS) Railway Sleeper; Great Northern Railway (GNR) locomotive; Great Western Railway Mogo; Eastern Counties Railway passenger brake van; GNR Locomotive No 251.

Row 3

Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) composite; Forcett Coach; North London Railway (NLR) Saloon; Advanced Passenger Train. Outside: 03 shunter.

Row 4

Advanced Passenger Train power car; Midland Railway Officer's Saloon; North Eastern Railway Sand Wagon; London and North Eastern Railway Tunnel Van; GNR Double Bolster wagon; Shell-Mex Tank wagon; S&DR Chaldron; Road Rail beer tank; LMS Tube wagon; 30 T Bogie Bolster C; Deltic Prototype.

Row 5

Siphon Bogie Milk Van; Fitted open goods wagon; Cattle van; Horse box; BR 20T Presflo; Iron ore tippler; HAA Merry-go-round hopper; Speed Freight and conflat; ICI 23 ton bogie hopper wagon; National Benzole Tank; BR Standard single hopper; Class 47 Prince William;

Row 6

S&DR Chaldron; Dandy car; Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer (French railways, SNCF) Mineral Wagon; SNCF Mineral Wagon; Simplex; China Clay tip; Phillips 100 ton Petroleum Tank wagon; 16 ton bogie stores van; Cramlington Colliery chaldron wagon; Seaham Harbour chaldron wagon; Rectangular Tank Wagon; Hopper Wagon; BR Warflat; BR Iron ore hopper; Hexhamshire Shunter.

Row 7

Great Central Railway Single Bolster; Track recording trolley; Matissa tamping machine; GNR hand crane; NER Steam Crane; Bo-Bo Electric No1; Class 37; NER Locomotive Q7; NER Snow Plough. Outside: 08 Shunter.

Soho Shed

Etherley tender; HJV; Bradyll.

VOLUNTEERS have worked around the clock to make sure a replica of one of the rail industry's treasures is up and running in time for this weekend's opening.

It has been a labour of love for the 13 members of The Merlin Locomotive Group who have been working away on the replica of Sans Pareil.

A total of 1,100 hours has been spent on a complete overall of the small engine, which is a copy of rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth's masterpiece built in Shildon for the famous Rainhill Trials.

Chairman of the group David Heaton said: "We have enjoyed every minut e of it and now it is ready. We had it up and running and tested last week. '

The group has been meeting for the past eight years in the Goods Shed (now better know as The Merlin Shed) opposite the former home of Hackworth.

Retired engineering teacher Mr Heaton, 60, said: "We come from all walks of life but we all have one thing in common - a love of steam railway engines.

"We meet once a week, on a Wednesday, all day, and we do whatever work is required, whether it is painting or repairs.

"We started working on the Sans Pareil in May and we have been working three days a week to get it finished.''

Although the volunteers have enjoyed every minute of working on the Sans Pareil the real love of their lives is The Merlin, a small tank engine, which they bought with the help of Sedgefield Borough Council in 1997.

The former Coal Board shunter, which was built in 1939, is currently in Derbyshire where experts are completely rebuilding it.

Mr Heaton said: "We managed to get a lottery grant for £40,000 to rebuild it two years ago and we are expecting it back at Christmas, but more likely Easter.''

When Merlin returns it will be the main engine at the museum ferrying visitors between the former home of Timothy Hackworth and the new collections centre.

Mr Heaton said: "We cannot wait until we get it back. To see it all steamed up and the look on kids' faces makes all the work worthwhile.''

Museum manager George Muirhead said: "I cannot praise the volunteers enough. They have put hours of hard work into the refurbishment of the Sans Pareil and we could not have done this without them.'

A WREATH-LAYING service will be held at Timothy Hackworth's statue in Hackworth Park, Shildon, on Sunday.

It is being organised by the Hackworth Society in conjunction with the churches of Shildon.

It will be a multi-denominational service acknowledging the work, lifestyles and sacrifices of the people of Shildon, and celebrating the opening of the new museum. The service starts at 6pm. All are welcome.

Published: 23/09/2004