THE countdown has begun as the region looks forward to the opening of a multi-million pound museum that is set to attract thousands of visitors.

Train enthusiasts from all over the world have already written to the National Railway Museum in anticipation of the opening of Locomotion in Shildon.

The £11m project, which is a joint venture between the National Railway Museum and Sedgefield Borough Council with money from European funding, opens for the first time to the public this weekend. It is hoped that 60,000 visitors a year will flock to the region just to see it.

The small County Durham town, whose love affair with the railways started with rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth in the 1800s is bracing itself for bus loads of visitors on Saturday.

Museum manager George Muirhead has already issued a plea to visitors not to drive directly to the museum but to follow the signs for the park and ride scheme, which will be in operation at the end of this week.

He said: "We are expecting a lot of visitors and I would urge drivers to take advantage of the park and ride scheme. There will be buses running to and from the site on a regular basis."

The area surrounding the museum is a hive of activity this week as workers are busy putting the finishing touches to the attraction, that will be home to 60 of the finest vehicles in the NRM's collection.

Gardeners are planting fresh fuschias in the gardens of Hackworth's former home and the last licks of paint are being added to exhibits.

Also expected this week are two of the museum's main attractions the APT train manufactured in the 1970s and known for the way it would lean around bends and the City of Truro, the first train to reach 100 miles per hour. The City of Truro will have pride of place at the museum until the end of the year.

The star attraction at the museum for many will be the Sans Pareil, created by Hackworth in 1829 at his Soho works in Shildon for the infamous Rainhill Trials.

The engine stands proudly at the centre of a major exhibit in the 1884 Sunday School, in Soho Street, opposite Hackworth's former home and yards away from where it was originally built. The new musuem rightfully basks in the glory of Hackworth's former home and works but has also managed to blend in the old with the new with the creation of a 6,000 sqft collections centre, which will house 60 vehicles.

Anthony Coulls, collections manager at the musuem, said: "It is great to finally see it all taking shape and all our hard work coming together. We are looking forward to the opening."