Hundreds gather to watch newly restored replica of Locomotion No.1

Hundreds lined the tracks to watch a newly restored replica of Locomotion No.1 re-enact the birth of the railways, 200 years on.

The Duke of Edinburgh was on board the carriage Experiment for the replica’s short trip to Shildon, County Durham on Friday.

The replica will run on sections of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway line over the weekend as part of year-long celebrations to mark the opening of the line on September 27 1825.

Edward was met by dignitaries a few hundred yards up the line from the Shildon Locomotion visitor attraction, including his brother-in-law Sir Tim Laurence – a noted steam enthusiast.

The Duke of Edinburgh then got into the carriage called Experiment pulled by the Locomotion No.1, among whose crew was TV presenter Guy Martin.

The engine set off a few minutes late.

Locomotion No.1 was the first steam locomotive to pull a passenger-carrying train on a public railway.

Doug Haynes, 81, a retired aircraft engineer, travelled from Preston, Lancashire to witness the re-enactment.

He said: “It was tremendous.

“The work that they have put in to make this happen has been well worthwhile.

“It was well worth the trip over for me.”

Louise Jones, 39, from Alfreton, Derbyshire, left home at 6.30am to see the spectacle.

She said: “It was amazing to see it moving.

“My dad used to work on the railways.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see what it would have looked like 200 years ago.”

The replica of Locomotion No.1 has been restored and extensively tested ahead of the anniversary celebrations.

Network Rail has urged people not to trespass on the railways to get a better look.

Operations director Karen Duffy said: “We want the viewing public to have a fantastic time during this celebratory weekend, but we can’t stress enough how important it is to keep safe.”