At Locomotion you can see highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in the world's first railway town. The town of Shildon has had an exciting story to tell since the earliest days of the rail industry, making it the perfect place to explore the rich seam of local railway history and discover how the railways have changed all our lives.
Here at Locomotion Shildon is a fantastic experience filled with all types of locomotive and train engines. A historic close look at the history at the quite literally birth place of the locomotive and passenger service. Staff are very helpful, informative and friendly, this is a place for all ages to come and visit. Please do as you will found out how great this is. It's free to visit but well worth making a small donation or buying good quality merchandise that helps keep this working museum going.
**Review for the Train Museum** I recently visited the train museum and had an amazing experience. It's a great museum for train enthusiasts and families alike. The collection of different trains is impressive, and there are plenty of mini activities to keep toddlers engaged. I learned a lot about the different varieties of trains, and the recent refurbishment looks fantastic. The fact that it's free to visit is incredible, considering the quality of the experience. The museum store has a huge collection for enthusiasts and fun train toys for kids. The only improvement would be having at least one train that visitors can go inside, even if it's a replica. Nonetheless, seeing the restoration process up close is fascinating. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone interested in trains.
Amazing place. It was great for the kids (7,4 & 2) as there was lots of interactive things going on. The flying Scotsman was a big hit, as was being able to get up close to so many trains. The cafe struggled only slightly (although this could be due to the summer holidays) with service pace and some of the food wasn't as we had hoped. A small negative on an otherwise awesome few hours as we drove from London to Chester-Le-Street. If you go with kids, watch out for the shop
Our wee train enthusiast has proclaimed that Locomotion might be better than the National Railway Museum at York. Which from him is high praise. Of course the Flying Scotsman being on site & doing short rides probably helped with this. The site itself has a large free carpark available & entry to the museum is free (like other museums there is plenty of opportunities to make a donation). There is plenty of trains to see across the two large buildings. The site is modern & looks like there is plans to keep developing it further
Great for the railway buff or just if you like a museum. Some really interesting exhibits showing the history of the railways and especially how it all started in the north east. And to top it off we got to ride behind the iconic Flying Scotsman on a short trip up and down the sidings on our visit. Locomotion is well worth a visit
This place is awesome. Two huge hangars full of trains and related memorabilia. Plenty to do for the kids and the grounds have great facilities such as a sand pit and train rides. Staff are really helpful and being free to enter is a real bonus. Can't wait to go again.
On-site services
Live performances
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Gender-neutral toilets
Restaurant
Toilets
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Family friendly
Good for kids
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Here at Locomotion Shildon is a fantastic experience filled with all types of locomotive and train engines. A historic close look at the history at the quite literally birth place of the locomotive and passenger service. Staff are very helpful, informative and friendly, this is a place for all ages to come and visit. Please do as you will found out how great this is. It's free to visit but well worth making a small donation or buying good quality merchandise that helps keep this working museum going.
**Review for the Train Museum** I recently visited the train museum and had an amazing experience. It's a great museum for train enthusiasts and families alike. The collection of different trains is impressive, and there are plenty of mini activities to keep toddlers engaged. I learned a lot about the different varieties of trains, and the recent refurbishment looks fantastic. The fact that it's free to visit is incredible, considering the quality of the experience. The museum store has a huge collection for enthusiasts and fun train toys for kids. The only improvement would be having at least one train that visitors can go inside, even if it's a replica. Nonetheless, seeing the restoration process up close is fascinating. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone interested in trains.
Amazing place. It was great for the kids (7,4 & 2) as there was lots of interactive things going on. The flying Scotsman was a big hit, as was being able to get up close to so many trains. The cafe struggled only slightly (although this could be due to the summer holidays) with service pace and some of the food wasn't as we had hoped. A small negative on an otherwise awesome few hours as we drove from London to Chester-Le-Street. If you go with kids, watch out for the shop
Our wee train enthusiast has proclaimed that Locomotion might be better than the National Railway Museum at York. Which from him is high praise. Of course the Flying Scotsman being on site & doing short rides probably helped with this. The site itself has a large free carpark available & entry to the museum is free (like other museums there is plenty of opportunities to make a donation). There is plenty of trains to see across the two large buildings. The site is modern & looks like there is plans to keep developing it further
Great for the railway buff or just if you like a museum. Some really interesting exhibits showing the history of the railways and especially how it all started in the north east. And to top it off we got to ride behind the iconic Flying Scotsman on a short trip up and down the sidings on our visit. Locomotion is well worth a visit
This place is awesome. Two huge hangars full of trains and related memorabilia. Plenty to do for the kids and the grounds have great facilities such as a sand pit and train rides. Staff are really helpful and being free to enter is a real bonus. Can't wait to go again.
