As 2025 marks the 200 years of Passenger Rail Services with the opening of The Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) in 1825 what better way to celebrate than to introduce this route to TSW! Running between Darlington mainline station on the ECML following the original S&DR route over the oldest and still used rail bridge - featured on the back of the British £5 note - The Skerne Bridge - shortly approaching the oldest and still used railway station, (effectively now classed as Darlington's 2nd station) North Road - opened in 1842 - with the main part of the building being a railway museum - where for years held the Original Stephensons 'Locomotion No1' Steam Engine (the train going over the Skerne Bridge on the £5 note and which also predated 'The Rocket'! Leading on to Heighington where the Locomotion No1 was placed on the line and was a loading area for coal, to be taken to the docks in Stockton. Followed by a small town by the name of Newton Aycliffe. The next station stop being Shildon, where the S&DR originally started and like Heighington, was where coal was loaded on to coal wagons. Sadly, all the freight element of the line has all gone! However, Shildon is now the home of the National Railway Museum 2, and is where the original 'Locomotion No1' is now located! The line then eventually extended to the terminus staion, the historical town of Bishop Auckland - "The Land of The Prince Bishops". The line has regular Northern passenger services from Bishop Auckland and joins the Tees Valley Line at Dalington for Eaglescliffe, Thornaby, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Saltburn-on-Sea. A fitting tribute, I believe, to the birth area of the railways - not only in Britain but THE WORLD!!! For which if it had not occurred - we would possibly not have TSW!
Agree. A remaster of TVL with extension to Bishop Auckland and Boulby. Throw in the much requested Class 56 and Day One purchase for me.
