Stockton & Darlington 200

14/09/2025

We are sorry to announce that, due to space issues outwith our control, the 'West Side Story' Photographic Exhibition will now not be appearing at The Witham in Barnard Castle from the 14th - 20th September.
The next venue for the exhibition will be the Sunday School Building at Locomotion, Shildon, from the 6th - 24th October.

13/08/2025

The event programme for our Steam Gala has now been published.

Today we have the formal event programme for our Gala.
On the Saturday morning prior to the start of the event, we are delighted that our good friends, Kirkby Stephen Silver Band, will play for us on the platform for 30 mins between 10.00 - 10.30.
All 3 days will see steam-hauled services operating every 15 minutes - 78018 hauling the two Gresley coaches (3669 & 60505) and 2392 hauling the two Clerestory coaches (818 and the Old Gentleman's Saloon).
The new footpath giving access to the recreated S&DR signal box, and the footbridge, with its superb vantage point from which to observe / photograph the railway operations, will be open to visitors for the first time.
The site opens at 9.30 with the first train at 10.30. The last departure is at 16.15 and the site closes at 17.00.
Society stalls etc will be located in the Marquee and on the Darlington platform - food / drink will be available all day and we will also have a Mobiloo with an attendant on site all 3 days.

11/08/2025

Some more details of our forthcoming gala - the free 'park and ride' service and buses out to Podgill, Merrygill & Smardalegill viaducts.

08/08/2025

With our Steam Gala now fast approaching, here are details of some of the other railway-related events taking place in Kirkby Stephen over the Gala weekend.

In addition to the main Steam Gala, there will be lots of other attractions for you to see over the weekend. These include:
The travelling Photographic Exhibition covering the routes from Darlington to Tebay / Barrow and Penrith / Cockermouth.
A showing of the 1970 film of 'The Railway Children' which will also feature a presentation by Chris Lawson, owner of the 'Old Gentleman's Saloon', which features in the film and which will be operating at KSE throughout the weekend.
A display relating to the role of Railwaywomen across the Northern Pennines.
A performance by 'Just the Ticket' of railway stories in songs, prose and poetry.
Further details are provided in the attached page from the souvenir brochure.

In addition, access to the Gala (other than for blue badge holders) will be via the free 'park and ride' from Kirkby Stephen Auction Mart - the location will be fully marked with Yellow & Black road signs. The buses will operate every 15 mins and will also meet all the trains at the West Station.
Another regular free service will run out to Hartley & Smardale to enable visitors to view Merrygill, Podgill and Smardalegill viaducts. There will also be a guided walk along the trackbed from KSE to Merrygill each afternoon.
Timetables will be published on this site and our specific S&DR 200 page & website next week as will the 3-day programme for the event.
Please do come along and support us if you can. We will only be able to continue to run such events if we can cover our costs.
Thank You.

13/06/2025

The first item of rolling stock has now arrived for our Steam Gala in August - the 'Old Gentleman's Saloon'.

23/05/2025

We are very sorry to have to announce that we have recently been informed by our colleagues on the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (MSLR) that, due to unforeseen delays with the out-of-frames hydraulic and steam tests on the overhauled boiler, Y7 No. 985 will now not be completed in time to attend our S&DR 200 Steam Gala in August.
We had originally agreed that Peckett No. 2111 Lytham St Anne's would go down to the MSLR in exchange for the Y7 but, with this now not taking place, Lytham will remain at KSE and substitute for No. 985 at the Gala.
However, the good news is that we have verbally agreed with the MSLR that the Y7 will now visit KSE as part of the 'Coming Home' Gala for NER Class C No. 876 when that returns to traffic. Hopefully, therefore, it should not be too long before we are all able to enjoy the sights and sounds of No. 985 at work at KSE.
Many thanks to Steve Allen for the photo.

23/04/2025

We are delighted to be able to announce our final visiting loco for the Steam Gala over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
This will be NER-designed P3 No. 2392 which emerged from Darlington Works in 1923. Following withdrawal from service, she was purchased for preservation on the 1st January 1968 and is now based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
We are most grateful to our colleagues in the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group for making No. 2392 available for our event and to John Hunt for the photo.
This now completes the line up - 2 NER designs (Classes P3 & H), an ex-KSE BR Standard Class 2, 2 Clerestory coaches (818 & the 'Old Gentleman's saloon'), 2 Gresley coaches (BTK 3669 & TTO 60505) and NER Snowplough No. 18.
Please support the event if you can.

25/03/2025

We are delighted to announce the second visiting loco for our S&DR 200 Gala in August. This will feature the long-awaited homecoming for BR Standard Class 2 No. 78018.
Constructed at North Road Works in Darlington, 78018 was initially allocated to West Auckland on March 3rd 1954, but was soon transferred to Kirkby Stephen East and, for the next 6 years, she was a regular over the Stainmore route.
Made famous as a result of the episode at Bleath Gill in February 1955 when she became stuck in a snowdrift for several days, 78018 was finally withdrawn from traffic at Shrewsbury in November 1966.
Making her way to Barry scrapyard, the loco was eventually acquired by the Darlington Railway Preservation Society (DRPS) who undertook much of the restoration work. In 2012, she moved to Loughborough under the custodianship of the Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group (LSLG) who completed the work and No. 78018 returned to traffic in August 2016.
We are most grateful to the Great Central Railway, the LSLG & DRPS for making the locomotive available to us for our Gala and to Phil Brown for the photo.
We all very much look forward to seeing her at work at KSE once more.

08/03/2025

We are delighted to be able to announce, subject to availability, the first visiting locomotive for our Steam Gala to be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
This will be LNER Class Y7 No. 985.
The NER Class H locos were designed by Thomas Worsdell in 1888. Built in several batches - the last of which was ordered by the LNER in 1923 who designated them Class Y7 - this batch included No. 985. Withdrawn in 1952, the loco was sold to the NCB and was subsequently acquired by the 'Y7 Preservation Society'.
It is just coming to the end of a 10-yearly overhaul and is due back in traffic this summer.
Currently based on the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway, we are most grateful to the 'Middy' and owners, the 'Y7 Preservation Society' for making the locomotive available to us, and to Steve Allen for the photos of No. 985.
The appearance of a Y7 at KSE on a section of the Stainmore route is particularly appropriate as two of these locos, Nos. 898 & 1302, worked the Whinstone Quarries at the end of the Middleton-in-Teesdale branch which, of course, left the Stainmore route at Tees Valley Junction, located just to the west of Barnard Castle.
Over the coming weeks, we also hope to be able to announce the appearance to two tender locos at our gala - please watch this space.

27/01/2025

Our new S&DR 200 website, www.stocktondarlington200.co.uk is now live. It tells the story of S&DR operations, and those of its successors, west of the Pennines.
This will be updated over the coming months as further details of our August Steam Gala etc become available.

Celebrate 200 Years of Stockton & Darlington Railway at Kirkby Stephen East in the Upper Eden Valley.

18/01/2025

As part of our celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, there is an active programme of research. One of the strands is research into the role of women on the railway led by Anne Taylor. We have already received information about one of the ladies in this photo and anymore information would be most appreciated.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15dtV8XTGj/

This year is the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. As part of the celebrations, researchers are looking for names and information about the women who worked on two of the railway lines — the Stainmore line from Darlington to Tebay, and the Eden Valley…

16/01/2025

It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce the first item of rolling stock that will be visiting us as part of our S&DR 200 Gala which will be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend (23rd - 25th).
NER No. 1661 - better known to many as the 'Old Gentleman's Saloon' (OGS) - was originally No. 221. It was one of two vehicles built in 1871 by the S&DR at their Hopetown Carriage Works in Darlington specifically for operation over the Stainmore route.
In approx. 1884, it was rebuilt by the NER, becoming No. 1661, to act as the Locomotive Superintendent's Inspection Saloon and was usually hauled by NER No. 66 'Aerolite'.
It was used as an Inspection Saloon into BR days and was withdrawn in 1969.
Saved for preservation, in 1970, it appeared in the famous production, 'The Railway Children'.
As far as we are aware, it is now the sole surviving operational passenger vehicle constructed by the S&DR.
We are hugely grateful to owner Chris Lawson, and the K&WVR, for the opportunity to bring the vehicle back in this bicentenary year to operate on a section of the railway for which it was originally built.
Our intention is to run the OGS with No. 818 giving our visitors the opportunity to see two clerestory vehicles operating together. Furthermore, if some of our other plans come to fruition, they will be double-headed by two NER-designed locos.
We hope to make further announcements regarding our planned 3 visiting locos in the coming months - please watch this space.
Finally, many thanks again to Chris for the photos.