Rail museum reopens after £1.7m revamp with new name

Head of Steam - formerly Darlington Railway Centre and Museum - was officially opened at a VIP launch last Friday, ahead of opening to the public on Saturday.

The museum, which is housed at the Victorian Grade-II listed North Road station, has undergone a transformation which, it is hoped, will make it more modern and family friendly.

Funding for the renovation was provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Railway Heritage Trust, English Heritage, Northern Rock Foundation and the European Regional Development Fund.

Locomotion No 1, the engine that in 1825 pulled the first passenger train on the world's first public railway, the Stockton & Darlington, is the star attraction.

Three other locomotives, all built in Darlington, are also exhibits.

The revamp has introduced interactive displays and video presentations, as well as a story line explaining the impact of the railways on Darlington and the town's history.

There is a café with open-air dining, a dressing up area and a children's play area as well as room for temporary exhibits.

Saturday saw the start of a family fun weekend to mark the reopening.

Coun Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for health and leisure, officially opened the museum.

He said the museum was unique in having so many original buildings on its original site.

"The rich history of the buildings really is quite remarkable. It was slightly off the beaten track so they just left these buildings. They became stuck in a time warp which is fantastic for us because we have this wonderful legacy of Victorian railway buildings, which reflect Darlington's rich railway heritage."

He said he thought the revamped museum would attract more families while continuing to pull in rail enthusiasts from all over the world.

"I am really pleased with the good mix of local history and railway history.

"Everything we were wanting to do is there. I am just looking forward to hearing what the people of Darlington think about it."