Behind the Scenes at the Museum

VISITORS are being offered a glimpse behind the scenes at one of the world’s most important railway collections.

Darlington Railway Museum, off North Road, is opening next month as part of the annual Heritage Open Days initiative.

The Hopetown Lane carriageworks and the station goods shed will be available for inspection on September 10 and 11.

Both buildings are used by railway preservation groups as workshops and are not usually open to museum visitors.

Volunteers from the venue’s Friends organisation will be running guided tours at 10.30am and 2pm on both days.

The Hopetown works are presently being used by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to build the Tornado – the first steam locomotive to be built in Darlington in 50 years.

The tours are free, but places must be booked in advance and are on a firstcome, first-served basis.

They are unsuitable for pre-school children.

Lee Vasey, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure services, said: “This site could well be the most important set of early railway buildings in the world. Anyone interested in the history of the railway – and Darlington’s part in it – should come along to the Heritage Open Day tours.”

To book a place, call (01325) 460532.