PRIME MINISTER: LOCOMOTION SHOULD STAY IN DARLINGTON
PM says plan for Stockton & Darlington veteran would ‘despoil’ Darlington of ‘iconic’ locomotive.
The Prime Minister has backed Darlington’s campaign to keep Locomotion in the town, despite the National Railway Museum’s plan to remove it permanently for the first time in 164 years, saying “I will do all I can”.
Boris Johnson stepped into the controversy on March 11, when he threw his weight behind newly elected Darlington Member of Parliament Peter Gibson’s bid to stop the 1825-built pioneer from being relocated to its namesake museum in Shildon in 2021 (SR502).
During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, Mr Gibson asked: “As the country that brought railways to the world, what plans does my Right Honourable friend have to celebrate the 200th anniversary in 2025? And does he stand with the people of Darlington to prevent the removal of Locomotion No. 1, the world’s first passenger steam engine, from Darlington, where she has resided for over 160 years?”
Boris Johnson responded: “I congratulate my honourable friend and the people of Darlington and the historic role they played in our railway history and heritage and I will do what I can to support his campaign to prevent Darlington from being despoiled of that iconic Locomotive [sic] No 1.”
The NRM, in response to Steam Railway’s questions, as to whether it is now reconsidering its decision in light of the Prime Minister’s intervention, said: “Representatives of the National Railway Museum and Locomotion (including NRM Director, Judith McNicol and Locomotion’s Head of Museum, Dr Sarah Price) met with Peter Gibson MP and Cllr Heather Scott in Darlington on
Friday March 6. It was a productive meeting and covered topics including the upcoming anniversary celebrations for the Stockton & Darlington Railway and future plans for all three museums, as well as objects from the National Collection. All involved expressed a desire to keep dialogue open and to continue working together to find ways to celebrate the region’s unique and globally significant railway heritage.”
The museum contends that, as the starting point of Locomotion’s historic 1825 journey, it would be more appropriate to display the National Collection relic in Shildon before, during and after the 200th anniversary in five years.
The tussle over the S&DR veteran was previously aired in Parliament during the 2017 debate into the NRM’s handling of its controversial locomotive disposals.
Helen Goodman, the Labour MP who represented Bishop Auckland until 2019, said at the time: “Built in 1825 by Timothy Hackworth in Shildon [sic] in my constituency, it ought to be in the NRM branch museum in Shildon; instead, it is in a small museum where people have to pay. It should be in the free, public museum that 200,000 people visit every year… if Tornado was built in Darlington, Darlington should have the Tornado, but Shildon should have Locomotion.”
In defence, Darlington’s then Labour MP of the time, Jenny Chapman, said: “Darlington has the oldest passenger railway station, which is now used as our museum. Everyone in Darlington is taken to that site as a child – I remember going there when I was growing up – and it is a place where we then take our children.”