To support our Trains, Planes and Automobiles topic work this term, Year 3 and Year 4 visited the Locomotion Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham. Read on to find out more about our trip and view some more digital photographs of the day's activities.
Children studying the Bo-bo electrified Locomotive
We visited the museum to learn more about the development of locomotives, how steam engines work and to understand what it was like during the heyday of rail travel.
Our day started by meeting our guide, Duncan, in the Education Room. He helped us understand how steam, diesel and electric locomotives have developed from the early days of George Stephenen's Rocket up to modern trains in use today. Children from Year 3 and 4 then had to construct a timeline by spotting clues in a series of locomotive pictures.
After a while, we made our way through into the museum itself where we examined one of the very first railway carriages. Next, the children got to climb aboard the Green Arrow, an old freight steam locomotive. Duncan explained how all the controls worked in the engine whilst the children were peering inside the locomotive's huge furnace.
Outside of the museum, we also witnesssed a beautiful red replica steam train puffiing along the track. Some of the group also managed to visit Thomas Hackworth's house which was a few hundred yards from the museum building. Hackworth built one of the first steam locomotives called Sans Pareil, which competed against Stephenson's Rocket at the Rainhill Trials in 1829.
All in all, we had a fantastic day. Many thanks go to Duncan and the whole team at Locomotion for all their hard work. Click to view and enlarge the pictures below to see the classes in action.
