As part of out Trains, Planes and Automobiles topic this term Year 3 and 4 visited 'The Locomotion Museum' in Shildon.
We had a great time making a rail transport timeline, looking at engines and carriages from early railways to the present day and even climbing aboard the footplate of a steam locomotive!
We spent part of our day finding out about the difference between a train and a locomotive engine ( the train is the carriages or trucks pulled by the engine).
The children then placed various steam locomotives on a timeline using the size of the chimney as a clue!
Duncan (our guide for the day) gave us a tour of the rolling stock explaining how railway carriages developed from horse drawn carriages and how steam locomotives were improved from their early days with The Locomotion, The Rocket and The Sans Pareil to the aerodynamic Mallard.
We climbed aboard the footplate of a steam locomotive, discovering where the engine driver and fireman sat and how they used the controls. Duncan had a large, hand held whistle which sounded just like the one on a steam locomotive (and was just as loud) which was very popular.