Stephenson Steam Railway

What will students see and do?

Stephenson Steam Railway is a museum in North Shields that enables visitors to re-live the glorious days of the steam railway. It celebrates the pioneers of railways, George and Robert Stephenson, who spent 20 years in North Tyneside developing their ideas on railways and locomotives, which helped spread their use around the world.

There are animated films and displays that explore how trains work and how people’s lives were impacted by coal and electricity, fuels that were crucial in the development of railway power.

Several fascinating locomotives are also on display in the museum. These include:

• Killingworth Billy, an early locomotive that was built in Newcastle around 1816 and used for hauling coal. It is the world’s third oldest surviving steam locomotive and was a forerunner of the world-famous Rocket.
• Steam and diesel locomotives that were used on Tyneside and elsewhere from as early as the 1880s.
• An electrically-powered parcels van built in 1904, which originated from the pioneering Tyneside suburban electric railway system.
• An electric locomotive that was built in 1909 and used on a colliery line.
• A fleet of passenger coaches from the 1950s. On scheduled days, visitors can take a ride on them, pulled by steam or heritage diesel locomotives.

The museum is dedicated to supporting all learners, including those who have special educational needs and disabilities. To support these students, the site works in partnership with teaching staff to adapt workshops to be as comfortable as possible while encouraging children to build their practical, visual, cognitive and communication skills.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

As a Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums service, Stephenson Steam Railway gives young people an opportunity to explore the history of railways and learn about the railway pioneers from North Tyneside, George Stephenson and his son Robert.

It aims to motivate and inspire pupils to get involved in their education, gain understanding and seek additional knowledge. Those who can’t travel to the site, though, can enjoy an artefact loans service and several virtual learning opportunities.

To go along with a self-guided tour of the site, students can take part in a number of workshops. These relate to the subjects art, design and technology, drama, English, history, science, STEM and geography.

However, the selection available is constantly changing, so you’ll need to check the website for details of what’s currently available. For instance, one workshop includes taking a four-mile return trip following and learning about the route of the coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne, riding in the 1950s passenger carriages behind a vintage diesel locomotive.

Another encourages young students to find circles, triangles and squares in the museum, then use them to make a collage picture.

Subjects covered

Details of risk assessment

Teachers are welcome to take a preliminary visit. The venue’s hazard identification sheet can be downloaded from the website.

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