ONE of the world's greatest railway treasures is returning to its roots to be on display at a new museum.

Sans Pareil, built by North-East rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth, will return to Shildon, County Durham, in September as part of the £10m Shildon Railway Village project. At present it is at the National Railway Museum in York.

It will go on show to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the first steam locomotive and as part of the celebrations for the opening of the village.

Meaning "without parallel", Sans Pareil was built by Hackworth in 1829 to compete in the famous Rainhill Trials.

The trials were held to decide the method of operating the world's first intercity passenger railway, which was opened between Liverpool and Manchester in 1830.

Sans Pareil was a strong competitor until it broke down, leaving Stephenson's Rocket as the winner.

George Muirhead, museum manager at Shildon, said: "The return of Sans Pareil is of huge significance and importance to Shildon - we are delighted that the engine is coming home.

"Timothy Hackworth is largely thought of as one of the 'fathers of the railways', as Sans Pareil is one of the most important early locomotives in the world, so obviously this is a big coup for Shildon Railway Village."

The village will incorporate the Timothy Hackworth Museum and a 6,000 sq metre single-storey collections centre capable of housing up to 60 vehicles from the National Railway Museum's collection.

Jane Hackworth Young, great, great- granddaughter of Timothy Hackworth, said that she was thrilled to hear the news.

"It is 175 years since Sans Pareil left Shildon and now the locomotive is coming back to within yards of where it was built," she said. "It will be the first thing visitors see as they arrive at the new attraction."

The village is a partnership between Sedgefield Borough Council and the National Railway Museum in York and will contain modern, interactive interpretation of the exhibits, plus education facilities, offices, retail and catering space and landscaped parkland.

It is expected to attract up to 60,000 visitors a year and admission will be free