THE first national museum to be built in the North-East was given a new name yesterday.
Seven months before it opens, the £10m Shildon Railway Village has been re-christened Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon.
Backers Sedgefield Borough Council and the National Rail Museum (NRM) in York decided on the change after research suggested the new name would attract more families and would build on Shildon's railway links.
The centre will incorporate the Timothy Hackworth Museum and will house up to 60 vehicles from the NRM's collection including the locomotive Sans Pareil, built by Hackworth in Shildon in 1829.
Andrew Scott, head of the NRM, said: "The title Locomotion has widespread appeal for this groundbreaking new venture. It is the name of the locomotive that hauled the world's very first public train from Shildon in 1825 and, as our research has shown, it also conjures up images of an exciting and dynamic place to visit for those who may not realise the historic significance of the site."
Published: 12/02/2004
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