Friends of Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
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Links

A gallimaufry of links to railway related websites including heritage railways and museums in the County Durham and North Yorkshire area. All of these links will open in either a new tab or a new window. The exact response will depend on which browser you are using.

Disclaimer: For legal reasons it should be pointed out that (with obvious exceptions) none of the sites listed, or the organizations they represent, is associated with the Friends or Darlington Railway Centre and Museum itself and their listing here does not imply any approval or endorsement of this site, the Friends or the Museum on their part. Similarly, although these links are listed in good faith, the Friends of Darlington Railway Museum does not exert any influence over other websites. Neither the Friends nor Darlington Railway Centre and Museum is responsible for another site's content or any shortcomings in such matters as presentation or security.

Museums

Hopetown DarlingtonWell of course this is the first link. Read about the exciting new railway attraction coming to Darlington with the Railway Museum at its heart.
Beamish MuseumThe open-air industrial Museum.
LocomotionThis is the section of the National Railway Museum's site devoted to their Locomotion annex in Shildon- the very cradle of railways.
Manchester Museum of Science and IndustryLocated on the historic site of the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station, housed in five listed buildings, MOSI's amazing galleries and outstanding collections tell the story of Manchester's scientific and industrial past.
The National Railway MuseumThe National Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the world, attracting almost 1 million visitors per year to sites in York and Shildon. The museum covers over 400 years of railway history and its collections include over 100 locomotives, some 250 items of rolling stock and thousands of other objects - from tickets to silverware. Admission is free. You might also be interested in the Friends of the NRM.

Museums Overseas

Exporail The Canadian Railway Museum houses A4 Pacific 4489 Dominion of Canada beautifully restored to Garter Blue express passenger livery after decades in tired BR Green. (As you would expect this site is bilingual- this link will take you to the English pages.)
The USA National Railway MuseumThe US National Railway Museum, OK- National Railroad Museum, in Green Bay, Wisconsin is home to the LNER A4 Pacific 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The Pacific Southwest Railway MuseumAn amalgamation of two museums in California. The site includes several articles on railway history especially American railways of course.

Railways

The Aln Valley RailwayThere are no trains running yet but this site documents this Northumberland Society's efforts to reopen the line between Alnwick and the ECML at Alnmouth.
The Bishop LineStill best known by its original name "The Stockton and Darlington Railway". Now part of the network of course but the first public railway in the world now has its own website.
The Bowes RailwayA preserved industrial railway including the world's only operational standard-gauge rope-worked incline.
The Eden Valley RailwayA heritage line in Cumbria originally part of a branch from the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway. Running from Warcop to the outskirts of Appleby on the Settle and Carlisle Line.
The North Yorkshire Moors RailwayBritain's most popular heritage railway. The NYMR runs for 18 miles between Pickering and Grosmont through the North York Moors National Park and operates some services on the national network's Esk Valley line between Whitby and Battersby all through lovely scenery. Check out the site to find out about its connections to Heartbeat and Harry Potter.
The South Tynedale RailwayA narrow gauge railway (2ft or 610mm) running steam and diesel trains from Alston in Cumbria on a trackbed built by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway.
The Tanfield RailwayThe Tanfield Railway is a former industrial railway some of which runs on the oldest track-bed still in use- a colliery wagon-way dating from 1725.
The Weardale RailwayThe Weardale Railway joins the national network at Bishop Auckland and runs 18 miles west to Eastgate in Weardale. Heritage passenger services, both steam and diesel hauled, operate regularly between Wolsingham and Stanhope.
The Wensleydale RailwayTravel on a heritage train through beautiful Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales.

Miscellaneous

1825 The Year of the RailwayA short film made by students of Teesside University in the second year of a Film Production course. Partly filmed at Darlington Railway Museum with some advice and help from the Friends and featuring Chairman Richard Wimbury.
The A1 Steam TrustThe A1 Steam Trust, a registered charity, was established to build from scratch a Peppercorn designed A1 Pacific express passenger steam locomotive none of which was preserved. This they did over some 18 years, at Darlington Locomotive Works just opposite Darlington Railway Museum in fact, and Tornado hauled her first main line rail-tours in 2009. The Trust is currently bringing a second extinct LNER main line locomotive back to like by building one of Gresley's mighty P2 Mikados. P2 Steam.
Black Hat Railway PicturesA showcase for photographer David Newby.
British Association of Friends of MuseumsFriends of Friends you might say. The BAFM is an advice and support centre for the thousands of organizations supporting museums, galleries and heritage sites all over the UK.
Brusselton Incline GroupThe cable-worked Brusselton Incline was part of the Stockton and Darlingto Railway. It is now scheduled as an ancient monument but neglected and considered at risk by English Heritage- a state of affairs which this group aims to remedy.
Darlington Railway Preservation SocietyThe D.R.P.S. is only a minute away from the Museum. It has been preserving Darlington's railway heritage since 1981 restoring and maintaining Darlington built rolling stock.
Darlington Model Railway ClubThe other obvious exception and another organization that has replaced its website with a Facebook page. The Railway Museum is home to Darlington Model Railway Club who meet on Mondays from 7pm. The two dozen members have varied interests in both model and full size forms. The website has information about the members, their layouts and the annual exhibition held over the first full weekend in December at Darlington College.
Disused-Stations.orgComprehensive descriptions of vanished stations all over the UK including photo's and maps.
The Friends of the Stockton and Darlington RailwayA group that promotes the original Stockton and Darlington line and aims to gain it the protection and world-wide recognition it deserves as the forerunner of all modern railways.
The G5 Locomotive CompanyThe G5 tank locomotive was a medium sized, long lived NER design that was not quite long lived enough to survive into preservation. Follow the progress of this project to build one of these useful loco's.
The Great Northern Railway SocietyYou will not be too surprised to learn that the GNRS is dedicated to the study of the Great Northern Railway and its precursor and successor companies. This old website serves its purpose but is being updated as this entry to the links page is being prepared.
The Gresley SocietyThe Society was established in 1963 to raise interst in and preserve the legacy of the GNR and LNER's famous Chief Mechanical Engineer.
The LNER EncyclopaediaA mine of information about the LNER, its pre-grouping constituents and rolling stock.
The North Eastern Railway AssociationNERA was formed in 1961 for enthusiast of North Eastern railways.
Postcards of the PastA large collection of postcards including many with railway subjects.
Rail Pictures NetThis site is slightly US biased but, with thousands of railway photographs to look through you won't care.
Rail UKSeemingly an attempt to collate everything about railways in Britain. One wonders if it will ever be complete but well worth a look.
Railtour InfoThis site collates information about rail-tours including those hauled by modern traction.
The Railway Heritage TrustThe RHT was set up in recognition of the historic importance of British railways and works with Network Rail to preserve that heritage in a manner compatible with its continued use by the modern network.
Railway Architecture of N.E. EnglandDevoted, as you would expect, to the railway buildings of North East England. Still under development but the developer is respected writer and rail historian Dr. Bill Fawcett so the material that is already here is well worth your time.
The Stephenson Locomotive SocietyFounded over 100 years ago and still going strong the Stephenson Locomotive Society has a regular journal and meetings all over the country.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway Youth TeamThe SDRYT is based at Bishop Auckland Station and offers 10 to 16 year olds work experience volunteering and training with various local railway organizations including DRC&M and Trackwork- an apprenticeship scheme in Shildon.
Tees Cottage Pumping StationThe pumping station that used to supply water to Darlington still houses steam and gas engines from the start of the last century. See them running as well as a miniature railway and other visiting attractions at open days which are usually on bank holidays. At the time this page was posted this site is just a copy of the old Communigate pages and may or may not be updated. Click here to go to the Station's Facebook page.
Top ViewA New York bus tours site but this page has a decent thumbnail history of the city's transport infrastructure including the subway of course but also the now vanished trams and elevated railway. With links to many vintage photographs.
UK Steam Info'Steam only but really useful. This site lists main line rail tours and light movements, has direct connections to some preservation societies and other railway related organizations and links to the sites of many more.
The Waggonway Research CircleBefore railways there were wagon-ways (or waggonways)- this site's particular area of interest. Part of the Island Publishing site.

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