Stockton and Darlington Railway

Built after the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened, these drops were used from 1847 to 1935. Wagons shunted coal to the top, where hatches opened to spill it down shoots into waiting locomotive tenders below. This early method greatly sped up the slow, difficult process of

When the railway arrived, commerce boomed. Built in 1826, Kilburn's Warehouse is perhaps Shildon's oldest industrial building, located near the tracks for shipping and storage. The adjacent goods shed had rail access to unload waggons for distribution and also had a parcel office.

Shildon was the world's first railway town. Engineer Timothy Hackworth and his family lived in this house, next to the Soho Locomotive Works. Living on site meant supervising the works closely, but it also tied the family's fortunes to the fluctuating trade.

Now a restaurant, this was the Masons Arms pub in 1825. Early S&DR tickets were sold from its spare rooms, as no station existed. Many witnessed Locomotion No.1 and the inaugural train, moving at an impressive 10-12 mph, started its journey from this spot.

19th century when the North Eastern Railway expanded operations. The British Rail Shildon Works covered 55 acres, built wagons globally, but closed in 1984, losing 2,500 jobs.

The steep hills were too much for early engines. A stationary steam engine here used ropes and spools to haul coal waggons up the incline. The engine house, the adjacent engineer's house, and George Stephenson’s original stone sleepers are still visible relics.