It’s full steam ahead at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North as Rowley Station reopens for passenger rides as part of nine-day transport event

The Festival of Transport takes place at the museum from 24 May to 1 June, featuring a variety of visiting vehicles as well as the museum’s own transport, and the first steam-hauled passenger train rides at Rowley Station since 2020.

Visitors to the County Durham open air museum will be able to see Rowley Station in action with Victorian steam locomotive Manning Wardle ‘Sir Berkeley’ hauling passenger trains along the demonstration line.

Paul Jarman, Director of Development – Transport, Industry & Design, said: “We’re really looking forward to the Festival of Transport and welcoming visitors back to ride on the trains at Rowley Station again.

“The absence of a working passenger train at Rowley Station has been keenly felt since the operation was suspended at the point of the museum’s closure due to the COVID-19 restrictions five years ago. It was important to us that we could get things moving again for 2025, with it being a year of national celebration and recognition of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825 and the subsequent colossal impact that the railways have made to social and technological development, globally, ever since.

“From Saturday 24 May the station will once again come to life! Classic Victorian steam locomotive, Manning Wardle-built ‘Sir Berkeley’ will be hauling passenger trains along the demonstration line at Rowley for all nine days of the Festival of Transport.

“The revival of Rowley Station and the short demonstration railway will no doubt be very popular, we hope that visitors will enjoy Rowley Station as an operating exhibit once again”

2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, with Railway 200 celebrations taking place across the country. Beamish Museum will be giving a nod to the celebration throughout the year, starting with the Festival of Transport.

Paul added: “The 2025 Festival of Transport is part of our contribution to the national programme of events that celebrate 200 years of railway innovation and success.”

As well as daily steam train rides at Rowley Station, there will be an array of visiting transport and vehicles from the Beamish fleet.

There’ll also be a Beamish Museum transport quiz for families to take part in – how well do you know your trams and buses?

From Saturday 24 to Monday 26 May, the museum’s fleet of buses will be joined by some visiting vehicles.

On Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 May, see vintage and veteran cars and motorcycles based in The 1900s Town and travelling around the museum site.

On Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June, see Coffee Pot No. 1 and Keighley Gas Works No. 2 in action, alongside Glyder and Samson in action at The Colliery railway, alongside two visiting narrow-gauge locomotives, Velinheli and Sybil. Plus, our bus fleet will be joined by a number of post-war vintage buses and there will be a model bus exhibition in the 1950s welfare hall.

Visitors to Beamish Museum can also transport themselves to the golden age of cinema with a nostalgic afternoon in the museum’s recreation of the Grand cinema, from Ryhope in Sunderland. On Sunday 31 May, visitors can enjoy The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) which sees a group of volunteers take over their local passenger train service (against bus company resistance) when the government announces its closure. Cinema screenings are separate ticketed events. For film listings and tickets, visit www.beamish.org.uk/cinema

As well as the Festival of Transport event, visitors can explore the rest of the open air museum, including the beautiful Georgian house and gardens and do a spot of Edwardian shopping. Taste delicious traditional fish and chips, explore The 1940s Farm and take a trip to the 1950s cinema – there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Beamish Museum.

Following the Festival of Transport, Rowley Station will run each weekend of the local school summer holidays.

There’s more for transport fans to look forward to at Beamish Museum. The replica of Steam Elephant will return to Beamish for passenger rides at The 1820s Waggonway and, during the October Half Term holidays (25th October to 2nd November), activity will focus on The Waggonway and the early railway collection there.

The event comes as Beamish is celebrating being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, the world’s largest museum prize. The museum is among five finalists for the award, with the winner to be announced in June.

The Festival of Transport is included in admission and is free for Beamish Unlimited Pass holders and Friends of Beamish members – pay once and visit free for a year!