TITANS OF STEAM GALA
TITANS OF STEAM GALA
Legends of the railway
As part of this year’s S&DR200 celebrations, Hopetown Darlington will be front and centre of the festival as the home of the modern railway plays host to a free-to-visit thunderous gathering of iconic steam legends. Standing proudly side by side, each locomotive is a roaring monument to Britain’s engineering might.
From the nimble BR Standard Class 2 78018 to the stalwart NER T2 2238 (Q6 63395), the line-up is a masterclass in steam power. The elegant LNER P3 2392 (J27 65894) brings the charm of the North Eastern Railway, while the mighty - and legendary - A3 Class 60103 (Flying Scotsman), A1 Class 60163 (Tornado) and the A4 Class 60007 (Sir Nigel Gresley) steal the spotlight with their speed and majesty.
| Titans | Dates attending |
|
Flying Scotsman |
20/09/2025 - 21/09/2025 |
|
Sir Nigel Gresley |
23/09/2025 - 30/09/2025 |
|
Tornado |
20/09/2025 - TBC |
|
British Rail Standard Class 2 |
20/09/2025 - 28/09/2025 |
|
LNER P3 |
20/09/2025 - 05/10/2025 |
|
LNER Q6 |
20/09/2025 - 05/10/2025 |
|
LNER Y5 (Coffee Pot) |
20/09/2025 - 05/10/2025 |
|
Class 37 |
20/09/2025 - 05/10/2025 |
This is more than a line-up – it’s a living, breathing pageant of steam where history hisses, whistles wail, and the spirit of the rails roars once more.
Experience a close up view of the elegant LNER P3 / J27 and mighty NER T2 / Q6 within our site alongside the mighty Class 37 D6898. Marvel at Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley and Tornado in light steam from our purpose built viewing area looking across the railway line.
We will also be holding separate footplate tours where you can step aboard Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley, Tornado, and British Standard Class 2. You'll also benefit from workshop Tours of Darlington Locomotive Works (home to The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust) to see LNER P2 Class 2007 Prince of Wales under construction, and the 1861 Shed (home to Darlington Railway Preservation Society and the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group) where you can see NER Class E1 (J72 69023) under restoration. Experience a truly unforgettable heritage day out.
A number of these locomotives took part in the cavalcade which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1975 and their appearance at S&DR200 will echo that engineering might seen 50 years ago.
Keep checking back to find out the locations of the locomotives, the dates locomotives will be with us*, any additional locomotives joining the line up and for news as we reveal exciting accompanying activities and events to take place alongside the Titans of Steam Gala.
Round out your visit to Titans of Steam with a visit to the A1 Darlington Locomotive Works and the 1861 Shed - tap the buttons below for more info. The workshop below the gallery is open to the public on the first and third Saturday of each month. Meet in the Viewing Gallery (accessed from with Hopetown Darlington) at 11am or 1pm to join one these free workshop visits.
A1 Darlington Locomotive Works 1861 Shed
Delivered by: Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council & Stockton Borough Council.
Major Funders: Arts Council England, Tees Valley, Funded by UK Government
With thanks to:
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
Darlington Railway Preservation Society
North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group
National Railway Museum/Science Museum Group/Locomotion
Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust
The line up may be subject to change due to operational and volunteer availability reasons.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Footplate & Partners Tours
Visits begin in the Viewing Gallery at Darlington Locomotive Works (accessed from within the Hopetown Darlington site).
You will be bussed to the 1861 Shed to be met by a guide from DRPS/NELPG and to complete a footplate tour of the BR Standard Class 2 78018* (and other locomotives if available).
You will then be bussed back to Darlington Locomotive Works to complete a footplate tour of LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 (Tornado) and LNER Class A4 4498 (Sir Nigel Gresley).**
You will then head back onto the Hopetown Darlington site to view the remaining locomotives. =
*Only until Sunday 28 September
**On Friday 26 September and Sunday 28 September only
Cost: £15 per adult (aged 16+), £5 per child (aged 3-16)
Where: Hopetown Darlington, 1861 Shed and Darlington Locomotive Works
Capacity: Max 14 people per tour
Ages: 3+
Duration: Allow 90-120 minutes for the tour
When: Please see the schedule below
- Saturday 20th September
- Sunday 21st September
- Friday 26th September
- Sunday 28th September
- Saturday 4th October
- Sunday 5th October
Time: Starting at 10.30am, tours will run every 20 minutes
Tickets: Book Footplate Tour tickets here
Please wear sensible footwear for the footplate tours. Locomotives are quite dirty.
See the Flying Scotsman*, Tornado** and Sir Nigel Gresley*** in light steam on select days throughout Titans of Steam.
A viewing area on Foundry Green - within Hopetown Darlington - gives you the perfect view as the locomotives proudly sit side by side and fire up their boilers.
Cost: Free of charge
Where: The viewing area within Hopetown Darlington (located on Foundry Green).
Tickets: Book Gala / Light Steam tickets here
*20 and 21 September only
*20 September - 5 October
**26 and 28 September only
Take part in an A1 Building Workshop Tour and see the UK's newest steam locomotive being built. These visits are on first and third Saturday of each month. Meet in the Viewing Gallery (accessed from with the Hopetown Darlington site) at 11am or 1pm to join one these free visits to the workshop.
Jump aboard North East England’s only permanent immersive experience ride! Join Georgie and Stephen on an extraordinarily vivid journey into passenger rail travel! Starting right here in Darlington in 1825 with Locomotion No. 1's first steam-powered passenger railway journey, take an exciting ride into the past to discover more about the history of the railways, and imagine where they will take us in the future! See the impact Darlington's railway heritage has had across societies and cultures across time and around the world.
Cost: £5 per passenger
Where: North Road Station Museum at Hopetown Darlington
When: Daily, 10am-5pm
FAQs
There is no age limit for the tours, however, we cannot legally accommodate children under the age of 3 onto the minibus. We apologise for any inconvenience.
There is no upper age limit, however, the tour does include some walking and climbing up to and back down from locomotive footplates (drivers' cabs).
The workshop visits, viewing area on Foundry Green and site access across Hopetown Darlington (including the viewing gallery in Darlington Locomotive Works) are fully accessible.
The Footplate Tours, access to the Class 37 and the bus between The 1861 Shed and Darlington Locomotive Works are not accessible. We apologise for any inconvenience.
The tours involve a physical, steep climb up to the footplate of the locomotives and a climb back down again.
Please wear sensible footwear.
Yes, schools can enjoy a bespoke visit to the Titans of Steam Gala which includes as a visit to the STEAM to the Future exhibition. Schools are able to visit on the following dates listed below.
:Tuesday 23rd September
- Wednesday 24th September
- Thursday 25th September
- Friday 26th September
- Tuesday 30th September
- Wednesday 1st October
- Thursday 2nd October
- Friday 3rd October
Please allow up to 1.5 hours for a school visit. Visits can take place at either 10am-11.30am or 1pm-2.30pm.
All visits are self-led and free of charge.
Max group size of 35 staff and pupils.
Please note that schools are not able to take part in the footplate tours.
Please contact sarah.gouldsbrough@darlington.gov.uk to book a visit. Please include your preferred date and time for your visit.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT S&DR200
by visiting their website