Thursday 15 October 2026 - A Visit to Hopetown

Four old codgers, led by Running Reg, took a train to Darlington and a taxi to the Hopetown Railway Museum. After a brief look around, Reg, Paul, Dennis and I returned to the café to meet our fifth member, Andy, who was on a later train. You'll have to ask him why?

Dennis had enjoyed two breakfasts after complaining that the first one resembled cardboard.

Darlington is a centre of the early railway world and has both outdoor and indoor exhibits.

This painting features strongly, in the instance below by way of an animated version with the train slowly crossing the viaduct.

Various engines are on show, although very few compared with York. This museum has more on what the railways were like for both employees and passengers.

Here's an employee, telling me about his job.

As a schoolboy in the 1960's I used to travel on the train from Guisborough to Darlington to access the branch lines to the Yorkshire Dales, and also to watch the impressive Deltic engines as they whizzed through hauling the London expresses.

We visited the Carriage Works where lots of railway artefacts and memorabilia are on display, together with many hand built scale replicas.

In another building you can observe from a balcony a couple of engines undergoing restoration, though we didn't spot anyone at work.

After repeat visits to the cafeteria it was time for a taxi back to Darlington station and, for me and Dennis at least, an easy trip home by about 7 pm.

Meanwhile Sue had gone to York, on an earlier train, and returned much later from her day with Philippa.

A lovely day out. Thanks to Reg for organising it.