Historic Locomotion No. 1 to star at Alstom’s Railway 200 celebration in Derby

Alstom has confirmed that Locomotion No. 1, the world’s first steam locomotive to run on a public railway, will appear at its three-day festival in Derby, The Greatest Gathering, as part of the Railway 200 celebrations. The historic engine, built in 1825 by Robert Stephenson and Company – now part of Alstom – is being loaned by the National Railway Museum, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2025.

The festival celebrates 200 years since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and will be held at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane works – the UK’s oldest operating train factory – on 1, 2 and 3 August 2025. The event will showcase more than 50 rolling stock exhibits from across rail history and will open the factory to the public for the first time in nearly five decades.

Locomotion No. 1, originally named Active, was rebuilt in 1828 and again in 1856. Its appearance at The Greatest Gathering marks its first journey outside the North East in over a century. It previously toured internationally, including appearances in Chicago (1883) and Paris (1889).

“It is something poetic that one of Britain’s oldest steam locomotives will take pride of place within the factory where the UK’s newest trains are designed, engineered, manufactured and tested,” said Rob Whyte, Managing Director at Alstom UK and Ireland. “I want to thank the National Railway Museum – and indeed countless other partners across the UK rail industry – for supporting our mammoth event for Railway 200.”

Joining Locomotion No. 1 at the festival is Midland Railway 1000 Class No. 1000, the first steam locomotive to arrive at the site, delivered on 22 May from Barrow Hill Roundhouse near Chesterfield. Built in 1902 in Derby and designed by Samuel Waite Johnson, it represents the golden age of steam and was selected for preservation in 1951.

Also featured will be D6700, the first-built Class 37 diesel locomotive, built in 1959 and still operational under the Heavy Tractor Group. It is based at the Great Central Railway.

Craig Bentley, Director of the National Railway Museum, added: “The Greatest Gathering promises to be a landmark event in this historic year for the railways… from the early days of passenger travel to the golden age of steam, through to the switchover from steam to diesel.”

Tickets are sold out. Further information and a list of exhibits are available at: www.alstom.com/greatest-gathering.