Not So Gaunless – Parry Takes The Rail Initiative!

Britain’s first ever iron railway structure – the Gaunless Bridge – will soon be winging its way to Shildon in County Durham, as it prepares to take up residence in a new museum bearing the HBPW hallmark.

The town achieved fame in 1825 when it became the first place in the country to acquire its own station and locomotive works, tied to the Stockton and Darlington rail line.

Then in 2004 former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, put Shildon on the map again, formally opening what is now the Locomotion Museum, part of the Science Museum Group, of which York’s National Railway Museum is also part.

And it is within the Locomotion Museum, home to countless vehicles from the national collection, that HBPW has been charged with producing all the civil and structural engineering drawings for a new 2,000m2 shed that will house a further 45 trains.

Partner, Emyr Parry, takes up the story: “The building draws on the aesthetic of an engine shed and is designed to link back to Shildon’s history as the world’s first ever railway town.

“Our role has been to design the underground drainage including SuDS features, foundations, steel work and ground floor slabs, all vital ‘new’ elements of a building that will, in contrast, house a huge part of Britain’s rail engineering history.”

Simple in design, the structure, which is scheduled to open in Autumn, will utilise three pairs of tracks to display the national collection’s 45 vehicles.  

“It will be located on a brownfield site immediately to the west of the existing museum, known locally as ‘Ashfields’,” added Emyr, “and, as well as contributing to the transformation of the area, the new building will also provide the perfect opportunity to re-use existing land. We are excited to be part of a project that plays to all our railway engineering strengths.”

Locomotion’s new building is part of Vision 2025, the museum’s ambitious plan to transform itself into a visitor experience that communicates the exciting and inspirational role played by Shildon and the North-East in the global railway story.

Vision 2025 also safeguards the collection, whilst providing an extended opportunity to reinvigorate many of the museum’s heritage buildings.

Locomotion is a key hub in plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 2025.