Why celebrate 200 years of Rail? The opening of the Stockton & Darlington in context
Schedule
Mon, 13 Oct, 2025 at 07:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Cambridge Museum of Technology | Cambridge, EN
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We have teamed up with Cambridge Railway Circle for our first talk of the 2025/26 season to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. The opening of this railway on September 27, 1825, was a key event in the history of transport. The railway eventually transformed the lives of people across the world, and is the subject of Rail 200, a year-long nationwide celebration of railways. Our guest speaker, Bob Gwynn, will explore the birth of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and identify what makes it a development worth celebrating, as well as acknowledging how received history has been distorted over the years. Bob will talk not just about the past, but also the present and give pointers to the future which is a bright one for rail despite the gloom surrounding projects like HS2.
Bob Gwynne is a researcher, writer, and presenter on the past, present and future of railways. He worked for the National Railway Museum for 26 years and has recently finished a project for Llangollen Railway that aims to improve its long term sustainability by seeking an alternative to coal for the steam locomotives and finding renewable sources of power for the stations, such solar and hydro.
The talk will take place in the Pye Building at Cambridge Museum of Technology. Entrance on the night is via the Museum’s Cheddars Lane gate.
There will be free light refreshments courtesy of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE)
Tickets for the talk are available on the door for £5 a head, £3 for students. Card-carrying members of the Railway Circle and members and volunteers at Cambridge Museum of Technology can attend for free. Advance tickets are available on the Museum website. https://www.museumoftechnology.com/tickets-for-events/cambridge-industrial-archaeology-group-meeting-adult-e-ticket-in-advance
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Where is it happening?
Cambridge Museum of Technology, Cambridge, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
