2025 is a significant year for railway enthusiasts, as this year marks 200 years of passenger rail travel.

This historic first passenger journey occurred on 27th September 1825, covering the 26 mile route on the Stockton and Darlington Railway between Silicon and Stockton via Darlington, at a top speed of 12mph. This was the first time ever that a steam locomotive had hauled a passenger train on a public railway. The story goes that demand for tickets for this pioneering journey were so high that a horse-drawn carriage had to be arranged to shadow the locomotive carrying surplus passengers along the tracks. The journey, just short of 9 miles, took 2 hours to complete before passengers were welcomed by jubilant crowds at Stockton.

The journey was carried out by a locomotive known as Locomotion No.1, and this first passenger coach was called ‘The Experiment’, a name which truly captures the zeitgeist of innovation and uncertainty surrounding this era of travel. Locomotion No.1 was built by in Newcastle by father and son, George and Robert Stephenson, at a cost of £600 (equivalent to approximately £71,656.69 in 2025). After the successful first journey, the locomotive continued to be in service until 1841. It was subsequently restored at Shildon Works before being displayed around the world.

Over the intervening 200 years, a network of railways has been constructed to connect the world, influencing travel, communication, trade, war, medicine, and much more besides. A such, it is no surprise that Locomotion No.1 is a celebrated model amongst railway enthusiasts.

A popular way of marking this historic piece of engineering has been the production of scale models of Locomotion No.1. One such example is the 3 1/2” gauge model of Locomotion No.1 produced by Maxwell Hemmens in 1977. This model, made of wood and cast metal, was constructed to detailed drawings supplied by the Locomotion Trust in Shildon.

C&T Auctioneers and Valuers is proud to be offering this fine 3 1/2” gauge model of the first passenger locomotion, Locomotive No.1 (shown above). The model features 0-4-0 pierced wheels, front mounted chimney and boiler mounted cylinders, gear and piping, four wheel tender with mounted water tank, mounted on a wooden base with battery housing and motor for display operation. This fine item will feature in the Vintage & Collectible Toys auction on 12th March 2025, with an estimate of £2,000 - £3,000.