AV Dawson, owner and operator of the Port of Middlesbrough, hosted a rail experience event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR), the first passenger railway in the world.
The ‘AV Dawson Shunter Special’ event, held in partnership with the Branch Line Society, brought together rail enthusiasts, primary school children and the local community to celebrate the heritage of the railway. The Teesside firm donated the proceeds from the day, £5,500 to the local community group Friends of Stockton and Darlington Railway, to support their continued efforts to preserve the railway’s heritage.
Hosted at the Port of Middlesbrough, the day included spectators enjoying tours of the port on AV Dawson’s 08410 and 08774 locomotives and learning more about the rail facilities on the site.
Charlie Nettle, group managing director of the AV Dawson Group, said:
“We were delighted to host this event on behalf of the Branch Line Society at our Port of Middlesbrough facility. It is great to continue the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and showcase the rail facilities at our site to people who love the railway.”
“The money we generated from the day is going straight back into supporting local rail heritage. We’ve been working with Caroline Hardie, from Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, for many years, and it’s fantastic we can give back to such an important group who continue to fly the flag for the rich rail heritage we have here in Teesside.”
Branch Line Society Fixtures Secretary, Kev Adlam, said:
“It was fantastic to host the ‘AV Dawson Shunter Special’ event at Port of Middlesbrough to not only celebrate the bicentenary but also to allow our members to learn more about their fantastic rail facilities and experience their historical locomotives.
“We’d like to thank AV Dawson for hosting this memorable day for our members and for also hosting our annual general meeting at their incredible facilities.”
Six primary school students from across the Tees Valley were also invited to attend the event as winners of the ‘S&DR200 Challenge Day.’ The challenge saw 15,000 local school pupils learn about the rich history of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and design a creative resource to mark its anniversary. The winning students received a ‘golden ticket’ to the rail day where they were invited to the port to enjoy a rail experience with AV Dawson colleagues.
Charlie continued:
“It was fantastic to bring together a range of people to celebrate this tremendous milestone. From rail enthusiasts to primary school children, it showcases how significant this milestone is while also promoting the future of rail. We feel it’s important to give back to the community and also, inspire the next generation.”
“The children had a fantastic afternoon with our colleagues, learning more about the locomotives we have on our site, talking to the train drivers about their roles and they even had the opportunity to each have a ride in a train!”
For further information on AV Dawson and the Port of Middlesbrough visit www.portofmiddlesbrough.com.
For further information on the Branch Line Society visit – www.branchline.uk.
