Tales from the Rails

Hello and welcome to the 12th and final episode of Tales from the Rails. In this concluding episode, titled  End of the Line, hosts Caroline Hardie, Archie MacKay, and Angela Pickering reflect on the history of the S&DR through the lens of its darker episodes—accidents, deaths, and disfigurements on the railways. This episode recounts harrowing tales of mishaps through the ages, from the story...

Welcome to the 11th episode of Tales from the Rails, a podcast dedicated to uncovering the hidden stories of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. This month, hosts Caroline Hardie and Angela Pickering explore the overlooked contributions of women in the railway's history. Join Caroline and Angela as they delve into the lives of resilient women who defied societal norms to influence the evolution...

Inventing Railway Stations on the S&DR This month we take a close look at how railway stations evolved on the Stockton & Darlington Railway. No such thing had been invented in 1825 when the railway opened, but quickly, the company started to provide facilities that would become the railway station as we know it today. The legacy of this was to ensure that subsequent pioneering railways wou...

This month on Tales from the Rails, we are talking about education. Who had an education or skills in the early days of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, who didn’t, and how did senior S&DR staff decide to improve educational standards amongst its workers? And did the workers appreciate this? Did engine drivers prefer to fry their pocket watches in the pub? We are joined this month by Dav...

Happy 199th anniversary to the Stockton & Darlington Railway! In this month’s Tales from the Rails we are in party mood! From the laying of the first rail through to the days of British Rail, significant events and dates for the Stockton & Darlington Railway have been celebrated locally and nationally with visitors joining in the fun from abroad. We look at how and why they partied and spe...

We know that before, during and after the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, engineers and railway promoters came to visit to see how a modern railway was run. By modern railway we mean a railway that was a publicly available, permanent transport infrastructure that carried anything, including passengers) for a fee. There was a period of time from 1825-1830 that the S&DR was rea...

This month we are looking at the latest S&DR visitor attraction to entice people from near and far – that is Hopetown in Darlington. This major visitor attraction is centred on an internationally significant collection of S&DR railway buildings. This podcast will explore these buildings and the new attraction that is the result of £35 million worth of funding. In stars of the S&DR we w...

Welcome to the fifth episode of Tales from the Rails, our monthly podcast commemorating the Stockton and Darlington Railway. As we approach the 200th anniversary in 2025 of the opening of the S&DR, hosts Caroline Hardie and Archie MacKay delve into the fascinating history and legacy of this pioneering railway. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at Locomotion No.1, the the Stockton &...

Join hosts Caroline Hardie and Archie MacKay in the fourth episode of Tales from the Rails as they delve into the history of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, celebrating its upcoming 200th anniversary in 2025. This episode focuses on the crucial role of railway bridges, spotlighting the Gaunless Bridge and the Skerne Bridge, their design, construction, and significance. Discover the fascinatin...

In this month's Tales from the Rails … Experience the birth and transformation of the world's earliest railway station This month’s podcast is all about the S&DR’s station at Heighington on Aycliffe Lane, located half way between Shildon and Darlington. In 1826 the railway company commissioned a number of important buildings including a ‘cottage’ at Heighington. This cottage had many of the fu...

In this month's Tales from the Rails … We’ll focus on just what is so important about the Stockton & Darlington Railway?  Why all the fuss? And why is the whole country marking its 200th anniversary in 2025, not just the residents of Stockton and Darlington? As usual we will also, in Stars of the S&DR, find out more about the pioneering people who worked on the railway. This week will be a...

Journey back in time to 1825 with our podcast series, Tales from the Rails. Hosted by archaeologist and trustee of the Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway, Caroline Hardie, alongside South West Durham News Managing Editor, Archie MacKay, this engaging series brings to life the history and milestones of the Stockton & Darlington Railway; the railway that got the world on track. With fu...