The Robert Stephenson Trust is celebrating the bi-centenary of Stephenson’s Works as the world’s first locomotive works during 2023 and will include an exhibition including a series of lectures alongside a book which has been published.

The 23rd of June 1823 saw Robert Stephenson & Co, founded by the ‘father of railways’ George Stephenson, his son Robert, Edward Pease and Michael Longridge who were both local industrialists. The company soon became the pride of Newcastle with Robert Stephenson as managing partner of the  ‘locomotive factory’ located on South Street on the North Bank of the River Tyne.

The celebratory exhibit will take place in and will see:

• Displays and videos about Robert Stephenson’s life
• The formation of Robert Stephenson & Co.
• Illustrations of the Newcastle factory
• The firm’s products

The Robert Stephenson Trust is focused on building awareness of this important and impressive part of Newcastle upon Tyne and the North East’s history.

The exhibit will be held at The Map Room at The Common Room, Neville Hall, Newcastle and will be officially opened at 10.30am on Saturday the 28th of January by Donald Heath OBE, Robert Stephenson Trust Chairman. The opening will see a presentation entitled ‘Robert Stephenson and Co., Locomotive Builders, Newcastle, 1823 to 1902′ given by Trust Vice-chairman, Hugh Fenwick and will take place in The Common Room Lecture Theatre.

The public will be able to visit the free exhibition from 2pm on the 28th of January until the 25th of March 2023. Opening times will be 10am to 4pm from Mondays to Saturdays.

Donald Heath said: “ Robert Stephenson was arguably the greatest of Britain’s many nineteenth-century engineers, excelling as both a mechanical and a civil engineer. The creation of Robert Stephenson & Co, and the opening of the ‘locomotive factory’ in 1823 was a milestone, not just in Robert’s career, but also in the development of railways worldwide. The works built the best early steam locomotives, including ‘Locomotion No 1′ and ‘Rocket’, and went on to supply locomotives across the world. We are delighted to be able to celebrate these achievements which started two centuries ago here in the North East.”

“The World’s First Locomotive Factory” is the book published by the Trust and goes into detail about both the company’s life and products from its founding in 1823 to build of its final locomotive in 1964. The book includes almost 80 illustrations which reveal the vast array of locomotives built on the Newcastle factory site and in later years at Darlington for railways around the globe. The book can be purchased via the Trust and costs £6 to collect or £8 including postage for the UK.

A number of lectures in relation to Robert Stephenson & Co will accompany the exhibition whilst it is ongoing and will be held in The Common Room. The lectures are free and tickets can be booked ahead over the phone at 0191 2509717 and selecting ‘programme’ or ‘library’.

Lectures will take place on the following dates:

• Thursday the 9th of February at 2pm – ‘The Art of Robert Stephenson – Images of the man, his life and works’, by J Michael Taylor MBE, Robert Stephenson Trust Trustee.
• Thursday the 23rd of February at 2pm – ‘Stephenson Survivors Worldwide’, by Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator of Rail Transport & Technology, National Railway Museum.
• Saturday the 4th of March at 1pm – ‘The Stanhope & Tyne Railroad Company’, by author, Rob Langham.
• Saturday the 4th of March at 2.30pm – ‘Thomas Elliott Harrison – Railway Engineer’, by John Addyman, President of the North Eastern Railway Association.
• Saturday the 18th of March at 2pm – ‘Progress in Design and Manufacture: The Steam Locomotive 1825-1830’, Dr Michael R Bailey MBE, railway historian and archaeologist.