Two historic Victorian steam locomotives have been given a permanent home at Tanfield Railway in Gateshead, marking a major milestone for the heritage line in its 300th anniversary year. The engines, Twizell and Malleable No. 5, were formally handed over by Beamish Museum in County Durham, where they had previously been part of the collection. Twizell, built in 1891, remains in full working order following a recent £100,000 overhaul, while Malleable No. 5, dating from 1873, will now be assessed for restoration.

Tanfield Railway Trust chairman Derek Smith said it was a "massive boost" for the railway during such a significant year. Twizell is believed to be the oldest working locomotive in Great Britain to have been built by the renowned railway engineer Robert Stephenson’s Newcastle firm. The engine spent decades hauling coal trains for James Joicey’s County Durham colliery network before being rescued for preservation in the early 1970s.

Malleable No. 5 has its own rich industrial heritage, having been constructed for the South Durham Steel and Iron Company and named after its place of work at the Malleable Iron Works in Stockton-on-Tees. Acquired by Beamish in the 1970s, it has not operated for many years, but will now be fully assessed and cosmetically restored at Tanfield. Mr Smith said Malleable No. 5 filled a "major gap" in the railway’s collection, while Twizell had long been a "much loved part of our operations." He added: "To secure them both is a massive boost, but to do so in the year we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Tanfield Railway is really special."

Beamish Museum’s director of transport, industry and design, Paul Jarman, welcomed the collaboration. "Both Twizell and Malleable have secure futures with the Tanfield Railway," he said. "Working in partnership with those who have common goals only serves to enrich our heritage and ensure that it can be enjoyed, educating and retaining those established links to our past that we know are so important to the region."

Image: Tanfield Railway