Historical transports in the North

The Beamish fleet consists of six beautifully restored vehicles:

• Gateshead 10 - one of our three local trams, built in 1925.
• Newcastle 114 - built in 1901 for the opening of Newcastle Corporation Tramway.
• Sunderland 16 - built in 1900 and ceased running in 1954.
• Blackpool 31 - was built in 1901 and was in service in Blackpool until 1984.
• Sheffield 264 - (currently undergoing a major overhaul) dating back to 1907.
• Tram 196 - originally from Portugal, built to a pre-First World War design and now painted in Gateshead livery.

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About Beamish

Beamish is a world famous open air museum telling the story of the people of North East England at two important points in their history – 1825 and 1913.

In 1825, the region was rural and thinly populated. The Industrial Revolution, particularly the coming of the railways, accelerated change. By 1913 the heavy industries of the region were at their peak.

Beamish stands in 300 acres of beautiful County Durham countryside, eight miles south west of Newcastle upon Tyne, twelve miles north west of Durham city. It is not a traditional museum. Most of the houses, shops and other buildings have been dismantled, brought to Beamish and rebuilt here. Some - Home Farm, Pockerley Old Hall and the Drift Mine - were here already. All of the buildings are filled with furniture, machinery and objects, real artefacts from designated collections.

Old trains-1825; used to transport coals in mining areas.

Farm; horses; sheeps

View opposite the Gerogian North fair

Map of the Beamish open museum

Beamish school board 1891

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