Winning Designs to Shine at Preston Park Museum as part of SDR200
Five incredible inventions dreamed up by young minds will be showcased at Preston Park Museum on 4 December, as part of- Next Stop: The Future!, in partnership with Little Inventors.
Children from across Stockton, Darlington, Durham and beyond were challenged to invent something fun, clever or unusual that can travel on or make use of disused railway tracks or to design their dream train carriage.
Five chosen ideas have been brought to life by expert makers and will remain on display to the public until 15 December, offering a unique glimpse into the future of travel and design.
This is part of an extensive S&DR200 Education Programme, which has engaged thousands of young people across the region and internationally in creative learning experiences linked to science, engineering, and design. Little Inventors, Sparks, Bishop Line Rail Community Partners, Locomotion, Hopetown, Preston Park, The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (FSDR), and S&DR200 sponsors have worked together to deliver this programme that has sat at the heart of this year's celebrations.
The exhibition will take place on the first floor of The Spence Building at Preston Park Museum, alongside All Aboard!, the interactive playscape which helps families to understand the importance of the Stockton and Darlington Railway through play.
The Spence Building is part of a multi-million pound investment into Preston Park and has already seen thousands of visitors through its doors since its opening in September.
The S&DR200 Festival Education Programme is part of S&DR200, the year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the first passenger journey on the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
Running until March 2026, the festival features free outdoor spectacles, exhibitions, and new art commissions across County Durham and the Tees Valley.
The response to Next Stop: The Future! was phenomenal: over 500 ideas from eight countries worldwide, with the initial challenge video attracting nearly 30,000 views on YouTube.
From these submissions, five standout ideas were selected and brought to life by expert makers:
- Cinema on Wheels by Favour (age 10, Bowesfield Primary School, Stockton) - crafted by Stuart Palmer.
- Seed Planter 2000 by Elizabeth (age 11, St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Stockton) - engineered by Craig Fox of Foxworks Engineering.
- Star Gazer by Evan (age 9, Nunthorpe Primary Academy, Middlesbrough) - realised by Orbital FX with students from The Northern School of Art.
- Aquarium Train by Harry (age 10, St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Stockton) - brought to life by Orbital FX with students from The Northern School of Art.
- The Camp-Star by Alexis, Ariana & Hayley (age 10, Somerset Academy, Markham, Canada) - created by Orbital FX with students from The Northern School of Art.
Inventors of the past dreamed up everything from hand-powered bikes to zoo trains - and now, these young visionaries have taken that spirit full steam ahead with ideas that are fun, clever, and totally off the rails!
Craig Bright, Little Inventors:
"The creativity and imagination shown by these young inventors has been truly inspiring. It's incredible to see their ideas transformed into real-life prototypes - proof that the next generation is ready to dream big and innovate."
Niccy Hallifax, S&DR200 Festival Director:
"This challenge has captured the essence of what S&DR200 is all about - celebrating innovation and inspiring future generations. These inventions are not only fun and imaginative, but they also remind us of the power of creativity used in all walks of life, to shape all our futures. It also shows that as in 1825 working in partnership and collaboration is imperative when challenges are faced."
You can find out more about Little Inventors by visiting this link: Little Inventors
