WOMEN OF EXPERIMENT

The Stockton & Darlington Railway, the world’s first passenger railway, changed society 200 years ago - yet the contributions of women remain largely untold.

On 27th September 1825 the world changed forever - Locomotion No. 1 pulled both goods waggons and the Experiment carriage, marking the birth of the first steam-hauled passenger railway – a revolution in transport, industry and society that shaped the modern world. Though originally intended for coal, the goods waggons on that historic journey carried passengers, standing or perched on wooden benches, experiencing the dawn of a new era.

Inspired by “Experiment”, Women of Experiment celebrates the untold stories of women who shaped, challenged, and redefined the railway.

To celebrate the bicentenary, I’m carving real stories of women into the end panel of a full-size railway wagon, transforming it into a giant printing block that will bring their stories to life.

Do you have a story to share?
I’m collecting stories, memories and facts about any woman linked to the Stockton & Darlington railway—past or present. Whether railway workers, passengers, campaigners or innovators –  their stories matter

Send me your story today!