THE star of the National Railway Museum’s Great Gathering has arrived at its new home.

Mallard was pulled to the museum’s twin centre, Locomotion, in Shildon, County Durham, by its sister locomotive, the Union of South Africa.

More than a quarter of a million people visited York’s NRM to see the Great Gathering last year, where Mallard was on display with its five surviving sister vehicles.

George Muirhead, museum manager at Shildon, said he was pleased to have seen the locomotives on display in York, as the Dominion of Canada had been renovated at Shildon’s workshops.

He said: “We visited York with the team to the Great Gathering events and I thought it was absolutely spectacular.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have Mallard here. It’s the second time it’s visited Locomotion and even more impressive is it being hauled up by the Union of South Africa. It’s a great time for us and a great day for Shildon.”

This week, to mark the departure of Mallard from York’s NRM, a special light display was co-ordinated between York and Shildon, with a logo projected on to Clifford’s Tower and Durham Castle as it left the museum.

Mallard and her sister locomotives will be on display at the Shildon museum from February 15 to 23, some in steam, and a special “multimedia opera” has been created by John Kefala-Kerr inspired by Mallard and the story of the A4s.

The performance at Mallard’s new home includes live vocal and instrumental performance, lended with chime whistles and footage from the British Transport Film archive.

For more information go to nrm.org.uk/mallard75