A HUGE effort by York's award-winning National Railway Museum (NRM) to make itself more environmentally friendly has spilled over into a massive £11 million scheme.

The Locomotion project - a new NRM outstation at Shildon, County Durham, featuring up to 60 vehicles - opens to the public in October.

It will be a model of green thinking, including use of solar and wind power and harvesting rainwater to drive the steam locomotives.

That and a long list of new, good green practices at the York museum HQ in Leeman Road, have combined to make the NRM a powerful entrant in the Best Environmental Business category of the 2004 Evening Press Business Of The Year.

Already, the NRM has a host of awards for its offerings to its 750,000 visitors annually. Last year, it scooped the Evening Press Best Tourism And Leisure Business title. That came hot on the heels of its Visitor Attraction Of The Year accolade from the York Tourism Bureau.

But this is the first time since its board of trustees committed the NRM to championing sustainable development as a core value of the museum in July 2002, that it has gunned for green laurels

Since then, the museum has introduced a number of new measures such as using special Welsh coal to reduce steam locomotive emissions, installing a building management system to control and conserve power and lighting, plus light sensor controls, fitting water flow controls to urinals and introducing a new code of practice for contractors working on site to reduce noise levels and dust emission.

A staff suggestion scheme has resulted in many energy-saving proposals and even the museum's quirky "road train" which transports visitors there from the city centre, runs on LPG.

One of the most revolutionary environmental innovations at the museum is the introduction of Green Teams which work with the 150 staff and 300 volunteers to come up with new ideas and spend a half a day per month making them a reality.

The Locomotion project, which has the support of 14 sponsors, including the Energy Savings Trust, involved the help of two world-leading sustainability experts.

The 6,000 sq metre building will become a showcase of energy efficiency. Roof rainwater harvested in an underground tank will be lifted by wind power into an overhead tank used to supply operational steam locomotives.

A photovoltaic roofing system will generate the museum's power which will drive visitor displays. All furniture will have been hewn from trees in well-managed sustainable forests.

A bio-diesel minibus will provide a passenger-carrying service along the 1,000-metre long gree causeway.

Locomotion has been officially recognised by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for its use of environmentally friendly, sustainable materials used in the museum's construction and recently received an award for innovative use of ERDF funding.

Updated: 12:06 Thursday, August 12, 2004