Pupils welcome steam rail loco to new school home

A replica of the world's first steam rail locomotive has been transported to its new home in Telford.

The half tonne Trevithick replica was moved from its home of 26 years at Telford's Central railway station to Hadley Learning Community during a three-hour operation yesterday.

Specialist lifting equipment and a low loader had to be brought in by London Midland. The full-scale model was moved to make way for a new seating area as part of a £1 million transformation of the station.

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The locomotive, designed by Richard Trevithick and built by the Coalbrookdale Company in 1803 in Bridgnorth, was slowly taken out of the station by a fork lift truck.

Four workers spent about 45 minutes carefully moving the cast iron replica on to the low loader before it made its way to the school just two miles away.

London Midland is donating the model to the school, which is housing it in its Engineering Gallery.

Relocation project manager Rob Wilkinson said: "It went better than we thought it would as we thought the station would be difficult with such a confined space. We are pleased, it went well."

Jeff Williams, director of engineering at Hadley Learning Community, said: "It's a prestigious thing because it's a piece of local history and it's a big thing for the school."

Reception children, along with pupils from years 10 and 11, joined staff to wait for the replica to arrive.

School principal Dr Gill Eatough said: "It's fantastic. We have been looking forward to it coming because we are a specialist engineering college.

The school is thrilled to have it. We are delighted that we were given the opportunity of housing this replica because of the link with the fantastic engineering history in Telford."

It is hoped all 1,400 pupils at the school will benefit from the replica being there, as it will be used for classes in engineering, art and design and history.

Year 11 pupil Trevor Lock, from Wellington, who wants to go into engineering, said: "It's a piece of history and makes you want to be a part if it and do something like that in the future."

It certainly inspired reception pupils with one young boy, Junior Azare, asking if he could drive the historic machine.

The replica was built in a project backed by the Manpower Services Commission in Birmingham. Reception teacher Samantha Armstrong was keen to show her young pupils the new display, taking 12 to watch the replica arrive. She said: "It is important for them to see something of our history."

Pupil Blake Prince, 16, from Red Lake, was also delighted that the replica came to the school.

He said: "It is a prestigious moment and because it represents the first steam locomotive it is really great to have it here because we are an engineering college."

Pupil Jordan Grass, 15, of Ketley, said: "It is a really big thing for the school and for us." Georgia Chadderton-Ward, 15, from Hadley, said the arrival of the replica was really inspiring.