In September, the public will have a rare chance to see what goes on inside a train maintenance depot when train operator Northern holds an Open Day at Heaton TrainCare Centre in Newcastle, Northumberland.

The Open Day is being held to celebrate Heaton’s 150 years of railway history as part of the national Railway 200 celebration.

Heaton is one of Britain’s oldest working depots, and to mark its 150th anniversary, and as part of Railway 200, on the weekend of Saturday, 20th and Sunday, 21st September, Northern is throwing open the doors to the depot for a weekend full of heritage, hands-on experiences, and the chance to go behind the scenes to see what goes into keeping trains running.

The weekend promises to offer something for everyone, including train enthusiasts, curious visitors, and families looking for a day out.

On show will be the past, present and future of Britain’s railways at one of the country’s oldest railway depots.

The star of the show will be London and North Eastern Railway A4 Class Pacific steam locomotive Sir Nigel Gresley, which has been beautifully restored and is packed with history.

Also on show will be Northern’s Class 15x series of diesel multiple units, which are the mainstay of its regional train services, and train fleets from London North Eastern Railway and TransPennine Express, with other heritage trains to be announced soon.

As well as the trains, there will be guided tours of the depot, tasty food stalls, and hands-on family activities.

Tickets go on sale later this month, and adult tickets at £12 for either morning or afternoon visits and £5 for children under 16.

All money raised from the weekend’s events will be donated to local charities chosen by the depot’s TrainCare team and Northern’s charity partner, the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA)

Open Days are occasionally held by other operators, including Direct Rail Services (DRS) and London Transport at its Acton depot and museum.