Beamish Museum contains much of transport interest, and the size of its site makes good internal transportation for visitors and staff purposes a necessity.

Standard gauge railway locomotives and stock In the railway station yard, a variety of wagons are on display. Regular steam operation ceased in 1994 due to the lack of permanently available working locomotives. From the nearby Bowes Railway, Andrew Barclay locomotives No. 22 and W.S.T. have made visits in recent years. The museum's restored North Eastern Railway coach was moved to the Tanfield Railway, also nearby, but it returned to Beamish in 2012 for restoration and use.

Resident locomotives include NER Class C1 freight engine No. 876 (British Railways Class J21 No. 65033), built at Gateshead in 1889. After lying out of use since 1984 it was moved to the North Norfolk Railway for restoration in 2007. Transferred to the LCLT trust 2010 and is currently under major rebuild. The museum also formerly operated its Hawthorn Leslie industrial engine No. 14 till 1994

In February 2011 the museum received a 1923-built LNER Y7 Class 0-4-0T engine on a three-year loan from the North Norfolk Railway. The engine ran a passenger service at Rowley Station on weekends during the summer season. As of 2026, 0-4-4T Dunrobin, which Beamish purchased in 2010 for use on the Rowley Station line, is under restoration at the Severn Valley Railway. In 2012 Beamish also purchased 0-6-0 Saddle Tank Newcastle; restoration is planned. Beamish hired in Andrew Barclay, Works No. 1147 of 1908 vintage, 0-4-0ST John Howe from Ribble Steam Railway, Preston Docks to operate steam trains on weekends and school holidays in 2014. The following year in 2015, Avonside Works No. 1764 of 1917 vintage, 0-6-0ST No. 34 Portbury was on hire from Bristol Harbour Railway. During 2017 Andrew Barclay, Works No. 807 of 1897 vintage, 0-4-0ST Bon Accord was in use and Peckett, Works No. 1370 of 1915 vintage, 0-4-0ST May was in use hauling trains during weekends until 2019, however she moved to colliery in 2021 and moved away in 2022

BuilderNumber and nameWheel arrangementBuild dateCurrent statusImageHead WrightsonNo. 1.0-4-0VBGT1871OperationalHead WrightsonNo. 170-4-0VB1873Awaiting RestorationStephen LewinNo. 180-4-0ST1877Undergoing OverhaulBlack, Hawthorn & CoNo. 12-4-0CT1887Awaiting restorationSharp, Stewart and CompanyNo. 4085 Dunrobin0-4-4T1895Undergoing restoration at the Severn Valley RailwaySouth Durham I&S Co.No. 5 Malleable0-4-0ST1900Static DisplayManning WardleNo. 1532 Newcastle0-6-0ST1901Awaiting restorationRobert Stephenson and HawthornsNo. 7006 Roker0-4-0CT1940Static Display

Waggonway locomotives and stock For use on the Pockerley Waggonway, the museum has three replicas of early steam locomotives (Locomotion No. 1), (Steam Elephant) and (Puffing Billy), all of which can be steamed (but with only one usually in service on any given day):p. 82-85, The Essential Guide to Beamish, 2014, Beamish Museum An original locomotive, the 1850s Hetton Lyon, was a static exhibit in the Great Shed.

NameWheel arrangementOriginal build dateReplica build dateOriginal builderOriginal operatorCurrent statusImagePuffing Billy0-4-018132006William HedleyWylam CollieryOperationalSteam Elephant0-6-018142002William ChapmanWallsend CollieryStored, Awaiting overhaul Locomotion No. 10-4-018251975George StephensonStockton and Darlington RailwayNot Currently on Site. Formed part of Railway 200 in 2025Hetton Lyon0-4-01851N/AYoungHetton colliery railwayStatic Display, National Railway Museum Shildon

Puffing Billy The museum has a replica of Puffing Billy, built in 2006 by Alan Keef.

The original Puffing Billy was built in 1813/14, and is the world's oldest surviving steam locomotive. The original was designed by William Hedley for Wylam Colliery, where it saw use for nearly 50 years, hauling coal chaldron wagons on the Wylam to Lemington waggonway. The name is said to derive from its owner, who sounded like his new locomotive due to a breathing difficulty. It was the first commercial adhesion steam locomotive; the drive wheels moved the train through friction alone.

Originally built with four wheels on two drive axles, the locomotive's weight, at eight tons, caused it to break the cast iron waggonway rails. It was rebuilt with eight wheels, on four drive axles, allowing the weight to be spread over more wheels. The engine was restored to its original, four wheel configuration, when improved edge-rail track was introduced around 1830. Puffing Billy remained in service until 1862, and survives as a static exhibit in the Science Museum in London.

Steam Elephant The museum's replica of Steam Elephant was built in 2001, by Alan Keef and Dorothea Restorations.

The original locomotive was built in 1814/14, although its existence was not known of until 1931. Originally thought to have been designed by George Stephenson, research by the museum showed it was actually by William Chapman' for use in John Buddle's Wallsend Colliery. After use at Wallsend, it moved to Washington and then Hetton collieries, with records of its service appearing to end in the 1840s. The replica was built from a contemporary oil and water colour paintings, which were also the source of the name.

Locomotion No. 1 Locomotion No. 1 is a replica of an original locomotive which was designed by George Stephenson and built in 1825 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which made it the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line. The Beamish replica was completed in 1975 for the 150th anniversary of the S&DR. The original survives as a static exhibit, having eventually become part of the National Collection held by the National Railway Museum at its Shildon site. The replica was overhauled in time for the 2025 Railway 200 celebrations where it replicated the original journey along the Stockton and Darlington. It has since visited other heritage railways.

Hetton Lyon Hetton Lyon was built around 1851/52 for use in the Hetton colliery railway, but being of an old fashioned design it was initially assumed it to have been built earlier. It is thought to have been designed by someone named Young, one of whose descendants, David, is a Beamish volunteer working on steam restorations. Having survived into the twentieth century by virtue of being used as a static engine for the colliery sawmill, the locomotive was put back into service by the London and North Eastern Railway for the Stockton and Darlington Railway's centenary celebrations in 1925, before passing into the National Collection at the National Railway Museum as a static exhibit. The NRM loaned it to Beamish in 1974, where it stayed until 2006, initially in the Colliery but later on the Waggonway, before being moved to the NRM's satellite facility, National Railway Museum Shildon (Locomotion). The NRM later agreed a second loan period, so in May 2011 the locomotive returned to its last display location, in the SW corner of the Great Shed before in 2019 returning to the National Railway Museum Shildon.

Waggonway stock The carriages for the waggonway are replicas of Experiment, used on the opening day of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, as well as an open carriage of slightly later design.

Carriages and wagons Railway Number Type Image Current statusStockton & Darlington Semi-open third replica Built in 1995. Used on Pockerley Waggonway.Stockton & Darlington Semi-open and saloon Built in 2017. Chassis rebuilt from scrapped 1995-built replica of 'Long Tub' carriage. Used on the Pockerley Tramway.North London Railway Unknown 4w Second Used by workmen's trains on Furness Railway metals. Owned by Furness Railway Trust, was preserved in 1971 by Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway after being purchased from British Rail for £5. body restored 2002-03 then placed on underframe of SR PMVY S1496S. Moved to Beamish in October 2018.Highland Railway 58A 4w Saloon Duke of Sutherland's Saloon built in 1909 at Lochgorm. Ran with 0-4-4T 'Dunrobin'. Restored to pre-WW1 condition.Stockton & Darlington179 Four-wheel third One of the oldest railway carriage on its original underframe. Under restoration, now at Beamish for final mechanical overhaul work, lettering and numbering.North Eastern Railway1972 Bogie Third Sold to NCB in 1955. Preserved in 1968. Currently stored awaiting restoration.North Eastern Railway3071 Clerestory Bogie Composite Built in 1903. Sold to NCB in 1949. Preserved in 1968. Restored. Overhaul and repaint being planned.

Narrow Gauge Colliery Railway

BuilderNumber and nameBuild dateCurrent statusImageHunslet Engine Company996 'Edward Sholto'1909Static DisplayStephen LewinSamson1874 (Replica Built 2016)OperationalAndrew Barclay Sons & CoNo. 1994 'Glyder'1931Operational Trams Beamish is home to several electric trams, some of which operate daily. A horse tram is also part of the collection

Stocklist Original operatorNumberYear builtCurrent liverySeatsCurrent statusImageSunderland Corporation Tramways161900Crimson and cream66OperationalGrimsby & Immingham Electric Railway261925British Railways green.48Undergoing overhaulBlackpool tramway311901Red, white and teak86OperationalNewcastle and Gosforth Tramways and Carriage Company491880N/AN/AUndergoing restorationGateshead and District Tramways Company511900N/A32Awaiting restorationGateshead and District Tramways Company521901N/A32Awaiting restorationOporto Tramways Company651933Chevrons0Undergoing restorationNewcastle Corporation Tramways1141901Brown, yellow and white53OperationalOporto Tramways Company1961935Blue and primrose yellow28OperationalSheffield Tramway2641907Blue and cream54OperationalSheffield Tramway5131950Blue and cream62Operational, on loan to the East Anglia Transport Museum

Gateshead 10 (Grimsby 26) Gateshead 10 was built in 1925 by the Gateshead and District Tramways Company, one of a batch of single-deck trams built by their Sunderland Road works from 1920 to 1928. Built to a length of 48'8", it was fitted with longitudinal seating for 48 passengers with front exit and rear entrance doors, two Brill 39E reversed maximum traction bogies powered by Dick Kerr DK31A 35 hp motors with English Electric DB1 K3 controllers. Braking systems featured air brakes acting on the wheels and the track-brakes. It operated it in their fleet as No. 10, working routes in Gateshead as well as services across the River Tyne to Newcastle and Gosforth. When the system closed in 1952, No. 10 was one of a batch of 19 similar trams sold to the Eastern Region of British Railways, for use on their Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway. Operated in their fleet as No. 26 in their dark green livery, it worked on the system until its closure on 1 July 1961. Instead of being scrapped, it was retained by the British Transport Commission as a candidate for preservation.

Intending to use it at the museum, in 1968 the Northern Tramways Sponsors purchased the tram, restoring it to its Gateshead 10 identity at the Consett Iron Company works. The first tram to arrive at the museum, it was used for the inaugural passenger services on a short demonstration line in June 1973. A major rebuild between 1983 and 1985 returned it to 1920s condition, featuring an ornate interior. In 2012 it was repainted into its former Grimsby identity. An overhaul began in January 2016, from which it will emerge repainted as Gateshead 10.

Sunderland 16