Exhibitions celebrate 200 years of railway

Thousands of preserved flowers are suspended from the ceiling in an installation by Rebecca Louise Law

A museum's new exhibition space is set to launch with artworks celebrating the bicentenary of the railways.

Preston Park Museum in Stockton, will host a series called "Tracks of Change" to mark 200 years of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Line (S&DR).

The four free exhibitions include two installations and will be open between September and next January.

Niccy Hallifax, S&DR200 festival director, said she hoped the events would inspire people and showcase the museum's new exhibition space.

Preston Park Museum has been undergoing a £20m upgrade, including a two-storey extension, new cafe and car park.

Wider works, such as the refurbishment of the park aviary are also under way and there are plans for a mural commemorating the railways' 200th anniversary inside the structure.

What are the exhibitions?

All Aboard, Corridors, Gateway to the World and Perfume make up the Tracks of Change series.

The first three will open in September, while Perfume will launch in January.

Corridors is an installation by Rebecca Louise Law with thousands of preserved flowers suspended from the ceiling.

A lot of the flowers have been grown in the museum's Walled Garden.

The display is inspired by the route of the original Stockton and Darlington line through Preston Park.

A lot of the flowers used in the Corridors installation were grown at the museum

All Aboard will be specifically for children, featuring a giant replica train and themed play zones.

Gateway to the World will show a collection of nationally significant paintings highlighting the important role the railway played in creating tourism.

Perfume will be an installation by Yann Nguema, inspired by seed distribution and pollination when trains travel through the countryside.

People have created peg dolls representing their favourite train journey

Thousands of peg dolls, created as part of a mass participation project called Memory of a Journey, will also go on display.

They were made by community groups, school pupils and care home residents across Tees Valley and County Durham to represent their favourite train journey.

The designs will be shown between 13 September and 12 October.