Imagine stepping back in time to the bustling Masons Arms Inn, a coaching inn where travellers rested after long horse-drawn journeys. It was here where the Stockton and Darlington Railway ran its tracks right past the inn, turning it into an important spot in railway history.

The Masons Arms became the handoff point where Locomotion No. 1, the Stockton and Darlington Railways first steam locomotive, took over from stationary engines and horses. Coal waggons were lowered down the Brusselton Incline using powerful stationary engines, then coupled to Locomotion No. 1 at the inn. This marked the start of a groundbreaking journey, as the locomotive would haul the train the rest of the way, pushing the limits of what people thought was possible.

Tickets for the maiden voyage were sold at the Masons Arms. Around 300 tickets were sold, but when the train finally departed, over 600 passengers were aboard! People crammed into the waggons, some clinging to the sides, others sitting on piles of coal in the cargo waggons. It was a sight that had never been seen before.

The train consisted of 36 waggons, including 11 coal waggons from the Witton Park Colliery, a special passenger coach named "Experiment" carrying important S&DR investors and dignitaries, 6 waggons for ticketed passengers, 14 waggons for railway workmen, one waggon filled with flour and finally, the locomotive itself, along with its tender carrying coal and water.

When everything was ready, Timothy Hackworth, acting as the train's guard, gave the signal: "All Ready!" Engineer, George Stephenson, fired up Locomotion No. 1, and the train began to move. Spectators were awestruck. The sight and sound of a steam-powered machine rolling into action was so incredible that even animals reportedly stopped to watch the wonder unfold. The Masons Arms thrived in its new role as a railway inn. It not only sold tickets but also let the railway use one of its rooms as a booking office. Even though it was privately owned, the inn embraced its close location to the railway, becoming a bustling hub for passengers and also railway workers.

Over time, the Masons Arms evolved, it was renamed Crossings, and later became a pub, and eventually a restaurant. Today, the Masons Arms itself no longer exists in its original form but its legacy as a key player in one of history's most revolutionary moments lives on. It's a reminder of how one small inn became part of a journey that changed the way the world moves.