Locomotion Museum in Shildon is every train and railway enthusiast's dream. And the Locomotion ticket price? Free.
It has a collection of steam, diesel and electric trains and carriages, and tells lots of great stories about royal train travel and early British research into tilt trains - the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) - which has since revolutionised train travel. There's a Deltic locomotive, the Green Arrow, LNER's Hardwicke, and the Sans Pareil.
There are also regular Locomotion events.