David Mach
1997
Morton Park, Yarm Road, Darlington
Train is a landmark sculpture by internationally renowned artist David Mach made from 181,754 Accrington Nori bricks. It was commissioned by Darlington Borough Council in partnership with WM Morrisons, who also supplied the site for the sculpture, as a major contribution by Darlington to the Visual Arts UK, a yearlong celebration of the Visual Arts in the North of England in 1996. Visual Arts UK formed part of Arts 2000, a project launched by the Arts Council in 1991 to celebrate different art forms in different parts of the country up to the year 2000.
Train depicts a life size steam engine emerging from its own smoke based on the Mallard steam train. It is situated at Morrisons supermarket at Morton Park, adjacent to the A66 and it is near the original Darlington and Stockton railway line. Sophisticated technology and computers were used to create the complex shape of Train. One of the techniques used to deal with the more complex elements of the sculpture, including the billowing smoke, was to photograph the scale model and use photogrammetry to digitise the pictures to create a 3D image, which was then incorporated into the computer model. The architect then produced computer generated drawings of the outer skin of the structure and the engineers used these to create working drawings to show where each individual brick should be laid on the external skin and the internal supporting walls.
The sculpture uses pre-cast concrete slabs, stainless steel angles and fixings and reinforced concrete to achieve the over hanging and protruding sections of the sculpture. Marshalls supplied their Class B engineering bricks, selected for their durability in exposed conditions and for their attractive appearance. They also provided 20 innovative bat bricks, approved by the Bat Conservation Trust, which allow bats to gain access inside Train to create roost sites. David Mach worked closely with the architects using Computer Aided Design (CAD) to position every brick forming the sculpture. No two bricks had a common line so it necessitated the compilation of 176 vertically aligned cross-sectional drawings and 94 plans (one for each course of bricks). Train was officially unveiled by Lord Palumbo of Walbrook on 23 June 1997.
Photographer: David Williams
Facts
- Train weights 1500t including its foundations.
- It is 39.6m long.
- At its largest point Train is 7.05m in height and 4.35m at its smallest point.
- The width spans from 2.29-6.38m.
- It covers a surface area of 600m².
- The total construction of the sculpture took 21 weeks.
- Train is made from 181,754 Accrington Nori bricks.
- 110m³ of mortar were used in the construction.
- 5200m³ of earth were used to make the mound.
- 34 bricklayers/labourers worked on the sculpture.
- The total number of man-hours for bricklayers and labourers was 13,256 (4.5 minutes per brick).
- Train was funded by WM Morrisons Supermarkets plc, Northern Arts, Darlington Borough Council, National Lottery, Department of National Heritage and through sponsorship in kind.
A poetry competition was run with local school children and the winning entry features on a commemorative plaque at the site, inset with bricks inscribed with the names of schools entering the competition.
The Train Journey
Hurry up, hurry up.
Get right up, get right up.
Sit back up, sit back up.
Clickety clack, clickety clack.
On the track, on the track.
I saw a tunnel, I saw a tunnel.
Under a tunnel, under a tunnel.
Out of the tunnel, out of the tunnel.
Clickety clack, clickety clack.
On the track, on the track.
Home at last, home at last.
David Quick
Aged 7
Middleton St. George Primary School