A RESTORATION expert whose interest in steam began more than 30 years ago has taken charge of conservation at a North-East railway museum.

Richard Pearson is the new workshop manager at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon where he will be responsible for the restoration and overhaul of historic engines and carriages.

He became fascinated by trains after watching the 1975 steam cavalcade at Shildon and travelled the UK visiting steam railways before joining the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group as a volunteer in 1987.

He helped the group with many large projects including the overhaul of the A2 Blue Peter, the K1, J27 and Q6 locomotives and the ongoing restoration of the J72 locomotive at Darlington before being appointed the group’s assistant chief mechanical engineer.

Mr Pearson, from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton-on-Tees, still enjoys working as part of a mainline support crew and volunteering with several groups including the NRM, 60009 and the A4LS which operates the Sir Nigel Gresley locomotive.

He has also taken on the role of responsible officer for NELPG and the A1 Society, which operators Tornado.

Before joining Locomotion, he worked as a maintenance technician for a Teesside plastics company. He also has experience working offshore on North Sea oil and gas platforms as well as in the Teesside steel and chemical industries.

Visitors to Locomotion can use a viewing platform to watch the progress of his first major projects, the cosmetic restoration of Sans Pareil and the replacement of wooden buffer beams on the North Eastern Railway electric loco.