THE North-East's railway heritage will never be lost as long as there is film in Andy Elliott's camera. The Stockton photographer has taken more than 6,000 images of steam railway history over the past four decades, and is now, for the first time, cataloguing them for public viewing.

"It is a drawn out process," said Mr Elliott. "And this is only the beginning. There are so many photos, some of which have never even been printed. But I still find it fascinating to look at these scenes which just don't exist any more."

A collection of the black and white images can be seen on his web site, and Mr Elliott receives orders from all over the world for copies of the prints.

"The North-East has such a proud railway heritage," he said. "But it is a heritage and reputation that is known not just throughout the country, but throughout the world. It is something to be celebrated and enjoyed. I love taking the photographs because they not only capture images, but also the atmosphere and sense of occasion, that can still be felt years later."

Born in 1952, Mr Elliott grew up in Stockton, and vividly recalls the moment he took the first step on what was to become a lifetime's work.

"I was 12 years old and standing in Darlington station," he remembers. "There was a steam train by the platform, and I was watching it as its wheels were slipping and the steam was rising off this enormous engine like a volcano. It was a tremendous sight and one which I'll never forget."

Inspired, Mr Elliott promptly collected enough Blue Riband tokens to send away for a camera and set about taking the first of thousands of images.

"The first picture I ever took was of an A3 type engine at Darlington railway shed," he said. "The camera wasn't very good, it let in light, but I thought taking this picture and having it developed was wonderful. I've kept that picture to this day."

Mr Elliott funded his new-found passion by working after school as a delivery boy and spent the following years cycling around the North-East taking pictures of the last of the steam trains, collieries and heavy industry.

"Photography at that time was nothing like it is today," he said. "There were no high street developing stores, you just had to take film into a chemist who would then develop it in a bath full of chemicals."

Mr Elliott's hobby developed into a profession, and he worked as a television and film cameraman for 20 years, with jobs taking him around the world including many years in Europe and Northern Ireland. In the Nineties, he returned to Stockton to live and work as a full-time carer and resumed his photography in the region.

Over the years, Mr Elliott has captured many historic events including the Lord Farringdon, an A4 class steam engine, which was the last of its type to be serviced at Darlington engine works. Behind the engine, the now demolished Darlington power station can be seen.

Mr Elliott said: "One of the best things about the pictures going back so many years is the fact that they show so much more than just the engine. The background can be just as interesting in terms of social history, and so many of the photos show notable sights or landmarks that just aren't there anymore. Or, perhaps more interestingly, sometimes they still are."

Other photographs show the last working steam trains in both the North-East and the Britain, and dozens of portraits of characters who worked on the railways.

Over the years, Mr Elliott has branched out from railway photos, and estimates to have taken up to 30,000 images of the North-East, ranging from buildings and landscapes, to people, vehicles and hunt meets, capturing the social history of the North-East.

After spending so many years scouring the region for interesting photographs, Mr Elliott has acquired a massive amount of local knowledge, which he hopes to utilise in a new venture, which involves giving tours in the region to complement the photographs and highlight the changes that have taken place over the years.

"There's obviously an enormous interest in steam railways and there are a lot of interesting tours that could be done, such as walking the Stockton to Darlington railway," said Mr Elliott. "I hope eventually to bring foreign tourists to the North-East, but I would also like to encourage people living in here to explore their own heritage.

"There are very good established museums and places of heritage in the region, but the tours could really add to these and bring the history to life.

"It would give people a chance to see where things happened and have the full experience."

Mr Elliott is gathering feedback on his web site on what type of tours people would like and will plan his routes accordingly.

In the meantime, he continues to capture the scenes and history of the region, and despite advances in photography, he prefers to keep the striking images in black and white.

"I use an older camera because the lenses are designed for black and white, and produce a much kinder and smoother tone," he said. "The whole collection is a life's work, and as I didn't start in colour it would feel strange to swap now. Plus, when people want prints, I can always tell them that that's the good thing about black and white - it goes with any furniture."

Mr Elliott's photographs can be viewed and ordered on his web site www.andyelliottphotography.com or contact him on 07796 028285.