ONE of Britain's most distinguished actors has criticised "short- sighted" governments which failed to put enough money into the post-war railway system.

Robert Hardy revealed a lifelong interest in trains on Monday when he threw his weight behind a forthcoming £2m share issue by Wensleydale Railway, which restored scheduled passenger trains for 12 miles between Leeming Bar and Leyburn last summer.

The 79-year-old actor, who has played Winston Churchill but who is best remembered as Siegfried Farnon in the long running television series All Creatures Great and Small, joined passengers and Wensleydale Railway representatives on an ordinary service train between the two stations.

His 45-minute journey stirred memories because it took him past Finghall station, the setting for scenes in one episode of the television series produced by Bill Sellars, later manager of the Georgian Theatre Royal at Richmond until his retirement last year.

Another landmark was Bedale station, within sight of the former courthouse taken over for a day by the cast and crew for scenes in the Christmas special which marked the end of the series in 1990.

The Northallerton to Redmire line has been leased from Network Rail by Wensleydale Railway, the business and development arm of the Wensleydale Railway Association, and before leaving Leyburn Mr Hardy was shown improvements which have been made to the station for its revived passenger use.

On arriving at Leeming Bar, where renewed rail use has been developed from a formerly derelict site, he met Wensleydale Railway volunteers on a guided tour of rolling stock, had lunch in a restored 35-year-old buffet car and bought souvenirs in the station shop.

Mr Hardy, who came to love Wensleydale while filming the series based on the James Herriot stories, is a patron of the Wensleydale Railway Association.

The WRA, formed in 1990, led the fight to stop the remaining 22 miles of track from being torn up following the loss of daily limestone traffic two years later. The line is now used for occasional Army trains as well as Wensleydale Railway passenger services.

Mr Hardy, who travels to work by train from his home in the Cotswolds, said of his Wensleydale trip: "It was an absolutely beautiful journey, charming and unusual. I love looking at the countryside from a new angle. It was almost as good as flying in a helicopter.

"We were only travelling at 25mph and it reminded me of my childhood, when you heard the train going clackety-clack over the joints in the rails."

The actor, born in the Welsh borders, added: "I have always loved trains since I was very young. I used to go to stations to see the big new engines and like most young boys I wanted to be an engine driver."

Mr Hardy praised Wensleydale Railway for its achievements so far and said: "I think it has an enormous future. It is looking forward to future expansion to Northallerton and in the opposite direction further up the dale, and is hoping to get commuters on board."

He said the greatest tragedy surrounding railways in this country had been lack of investment after they had delivered the goods during the war.

"At the end of the war they had done a most fantastic job but they were exhausted. We saw all the governments in Europe pouring money into railways and they recovered from war damage.

"We are now in an absolute pothole. Short-sighted governments here were retrenching and so much heavy traffic went on to roads, but we cannot go on putting down concrete.

"There are remains of tracks all over the country and if they could all be treated as Wensleydale has been it would be an absolute renaissance."

Mr Hardy was accompanied by his friend Viscount Eccles, chairman of Bowes Museum and former chairman and managing director of Head Wrightson on Teesside.

During a track inspection at Leeming Bar the retired industrialist discovered stampings on cast iron chairs, which hold rails in place, showing that they were made by his old firm in 1960.

Viscount Eccles said: "Robert and I are old friends and he suggested we have a day out together.

"I am interested in anything which attracts people to the North and this is a wonderful piece of countryside to look at out of a train."

Mr Hardy visited Leyburn station in 2002 to support Wensleydale Railway in its efforts to raise its first £1m from an original share offer launched two years previously.

That issue raised £1.2m, generating enough capital to enable the company to lease the line and undertake a minimal amount of work for the introduction of passenger trains.

The second share issue, expected in the next few weeks, is designed to raise up to £2.75m for further development including the opening of new stations and trackwork leading to more frequent services and higher train speeds.

Work commitments prevented Mr Hardy from being present when passenger trains were reinstated last July.

Wensleydale Railway marketing director Ruth Annison said on Monday: "We were delighted finally to be able to welcome him, to show him what has been done at Leyburn since he was there in 2002 and what has been achieved at Leeming Bar, which was just a derelict site then.

"He cares passionately about the railway system in general.