A PHOTOGRAPHER has turned his boyhood love of steam trains into an exhibition to mark the 175th anniversary of the Stockton to Darlington railway.

Andy Elliot was only 12 when he photographed his first steam train and he went on to create an impressive collection of images.

He has since worked for the BBC as a cameraman and a gained a string of awards for international films. However, the memory of his first photo has stayed with him. He said: "I was watching an enormous engine leaving from Darlington station in the rain. It was the most awesome and impressive sight I have ever seen."

Andy, who has been documenting Stockton through photography for the past 30 years, is displaying his steam engine images at the town's Green Dragon Museum.

The Long Gone Engines exhibition features photographs from 1964 to 1969, and opens from today until October 29.

More of Andy's work will be on display at the Arc, Stockton, and at the Darlington Railway Museum.

Dennis Dunning, of the Green Dragon Museum, said: "The exhibition of Andy's work is a nostalgic trip to the magical era of steam trains.

"The black and white prints are a must for railway and photography enthusiasts alike."