HUNDREDS of people saw Darlington's heritage come to life at the weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the closure of the town's railway works.

About 1,000 people from across the North-East and as far away as Glasgow and London visited the town's Railway Centre and Museum, in North Road, on Saturday, Sunday and yesterday.

The weekend kept alive the tradition of the public open days once held across the UK by railway companies.

Visitors were able to climb into the cabs of locomotives during the weekend, but the star attraction was the Hopetown Carriage Works.

Built by the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1853 as a railway carriage factory, it was outdated by the 1880s and, since then, has been used for other things. It is now being used to rebuild two steam locomotives.

Other attractions included three visiting locomotives, all built in Darlington. They were the British Railways Standard 2, the North Eastern Railway P3, and the British Railways Type 1 diesel-electric.

Councillor Lee Vasey, cabinet member for leisure services, said she hoped the event would become an annual one.

"It was a fantastic team-building exercise for the people who use the museum, particularly those who have the workshops because they were able to show off the work they have started," she said.

"Everyone pulled together to support the project and, after all, it is the birthplace of the railways.

"This is where you would expect to see our railway heritage. It was a pleasure for me to see them in action."