CARRIAGE restorers from across the UK gathered in one of the region’s railway museums to share skills.

Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon hosted the 18th Annual Carriage Restorers Conference at the weekend.

More than 20 people who working to preserve carriages, either operational or as museum exhibited attended and enjoyed a series of talks, tours and demonstrations.

One of the highlights of the event was a visit to the museum’s conservation workshop, where a 2 HAP electric commuter carriage is being restored to its former glory.

The machine is the UK’s most well travelled carriage, covering the distance to the moon and back five times.

Richard Pearson, workshop and rail operations manager at Locomotion, said: “You often find in the heritage sector that when you come across a difficult aspect of a job or you need a specialist part it is hard to know where to look for advice, especially if you are just a small organisation. Networking with other specialists is so important.”