GEORGE Cowell's eyes light up with a boyish twinkle as he recalls his earliest memories, growing up on the banks of the River Tyne.

He speaks of the "huff and chuff of steam locos, the clatter of steam derricks on the ships unloading, the smell of smoke and the hoot and toot of ships' whistles".

Sparked at an early age, Mr Cowell's passion for steam has been undiminished by time.

Now, as one of the last surviving steam locomotive engineers, devotees and experts still arrive at his door for advice.

As he celebrated his 90th birthday, he recounted a bygone era when paddle tugs bearing names such as Malta, Hercules Conqueror, Champion and Cullercoats made their way along the Tyne. Then there was Selina, where he spent much of his spare time.

He said: "The engine was a joy to behold. With its vertical cylinder and cross head moving up and down its guides.

"Being in the engine room was most exciting - the thump-thump of the paddles striking the water, the movement of the levers and rods, the hiss of steam and clank of shovel in the furnace door and the smell of smoke."

Boasting a grandfather who worked with George Stephenson (son of the father of the railways), steam ran in his blood and going into the trade seemed a natural progression.

At 15, George became an apprentice at Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth and Co Scotswood works.

There, he worked on building 25 locomotives for the Great Western Railway. By the age of 22, he was in charge of team working on a large order for steam locomotives delivered all over the world, at a rate of three a week.

Following a stint at sea during the Second World War, Mr Cowell returned to the railways and applied successfully for a job as shop foreman at Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds after noticing the nameplate on a locomotive.

He was later invited to become manager of the locomotive and engineering shops at Consett Iron Company, County Durham, where he arrived in 1951 to find the workshops "old-fashioned in the extreme".

He was in charge of up to 40 steam locos and cranes.

When diesel engines arrived, the workers were not keen on them, so to get them interested he decided to get them to build one of their own.

Using a borrowed rule and drawing boards, Mr Cowell designed a 300 horsepower diesel and directed the construction of two during lulls in repair work. One still runs at the Stephenson Railway Museum, in North Tyneside.

Mr Cowell's pride and joy was a fireless locomotive, built and designed by him for short-haul jobs.

The innovative contraption was steamed up directly from a power station and the driver had to be specially instructed.

Mr Cowell said: "They complained it was a nuisance, having to recharge it every two hours. The truth was they were using it for long hauls, which was not suited to the original intention.

"Sadly, I was forced to scrap it in 1962 as the demand for scrap was increasing.

"Had I realised at the time the future demand for steam locomotives, I would certainly have put up a strong argument for its retention. As it was, I delayed the final day for as long as possible."

All that remains are a few drawings, pictures and a model.

Since retiring in 1977, Mr Cowell has helped the Beamish Museum, Stephenson Railway Museum and Tanfield Railway with restoration.

His legacy still gives enjoyment to thousands, with two Stanier Black Five locomotives he helped build still running on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Mr Cowell still gives talks to groups on those heady days of steam, and says he will continue to share his passion for as long he can.