SCENES of a bygone age are being recreated at a popular tourist attraction this weekend.

The era when every home and industry relied on steam and animal power for the vital ingredients of everyday life is being rekindled this Sunday at the Tanfield Railway, near Stanley.

In an age before motorways and heavy goods vehicles everything from cabbages to coal, parcels to pipes was moved by steam powered freight trains. Any delivery the railway could not reach was in the hands of the humble horse and cart.

Tanfield Railway is bringing those scenes back to life and offering new opportunities to find out about the important role of the freight train.

Visitors will be able to take a seat in the brake van as part of a freight train, learn about how local stations handled parcels of all shapes and sizes and see how goods was handled.

The railway’s vintage steam locomotives will also be joined by real horse power and a cart to complete the vintage scene.

Tanfield Railway director, David Watchman, said: “In this age of huge 24 hour supermarkets and massive lorries, it’s easy to forget that it was the railway that made moving goods over long distances possible for the first time.

“Just a few decades ago steam and horse power was what kept the country moving.

“This event gives us the opportunity to bring those times back to life and give our visitors a chance to see and experience what steam powered freight trains were really like.”