THE sun shone down on Shildon as thousands descended into the town to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The National Railway Museum’s steam gala.

Young children were given the chance to see and ride fully working guest steam engines, whilst older visitors reminisced about their childhood.

Train enthusiast Stephen Nixon has lived in Shildon since he was a young boy and is a regular visitor to the museum.

He said: “I can remember when the museum was being built, I would come down every few days to see the progress and I knew that it would be a huge success. It brings a lot to the town.

“The amount of people who have come down this weekend shows just how loved the Locomotion is. If you live in Shildon it’s in your blood.”

An accordion provided the soundtrack to the celebrations, playing cheerful tunes that further widened glowing smiles.

The queue for a free ride on the only operating Stephenson Long Boiler in the country was endless, but worth it to experience the traditional steam engine in all its glory.

George Richardson, keeper of the guest engine whilst in Shildon, said the free rides were extremely popular.

He said: “It’s great for the young children to see a live engine, you can see them in museums, but it’s not the same as seeing them like this. They have fire in their bellies and this keeps them alive.

“Trains are a massive part of our heritage and it is so important that we keep them for as long as possible. Not in a museum, but running, to show people what we used to do.

“If it wasn’t for events like this then the children of today would have no idea about steam trains.”

One man drove forty minutes to catch a glimpse of the four guest engines in action.

David Wardman grew up in Fishburn and remembers trips out with his friends to watch the Edinburgh to London steam train pass through Bradbury and Morden in the 1950s.

“I was brought up at a time when they were all steam engines. There’s something about seeing a steam train fire up and feeling the vibrations of it moving.

“I’m a lifetime member of The National Railway Museum and I think it’s very important that we keep them going.”

The Locomotion was the first national museum to be built in the North-East and first opened its doors in 2004.

It attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year and is open seven days a week from 10am till 5pm. Entry is free.