A HERITAGE railway has honoured a small band of volunteers whose determination and dedication has kept it alive.

During a simple ceremony at the weekend, inside an old platform shelter at Stanhope station, in County Durham, two plaques were unveiled in memory of four men, who inspired others to save the derelict rail track in Weardale from being torn up.

The first plaque was dedicated to three of the men - John Woods, Steve Richmond and Gordon Routh. It says "with grateful thanks to the people of Weardale for their support".

The second recorded the efforts of former London travel agent Gil Chatfield, the self-styled Fat Controller at Stanhope station, who fought to ensure the heritage line reopened to passengers in July this year.

Mr Chatfield died only a month before his dream was realised.

Richard Taylor, a former area manager with British Rail in the North-East and president of the Friends of the Heritage Line, travelled from his home at Bardon Mill, in Northumberland, to unveil the plaques.

He also opened the waiting room, which has now been refurbished, as an education and history centre.

Mr Taylor said: "This is a day dedicated to people who believe in railways and their future. Mainly through their efforts, we have been able to go from strength to strength in ensuring railways like this remain in the North-East."

Mr Taylor described how the Friends of the Heritage Line was set up in the mid-1970s when there was serious concern that British Rail was about to axe the Darlington to Bishop Auckland line.

Mr Taylor said that the reopening of five miles of the Weardale line between Stanhope and Wolsingham this summer was "commendable".

"There is now a very good prospect of the line reopening to Bishop Auckland, and then linking up with the main rail network," he said.

Weardale Railways Ltd, which operates the heritage line, has already announced that passenger services will be extended westwards in June next year to Eastgate, the site of the old Blue Circle cement works.