Join the Tees Valley Line Rail User Group (TVL RUG) on Saturday 27 September 2025 as we celebrate 200 years to the day since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway!
At 19:00 in Saltburn Conservative Club, Engineer for the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group, Maurice Burns, will present his Passion for Steam: 1975 Celebrations film — a captivating look back at the 150th anniversary of the S&DR — followed by a live Q&A session.
We’ll round off the evening with a special presentation celebrating 30 years of TVL RUG (formerly SLUG — the Saltburn Line User Group).
THE FILM
A PASSION FOR STEAM is a nostalgic and heartfelt documentary that captures the spirit of railway preservation through the eyes of a lifelong steam enthusiast. Set against the backdrop of Britain's transition away from steam and the 150th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the film follows the personal journey of a man who witnessed the decline of the steam age and found new purpose by joining a local locomotive preservation movement.
As the 150th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway approached in 1975, he and a dedicated group of volunteers work tirelessly behind the scenes to help numerous committees plan the historic celebrations, deliver four working steam locomotives for the cavalcade and rekindle public interest in Britain's rich railway heritage.
Blending rare archival footage with candid moments behind the scenes, the film is a tribute to the passion, perseverance, and community spirit that keeps the legacy of steam alive for future generations.
This sound film taken 50 years ago has been locked away and therefore never seen before. It was all filmed by Maurice Burns, Engineer for the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group, and is the story of why in 1975 the 150th Anniversary was so important to the North East of England.
