The Heatherslaw Light Railway, based by Heatherslaw Mill on Ford & Etal Estates, marked two decades of service on July 1.

The family-run business, led by Bernice Smith, the widow of founder Neville Smith, and son Paul, has become a landmark for the area.

The iconic railway – the only steam train service in Northumberland – now attracts between 25,000 and 30,000 passengers a year.

Proud Paul said: "To get to this stage is an achievement.

"I think it has been a success primarily because it is the only one in this part of the world.

"It is also an attraction for young children and you should see their faces when they see a steam engine working."

He added: "To build it up to what is now one of the main tourist attractions in the north of the county is quite outstanding."

The milestone is made even more impressive considering the business was on the brink of extinction less than a year ago.

Last September's freak flooding threatened to derail any birthday celebrations.


Paul said: "The flooding was disastrous. It came close to tipping the scales.

"The coaches were off the line and there was at least 150 tonnes of bank washed away.

"I didn't think we would ever re-build it."

But re-build it they did.

And with sections of track re-laid, the engines stripped down and overhauled, and new seats put in the carriages, the railway was re-opened in time for last year's Hallowe'en events.

It kept alive a well-loved tourist attraction which was the vision of Paul's father Neville, and his business partner Sid Ford, who laid the original track in the late 1980s.

Paul said: "My father had a life-long passion for railways. He lived and breathed railways and steam engines and he felt it was the perfect solution to bring people into the Estate.