THE glory of steam came alive at weekend for the men who helped build and run steam locomotive rescued from the scrapheap.

The reunion of 25 British Rail staff and men who built the original engine in Horwich took place at Bury station where they gathered to marvel at the restored engine 76084.

The £750,000 project involved 16 years of hard work by rail enthusiasts to bring the old engine back to life in 2013.

The day included a trip along the East Lancashire Railway from Bury to Rawtenstall and it presented a perfect opportunity for Westhoughton man John Firth, 80, to travel aboard the footplate of the engine for the first time in his life.

His brother Jim, 79, who also took part in Saturday's reunion were part of three generations who worked on the original building of 76084 and included his grandfather George, his late father Fred and late brother Fred.

John said: "I worked at Horwich repairing the steam boilers and the place was always buzzing with thousands of other people. I used to leave there in the evening covered in grease and always went home with a dirty face.

"But seeing that engine on Saturday brought it all back to me and I had a tear in the eye as I travelled on the footplate for the first time in my life.

"It was a very sentimental journey and one I will remember for the rest of my life."

The engine will form part of East Lancashire Railway’s Spring Steam Gala this weekend involving seven other steam engines 76084, before eventually returning to Norfolk.