The National Railway Museum in York was inundated after appealing for recollections.

And, two railwaymen who played key roles have already been reunited.

Raymond Watton, 67, was a fireman on the 15 Guinea Special, the last British Railways steam-hauled train – on August 11, 1968 – while Frank Watson, 72, was a footplate inspector on the chosen locomotive, the Oliver Cromwell.

After restoration work lasting four years, Oliver Cromwell is back in steam and ready to lead other engines in 1968 and All That, the Museum's nine-day anniversary gala.

Raymond and Frank also met a visual reminder of their younger days – actor Chris Cade from the NRM's theatre group Platform 4 in full railway worker gear.

Chris stars in Out of Steam, a dramatic representation of the closing days of steam in 1968, written from the perspective of the men who worked at Lostock Hall, the engine shed that was central in steam's final days.

The commemorative gala runs from May 24 until June 1 at the Museum on Leeman Road in York and also features steam train rides, shire horses, a barbecue and a real ale bar.

Catherine Farrell, from the Museum, said: "We have been contacted by people who were passengers on the 15 Guinea Special, the men who worked across the railway network those last precious years of steam, as well as the 'wide-eyed' enthusiasts that scrambled up hillsides with binoculars in hand to watch the last steam train pass by."

"It was great to meet Frank and Raymond and their vivid memories will soon be recorded for posterity along with other people from across the UK who have submitted their experiences of the end of steam."