Railway heritage bosses expect to get more of a starring role in film and television, as the BBC increases its production output in the north.

The BBC is planning to regionalise more of its work to make it less London-based.

And Paul Holroyd of the Vintage Carriages Trust, in Ingrow, and Roger France, film liaison officer for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, believes they are in an ideal position to bring more screen stars to the area.

A 1924 Southern Railway carriage, at the carriage museum, and a steam engine from the Worth Valley line, have just been featured in the new Yorkshire TV comedy drama Booze Cruise, starring Martin Clunes, of Men Behaving Badly, and Last of the Summer Wine's Brian Murphy.

Mr France believes the new set up in BBC Manchester will create more chances for collaboration between the steam line and the carriage museum.

He said: "In the past many production have been based in London and we felt we have missed out to some southern railways.

"Anything that brings the decision-makers further north must be better."

In the past filming often involved both the steam railway and the carriages trust because of the proximity to the Worth Valley line.

And film-makers were attracted because of the variety of locations from viaducts, tunnels and period stations.

Mr Holroyd added: "It should be better news for us because we are close to Leeds and Manchester and are more convenient for film-makers.

"They are more likely to think of us which means more work for local suppliers."

He said the work was not glamorous and often involved sending carriages to locations throughout the country.

In a recent filming session in Leicestershire for the movie The Hours, starring Nicole Kidman, it took three days to shoot a seven minute scene.

But the work was very welcome and a good money-spinner for the museum.

And it often sparked humorous incidents like Brian Murphy spotting a Gramdma Wild's biscuits livery on the side of a goods van.

When he learned they were made locally, a selection was dispatched to the set at Oakworth.

A BBC spokesman said it was announced in March that more programmes would be based in the regions, including Manchester and Leeds.

It was as a response to the diversity of the audiences around the UK and to make them less "London-centric", he said.