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

The BBC is planning to regionalise more of its work, and Paul Holroyd of the Vintage Carriages Trust in Ingrow, Keighley and Roger France, film liaison officer for the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, believe they are ideally positioned to bring more screen stars to the town.

And a 1924 Southern Railway carriage, at the VCT museum, and a steam engine from the Worth Valley line have just been featured in the new Yorkshire TV comedy drama Booze Cruise 3, staring Martin Clunes, of Men Behaving Badly, Last of the Summer Wine's Brian Murphy and Neil Pearson from Drop the Dead Donkey.

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

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

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

Often the work 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."

The work was not glamorous and often involved sending carriages across the country.

In a recent filming session in Leicestershire for the move The Hours, starring Nicole Kidman, it took three days to shoot a seven minute scene - but the work was very welcome.

And it often sparked humourous 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. It was as a response to the diversity of the audiences around the UK.