John Wright eats, sleeps and breathes railways.

To earn a living, he works for Arriva Trains Northern as station supervisor at Huddersfield.

And to escape at the weekends, he is Keighley station master at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

John, 49, is celebrating 30 years in the post - a feat his friends believe is unequalled in the world of preserved railways.

He joined the private steam line, which runs for five miles between Keighley and Oxenhope, as a 17 year-old after leaving Buttershaw school in Bradford.

And he loved the hobby so much, he joined the 'big' railway - British Rail - to make it his career.

"Since then I've spent every spare moment on the Worth Valley," said bachelor John, who lived in Wibsey as a lad and became master in 1972.

"And if I'm not working or at Keighley, I like to go abroad and spend my holidays on the railways. I just enjoy travelling on trains.

"Last year I went with friends to Switzerland and travelled on the railway there," he said.

And it has enabled him to compare railways in Britain with those on the continent.

"The Government has expected too much from the privatised companies - it hasn't invested as much as countries like France and Germany.

"We have people in Britain who want to use the railways, but we don't have the capacity to take the passengers," said John.

His job also involves keeping Keighley station clean and he can often be seen out of his uniform and in his overalls, giving the place a lick of paint.

And over the years it has paid off, as Keighley station has won a number of best-kept awards while he has been in charge.

"I've always enjoyed the camaraderie and teamwork - we're like one big family," he added.