A FORMER deputy head of the National Railway Museum has died at the age of 79.

Peter Semmens was the man responsible for bringing much of the museum's extensive collection together.

When he joined, as assistant keeper, he supervised the building of the museum and was charged with finding the exhibits for it, a role that saw him travel the length and breadth of the country.

Andrew Scott, head of the museum, paid tribute to Mr Semmens.

He said: "Peter was the last survivor of four key figures responsible for setting up the National Railway Museum in 1975 and for shaping its agenda during the early days.

As assistant keeper, or deputy head, of the museum, he became know worldwide for his role in making the museum a success from its opening.

Mr Scott said: "Peter made a major contribution not only to the preservation of our collections, but also as a pioneering member of the Yorkshire Tourist Board and what is now the York Tourism Bureau.

"After his retirement in 1987, Peter was a regular visitor to the NRM and took a keen interest in its activities. He will undoubtedly be missed."

Mr Semmens spent his early life in Saltash, near Plymouth, and lived near to Brunel's railway bridge.

While ill as a young child, he was placed outside in his cot, and could hear the sound of the trains going over the bridge. As they did so, he said the word "enij", and a lifelong interest in locomotives was born.

This culminated in his work at the National Railway Museum, but Mr Semmens also acted as a rail advisor for the Channel Tunnel and, together with a colleague, measured the speed of the Cornishman loco at 154mph on the East Coast Mainline.

He did this by using a stopwatch and clipboard and would note the time the train would take between the quarter-mile markers along the track. He did this on every rail journey.

Mr Semmens read chemistry at Oxford University and while there learned to fly a Tiger Moth biplane. It was also at Oxford that he met his wife, Barbara, and in 1950, they married. On his first meeting with her parents, in Barnsley, he visited the coal train at Worsborough Bank and returned covered in soot.

During his career he worked for ICI at Billingham and helped set up the British Association for Young Scientists' Teesside branch.

He leaves his wife, five children and seven grandchildren.