STEAM manager Tim Bryan has resigned after serving Swindon's railway heritage for 21 years to work with cars.

The move comes just days after John Short, head of Swindon Services, pledged his determination to tackle the museum's massive losses.

Mr Bryan, 44, who took over as acting manager when Andrew Lovett left in April last year, will leave at the end of next month to become head of collections at The Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire.

He said: "I am moving from one set of wheels to another. An exciting challenge lies ahead but I will certainly miss all my colleagues."

The geography graduate cut his teeth with trains at the former Great Western Railway Museum, in Faringdon Road, where he started working as an assistant in 1987.

Within four years he was promoted to curator and remained in the post until the museum closed in 1999, to be replaced by Steam.

Mr Bryan became curator of the £13 million successor, in Kemble Drive, which was originally hoped to attract 250,000 visitors a year.

Since it first opened in 2000, this target figure has plummeted to less than 80,000 and losses are expected to total around £550,000 by the end of the financial year in March.

But Mr Bryan, a railway historian who has written seven books on the subject, believes Steam is getting back on track.

Last November Swindon Services chief John Short took over Steam's finances and has already saved some £90,000.

Mr Bryan said: "I am very proud of the achievements here and think the museum is in safe hands. There is much cause for optimism and I am confident Steam will only get better."

Mr Short is expected to appoint a temporary manager by the end of next week.

He said: "I wish Tim well and will be sad to lose him. He did a very good job. Now we have an opportunity to see a different style of management to further Steam's progress."