Full steam ahead after 150 years

4:00pm Wednesday 25th July 2007

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THE 150th anniversary of Bradford on Avon's railway station was marked by the arrival of a working 1920s steam engine at the weekend.

The engine was brought to the town from the Severn Valley Railway in Worcestershire on the back of a low loader and was on display steaming away in the station's car park for people to climb aboard all weekend.

Lesley Harris, who helped organise the engine coming to the town, said: "It was absolutely amazing and overwhelming.

"The engine came in on Friday night and just missed the bad weather coming down the M5.

"But the Severn Valley Railway had major problems with the water and the engine couldn't get from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster to be collected.

"We honestly thought it might pull the plug on the whole event.

"But the low loader managed to get into Bridgnorth and took the engine to Kidderminster where it was put on a turntable, loaded up again properly facing the right direction and brought down."

People queued outside the engine all weekend for a chance to see what it was like to be on a real steam engine.

One boy made his grandmother bring him back to the engine six times so he could sit on it.

The Limelight Players from Warminster even came down to be photographed outside the engine for the posters for their upcoming production of The Railway Children.

Severn Valley Railway staff were on hand to show people around the engine and blew the whistle every once in a while to the joy of the crowd.

There was also a railway exhibition held in St Margaret's Hall and stalls selling railway memorabilia in the station car park.

The engine cost £2,000 to bring to Bradford, which was raised through grants from First Great Western, Network Rail, Bradford on Avon Town Council, West Wiltshire District Council as well as private donations.