The West Somerset Railway has announced that Furness Railway No. 20 will be visiting them for their week long celebrations in July to mark the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the line between Watchet and Minehead.
Also visiting the line will be Hawthorn Leslie No. 3581, which will top and tail services with FR No. 20 from Minehead to Williton on Tuesday 16th and Saturday 20th. 3581 appears thanks to the Foxfield Railway.
Finally, new-build GWR Grange No. 6880 ‘Betton Grange’ will also visit for the event, providing a stark contrast of a locomotive built 161 years ago, and one complete a few weeks ago.
Betton Grange will haul trains starting at Bishops Lydeard at 10:15 on all days of the event, with a WSR resident locomotive hauling trains from Minehead, starting at 10am.
FR 20 is based at the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston and is currently Britain’s oldest steam locomotive.
Responses
Britain’s oldest steam locomotive is actually Salamanca, which first ran in 1812. However, Puffing Billy is Britain’s oldest preserved steam locomotive.
FR 20 is Britain’s oldest OPERATIONAL steam locomotive the oldest overall as stated.
It would be so nice to have some famous trains to come through Cam and Dursley Station. A few years a go we had the Flying Scotsman coming through. It was delayed for sometime. That was due to trespassers on the railway tracks.
The Flying Scotsman came through after 20.30 and by then it was dark. Not many pictures were being taken.
Now when any famous trains go through Cam and Dursley Station; it never gets advertised or announced.
Train’s are one of my mode’s of transport.