The West Somerset Railway (WSR) has announced an exciting line-up of locomotives for its Autumn Steam Weekend from Friday, 17th to Sunday, 19th October.

As part of this year’s celebrations, the railway will celebrate Railway 200 in one of the biggest events of the heritage railway calendar.

Some engines appearing will be from other heritage railways and mainline operators.

The latest locomotive to be confirmed is GWR Castle Class No.5029 Nunney Castle, courtesy of Locomotive Services Limited, on its first appearance at a preserved railway since returning to traffic earlier this year.

Other locomotives confirmed so far are:

• London & South Western Railway (LSWR) T3 Class 4-4-0 No. 563 (courtesy of the Swanage Railway Trust),
• GWR Manor Class 4-6-0 Nos. 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7828 Odney Manor,
• Mogul 2-6-0 No. 9351

No. 563, in its striking LSWR Green livery, deserves special mention, as when it returned to steam in 2023 after a major overhaul, it was the first time it had been in steam since 1948, and will certainly be a rare sight on the West Somerset Railway.

On all three days of the gala, an intensive timetable will be operating, with trains running from early morning into the evening.

Express trains, local passenger trains, and heritage goods trains will add variety to the event, whilst visitors will be free to explore the historic stations and travel behind preserved locomotives whilst enjoying the autumn colours on the country’s longest heritage railway, from the Quantock Hills to the Somerset coast.

Some trains will also continue to the end of the line at Norton Fitzwarren, where it meets the West of England main line, travelling beyond Bishops Lydeard over a part of the line rarely used for passenger trains. As well as the trains, there will be museums, heritage displays, and model railways to enjoy.

Further details and booking information are online at Autumn Steam Weekend 17th 19th October 1 – West Somerset Railway