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Locomotives On The Move

Although a busy season is now in full swing at their Bitton station headquarters, the Avon Valley Railway has been able to respond to requests for assistance from two other preservation railways.

"Our little 0-6-0 Hudswell Clarke tank engine No 70 has gone away for two weeks to the East Lancs Railway at Bury", explained Commercial Services Manager Bill Miller. "They are celebrating twenty years of operation and No 70 spent some time there before coming to us.

"In addition, with the agreement of the owner David Hurd, our electro-diesel "The Royal Alex" has been loaned to the Severn Valley Railway to help them in the repair work that resulted from the recent flooding. The SVR needed a diesel locomotive to help to haul earth, tools and other equipment to the area under reconstruction and we were all very happy to help out".

"The Royal Alex" is expected to return to Bitton at the end of the season. In the meantime, the company feel that they have sufficient back-up in their fleet of locomotives to cope through the rest of the summer.

From the end of July trains will be operating on five days a week and, in addition, Bitton station hosts a Vintage Bus Rally on 12th August and an Art Exhibition over the Bank Holiday weekend.

"We're also busy planning our End of Season Gala which takes place in October", added Bill Miller. "This year the star of the show will be a very special locomotive. Enthusiasts will know it as a Fowler 7F No. 53809 and last year it was the star attraction at the Somerset and Dorset Railway's 40th anniversary event at Bath Green Park. It was so popular that a queue of people waited all day just to climb onto the footplate"

For more information on running times and details of special events featuring the Fowler 7F, please telephone Bitton station 0117 932 5538.