Dartmoor Railway will see more than its usual share of traffic when it hosts a gala weekend for diesel locomotives and their enthusiasts. Up to 12 different diesel locos will be pulling trains over the 15-mile route from Coleford Junction to Meldon Quarry on the weekend of Saturday 20 and Sunday October 21. During the gala, normal passenger trains will be replaced by trains involved in the event, plus a special Meldon to Okehampton shuttle service. Dartmoor Railway general manager Stuart Farmer said: ?It has been an ambitious plan and a mammoth undertaking to arrange an event of this scale, but we have the ability to give diesel enthusiasts the extra miles behind locomotives due to the length of our line, and we have an impressive line-up. ?We are a pro-diesel railway and want to continue with more diesel running days where the opportunity can be taken to travel up to 130 miles in one day, behind one of the engines based here.? The highlight will be Saturday night, when an evening excursion with beer on tap departs from Okehampton for Paignton, with a connecting service to Kingswear over the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway. The connecting service to Kingswear will be diesel, hauled by mainline Class 25 diesel locomotive No 25185 ? a rare occurrence on this predominantly steam railway. The Saturday night ?Beerex? service costs £27.50 return second class, and must be pre-booked. Tickets for the whole weekend are available for £49.50. Timetables, booking forms and further gala details will be posted in advance on Dartmoor Railway?s website at http://www.dartmoorrailway.co.uk">www.dartmoorrailway.co.uk
