RAILWAY enthusiasts and nostalgists will be swarming to Okehampton Station on Saturday to enjoy the delights of a visiting steam locomotive.
The preserved engine, a British Railways 2-6-4 Standard tank, will arrive with its train of six coaches at approximately 8pm and depart about 40 minutes later.
Roy Gibbs, who runs the station complex, said the organisers of the special — Pastime Rail Tours, based in Staffordshire — have been inundated with people wanting tickets.
The trip is one of a number of outings the locomotive is making over the Easter weekend. It will be running between Exeter and Newton Abbot on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as well as embarking on one-off trips to Okehampton, Exmouth and Heathfield.
'The indication is that the Okehampton trip is by far the most popular. I think it is the attraction of a trip along the old Southern main line with an attraction at the end of it,' said Mr Gibbs.
'This is the first steam trip of the year and the reaction has been absolutely amazing.'
Mr Gibbs added that he attended the Brighton Model World show in February and everyone there knew about Okehampton Station, and the steam special and a lot of them were coming on it.
'We will be open every day over Easter from 10am to 5pm. On Saturday we will re-open from 6.30pm to 9.30pm for the steam engine's visit when all our facilities will be available to passengers and visitors.'
Mr Gibbs said it was hoped to re-open the re-built model railway in time for Saturday. The layout is a model of Okehampton Station in 1950. There are plans to add aspects of Meldon quarry and the famous viaduct — but not by Saturday.
Mr Gibbs says the viaduct alone will take seven months to build with its 120ft drop — which scaled down will be just under two feet!