TRAINS galore will be departing from Okehampton Station this weekend as Dartmoor Railway hosts its first ever Diesel Gala. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15, diesel locomotives from the Bodmin and Wenford Railway ?the 37142 and 37198 which last worked together in 1988 ? along with diesels from West Devon, will operate along the 15 mile stretch from Okehampton to Meldon and Coleford Junction. Nine different locomotives will be following the route of the famous Atlantic Coast Express during the weekend, which is sure to draw in several hundred railway enthusiasts. Normal passenger trains will be suspended during the gala and replaced by two-train running via a ?mainline? service running the full 15-mile length of the line from Meldon to Coleford Junction, plus a special Meldon to Okehampton shuttle service. A special treat has also been laid on for real ale fans with a Beer-X special evening trip leaving Okehampton at 6pm on Saturday, with a free pint of ale included in the gala ticket price. Dartmoor Railway general manager Stuart Farmer said: ?This is our very first gala, so we hope that plenty of people will come along to see and hear some modern diesels hard at work on our scenic but steeply graded line. ?We are expecting around 750 enthusiasts to attend, and I expect the event will be popular, especially with the much missed pairing of the Class 37s which people will enjoy seeing working together once again. ?We are offering something quite different for diesel enthusiasts with up to nine different locomotives unusually pulling trains over the full fifteen-mile route running from Coleford Junction, near Crediton, to Meldon Quarry station high up on Dartmoor.? He added: ?In order to cope with the expected crowds, the Dartmoor Railway is seeking volunteers to act as stewards during the weekend so, if anyone is interested in helping us, please call on 01837 55164 or 01837 55667.? Diesel gala train services will run from 9.30am-10pm on Saturday, and 9.30am-6pm on Sunday. Tickets, which entitle holders to unlimited journeys through the day are £20 for each day or £30 for a weekend pass, with concessions for children and pensioners. Dartmoor Railway is a community rail operation based in West Devon, which entered into a partnership with leading social enterprise the ECT Group in December 2004. For more information about the weekend including timetables, visit the website http://www.dartmoorrailway.co.uk">www.dartmoorrailway.co.uk