Peak Rail in Derbyshire has announced that its joint Rail and Road gala will take place on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May next year.

The event will include large and miniature steam-powered vehicles. There will also be vintage plant, cars, motorbikes, tractors and stationary engines.

Specialist vehicles to be displayed at the gala include commercial lorries, emergency service vehicles and military vehicles.

The event will also include working demonstrations of steam and plant. Steam locomotives will haul trains between Rowsley South and Matlock throughout the day.

There will be fairground rides for children, plus trade stalls and refreshments.

Peak Rail is a preserved section of the former Midland Railway line, which used to connect Manchester Central and London St Pancras but was closed in 1968.

The first station at Darley, as it was known until October 1890, was south of what is now Station Road. Its main building, thought to have been designed by Jospeh Paxton, is now a private residence. The station was replaced in 1874 by a more impressive station to the north of the level crossing.

The route operated now by Peak Rail runs for four miles, along a stretch between Rowsley South Station and Matlock Platform 2. The Railway describes the journey as “a charming ride the whole family will enjoy”.

The Railway runs a small museum at its intermediate station, Darley Dale station, which includes displays from the Peak Railway Association’s archive collection and an exhibition depicting the history of the former Midland line between Matlock and Rowsley. Also on show at the museum are a variety of old photographs, items of memorabilia, artefacts, posters and various historic documents. The station has a Gothic style building, which was built by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, which later became part of the renowned Midland Railway and later still the L.M.S.

Between now and the gala, Peak Rail is running several events, including Christmas specials, a steam trains at night experience in February and a Twin Peaks gala in April, which will include a busy timetable with opportunities to take photographs of both resident and visiting locomotives.