Plans are being finalised for this weekend’s Motor Rail Mania to be held at the Apedale Valley Light Railway at Chesterton near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.

Motor Rail locomotives for the event on Saturday, 27th, and Sunday, 28th June have started to arrive. One of these is the newly restored Motor Rail No.7522, which will depart at 16.30 each day, coupled to another locomotive.

Passenger trains will run every half hour from 11.00 to 16.30, with a mainline freight train using the skip wagons running between each passenger service; locomotives for the freight trains will be drawn from the mainline pool.

There will also be a frequent service of trains on the Field Railway, using locomotives from the main event, plus others from Apedale’s collection.

On Saturday morning from 7.30 to 10.30, there will be a photo charter themed around the Leighton Buzzard sand quarries. The cost is £40, which includes access to the photo charter, a return train ride, and access to the event throughout the rest of the day. Tickets for the photo charter should be booked online at www.avlr.org.uk and use the “contact us” button to record the names of participants. Money to take part in the charter will be collected on the day.

Among the visiting locomotives taking part will be 4724 AGWI Pet and 5226 Bambridge Hall from the Statfold Barn Light Railway, 8739 Pioneer and 60S324 Campbells from the Golden Valley Light Railway, 8695 (No.30) and 10409 (No.43) from the Leighton Buzzard Railway, and privately-owned 8540. Also appearing will be 40S383, which is usually normally based at a private railway in Scotland, and this will be its first-ever public appearance. 4724 AGWI Pet and 5226 Bambridge Hall are owned by the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust, but are based at the Statfold Barn Light Railway.