The Apedale Valley Light Railway in Staffordshire has released more details of its Motor Rail Mania event.

Ahead of the event, which will take place on Saturday, 27 and Sunday, 28 June, two of the visiting locomotives have now arrived on site.

The two locomotives are No. 4724 “Agwi Pet” and No. 5226 “Bambridge Hall”, both owned by the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust and based at Statfold Barn Light Railway. Motor Rail petrol Simplex Brambridge Hall No 5226 was built in 1936. After the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway stopped running services in 2019, the Trust arranged for the rehoming of its locomotives.

The railway, located in Newcastle-under-Lyme, has also revealed that following repairs, its rare locomotive Motor Rail 7522 will operate at the event.

7522 is a rarity, one of just two known survivors of the scarce 8½-horsepower Motor Rail type. These were small but powerful locos, and were used a lot to haul goods in temporary military supply railways and industrial sites.

Locomotive no. 7522 arrived at the Apedale Valley Light Railway after suffering a catastrophic failure of its engine, a single-cylinder Ailsa Craig. To repair this failure, a replacement engine was modified and fitted. It then had to be removed and fitted again, several times. That process is now completed, allowing the locomotive to return to service.

The Apedale Valley Light Railway has promised to issue a revised loco roster for the event in the coming week, which will include the trains that MR 7522 will be operating.

Motor Rail began building locomotives in Lewes, the historic county town of East Sussex. In 1916, the company relocated to Bedford. It continued its manufacturing work until 1987. Alan Keef Ltd of Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, then bought the company. It still provides spares and builds locomotives to Motor Rail designs.

Details of the Motor Rail Mania weekend event are available on the Railway’s website.