Britain’s oldest working locomotive, Furness Railway No. 20, is set to be the star attraction at the North Norfolk Railway’s Steam Gala in October.

Furness Railway No. 20 was built in 1863, and at the gala on Saturday, 24th, and Sunday, 25th October, it will appropriately be paired with the Poppy Line’s fleet of unique Victorian-era carriages built between 1884 and 1899.

No 20 will not be the only centenarian appearing at the gala, as it will also feature Great Western Railway 4200 Class 2-8-0 tank engine No. 4277, dating from 1920, and Great Northern Railway N2 Class 0-6-2 tank engine N2 No. 1744, built in 1921.

Five different sets of carriages will be running during the gala, including the Victorian train, the unique London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) teak Quad-Art set, 1950s BR Suburban set and two BR Mark 1 sets, one of which will include a Gresley Buffet Car serving real ale.

British Summer Time ends on the Saturday, so trains will continue into the early evening to allow visitors to travel by steam after dark, with Fish & Chips and real ale available on some of the trains; anyone wishing to enjoy Fish & Chips must place their orders in advance.

As well as 4277 and 1744, other locomotives running during the gala include the line’s smallest working engine Wissington, Hunslet 0-6-0 saddle tanks Newstead and No. 22, WD 2-10-0 No. 90775 and BR Standard 4MT No. 80080.

More information about the gala and booking details can be found here.

No.20, Wissington, and the Victorian Train will also be running during the October half-term services from Monday, 26th October until Sunday, 1st November.

Before October’s gala, the Poppy Line is holding a Steam Back to the Forties weekend on Saturday, 19th, and Sunday, 20th September.

“We are looking forward to putting on an excellent show at the gala. Furness No 20 hauling our Victorian carriages will be a highlight for many. Each of the five coaches is unique, and to have a whole train dating from the 19th Century is very unusual indeed. The Victorian train will also be one of those that makes an after-dark run, the first time the train has run after dark on public services. With seven steam engines each day, demonstration goods trains, real ale and shed tours, it promises to be a packed weekend, and we should particularly like to thank the Furness Railway Trust and Ribble Steam Railway for allowing No 20 to appear.”

Graham Hukins, General Manager, North Norfolk Railway