A THIRD visiting locomotive has been announced for the West Somerset Railway’s (WSR) summer diesel festival in June.

Class 50 ‘Hoover’ No. 50015 ‘Valiant’ is being loaned by Bury Valiant Group and East Lancashire Railway for the festival, which will be held from Thursday to Sunday, June 5 to 8.

Valiant is returning to West Somerset for the first time in nearly 30 years and will join two other visitors, Class 45 No. 45108 and Class 52 No. D1015 ‘Western Champion’, during the four-day event.

The last visit to the WSR line by ‘Valiant’ was in September, 1998.

‘Valiant’, which will be sporting BR large logo livery, is one of 50 Class 50 diesel-electric locomotives built by The English Electric Co Ltd.

It entered traffic with British Railways in April, 1968, and was withdrawn from service in 1992.

Since then, the locomotive has spent its entire preservation life in the north of the country and is currently housed in Bury, on the East Lancashire Railway.

The Bury Valiant Group took ownership in 2007 and has operated the locomotive ever since.

A WSR spokesperson said: “We are incredibly grateful to them in supporting Valiant’s appearance at our event.”

As well as the visiting locomotives, the festival will features some of the WSR’s home fleet, which are looked after by the Williton-based Diesel and Electric Preservation Group (DEPG).

Both diesel electric and diesel hydraulic locomotives will be in action with WSR promising an ‘intensive, high mileage timetable operating on all four days, with all 23 miles of route in operation’.

The festival will for the first time also offer an opportunity to experience the front seat views from one of its heritage goods brake vans.

The spokesperson said: “Come and join us to again experience the sight and sound of a heavy weight English electric beast thrashing through Somerset.”

The diesel festival will allow passengers to hop from train to train and travel behind some of the best heritage diesel traction available.

The WSR will run some trains past Bishops Lydeard to the end of its line in Norton Fitzwarren, along a stretch of track rarely used for passenger trains.

The Sunday will be a mixed traction day with both steam and diesel locomotives hauling passenger trains, with the WSR offering its popular ‘Kids for a Quid’ for pre-booked fares.

The DEPG’s Williton depot centre will be open during the festival with admission by donations which will help the group maintain and restore the vintage machines.

A two-day cider festival will also be held on Minehead Station on the Saturday and Sunday raising funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and WSR.

More visiting diesel locomotives are still to be announced, but the confirmed line-up to date is:

Diesel festival tickets can be bought online.