VISITING the recent West Somerset Railway Association annual steam and vintage rally at Norton Fitzwarren, chairman of Somerset West and Taunton District Council, Cllr Hazel Prior-Sankey, was made an offer she could not resist.

She was invited by WSR chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt to take a ride on the footplate of his GWR locomotive No. 9466 which was giving short brake van rides to visitors.

He said: “It was great to see so many West Somerset Railway volunteers working together to give folk a great day out at the association’s rally and getting another generation involved with steam and heritage.

“Our community connections are very important to us. Hazel seemed very much at home on loco 9466 too, so perhaps she would maybe like to join the footplate as a volunteer in future? Maybe not!”

A popular feature of the rally was the five shuttle trains run by main-line operator GWR from Taunton station to Bishops Lydeard, but also calling at the WSR’s Norton Fitzwarren station near the rally site.

The shuttles will run on selected Saturdays until October 5.

WSR now operates steam and diesel train services almost every day until the end of October and the railway’s next major event is the Autumn Steam Gala from October 3 to 6.