Lappa Valley’s Muffin heads to Evesham for a July Gala
The Evesham Vale Light Railway has confirmed that its annual Railway Gala & Historic Transport Show will go ahead on 10th-11th July, featuring visiting locomotive ‘Muffin’ from the Lappa Valley Railway in Cornwall.
The 15-inch gauge 0-6-0 tender loco was designed by David Curwen and built by Berwyn Engineering of Chippenham in 1967 for the line at Longleat Safari Park.
At Longleat Muffin was joined in 1970 by 0-6-2 ‘Dougal’, also designed by Curwen and built by Severn-Lamb in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Muffin was purchased for the Lappa Valley Railway in 1976, becoming the second loco to arrive on the line – its visit to Evesham will be the first time it has left Cornwall since.
Dougal was purchased for the EVLR in 2004, and has been at the Worcestershire line ever since, being rebuilt with a larger boiler and tender in 2009.
“We are excited to welcome Muffin to Evesham where it will be reunited with Dougal, for the first time since they were at Longleat together in the early ’70s,” the EVLR’s Adrian Corke told NGW.
Adrian added that the Gala weekend will feature an intensive service, trains every 20 minutes from 10.30am until 4.30pm, including double heading and a triple header with all of the line’s passenger stock. Rover tickets will be available each day.
Meanwhile on the showground behind the railway the Historic Transport Show will feature cars, motorcycles, full-size and miniature traction engines and even, weather permitting, a fly past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight each day.
More information on the Gala is on the line’s website at www.evlr.co.uk