88 on the move
20 December 2006

Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0 No 88 - the mainstay of the West Somerset Railway's commemoration during 2006 of the 40th. anniversary of the S&D's closure - is now set to journey further afield than it ever did whilst in main line service. The locomotive - one of the eleven strong class which was the only modern design unique to the Somerset & Dorset - is to haul trains on two of the other major preserved lines in the first half of 2007. 88 will be at the Severn Valley Railway for the gala in March and at the Gloucestershire/Warwickshire Railway from 31 May to 2 June.

The loco is the jewel in the crown of the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust, whose museum is at Washford on the West Somerset Railway. It was rescued from the famous Barry scrapyard by members of the Trust's predecessor body in 1970 and moved to the West Somerset in 1976.

The Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust's Chairman, Andrew Naish, said: "This is a golden opportunity for our members who cannot get to Washford to see the engine in service, and we also hope that seeing 88 operating will generate new members who want make their contribution to keeping the loco working in the years ahead."

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