SUPPORTERS of West Somerset Railway have raised more than £18,000 to bring a popular steam engine locomotive back into use ready for the summer.

The West Somerset Railway Association made the announcement this week that they had met their fundraising target, which will enable GWR locomotive 9351 back into service in time for the summer season.

When the West Somerset Railway plc ran into financial difficulties over the winter they asked the WSRA, the line’s principal supporters’ organisation to help.

This has involved raising £18,000 from supporters in a few months and carrying out the work, including some complex engineering, at their restoration base at Williton.

Jonathan Jones-Pratt, chairman of the West Somerset Railway plc said: “We are very grateful to the WSRA who rose to the challenge we set them, raised the money and are getting the work done.

“It shows what we can achieve if we pull together as a united railway.

“I look forward to agreeing further fundraising targets with the WSRA in future.”

Paul Whitehouse, chairman of the West Somerset Railway Association said he was delighted at the success of the project.

“We could not have done this without support from over 70 individual donors and the work of volunteers and staff, particularly Ryan Pope and his team at Williton Works,” Mr Whitehouse said.

“Because we are a registered charity the UK government has contributed over £3,000 of the total via the Gift Aid scheme which adds 25 per cent to donations from UK tax payers.

"We stand ready to help where needed."

Loco 9351 is expected to be back in traffic by the end of May to assist with a busy summer season on the West Somerset Railway which reopens fully on April 19.

Final stages of the restoration can be followed on the restoration blog at wsra.org.uk/category/9351-blog.

To find out more about West Somerset Railway's plan to trial trains from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard, see page 10.