SEVERN Valley Railway turned back the clock at the weekend by commemorating 60 years since the last ever British Railways trains graced the track.

Severn Valley ran its pannier tank No. 7714 on both Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9.

The engine carried a special headboard to mark the occasion.

When the line closed in 1963, it was served by diesel railcars, but the final departure from Bridgnorth to Birmingham Snow Hill was steam hauled.

It was followed by the last passenger service north of Bewdley, the 8-30pm Hampton Loade to Snow Hill which was formed of a three-car diesel set.

At that moment, it looked as though more than 100 years of Severn Valley railway history had shuddered to a halt.

However, less than two years later, a group of people attended a public meeting at the Cooper's Arms pub in Kidderminster during July 1965 where the Severn Valley Railway Society was formed.

Those pioneering preservationists started the long haul to re-open the line which is now one of the UK's leading heritage railways, welcoming up to 250,000 visitors a year.