Full steam ahead for Brunel 200 locomotive

From the The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, first published Thursday 5th Jan 2006.

THE trio behind plans to bring a steam locomotive to Box to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel are celebrating a milestone this week.

Lesley Harris, Lee Smith and Mike Jacobs set up Steam Back to Box last year and have now hit the £2,000 it will cost to make their dream a reality.

The final £500 was made through the sale of 2006 Box calendars, which were sold at Mrs Harris' Hawthorn Post Office in Westwells Road.

She said: "The calendar had lots of old photos of the village and we decided to sponsor the May page, which had a picture of Box Railway Station and is the month we will be bringing the steam locomotive to Box.

"We sold 127 calendars for £9.99 each, with £4 from each sale going towards Steam Back to Box. Although we are getting the locomotive for free we have had to raise the £2,000 haulage costs from Kidderminster."

Mrs Harris said she was thrilled with the achievement and could not wait to get local schoolchildren involved.

"We are all steam train spotters it's our hobby," she said. "But there's a whole generation out there that has never seen a steam engine.

"Box Tunnel is one of Brunel's greatest engineering feats and it runs right under my post office.

"I really wanted to do something to celebrate Brunel 200 on May Bank Holiday weekend.

"The steam engine will be on static display in the Queen's Head car park, and it coincides with Box Revels weekend so it's a big thing for the village and we'll have thousands of visitors.

"We've got Box CP, Box Highlands and Neston primary schools involved and hopefully will be running art and poetry competitions."

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