Our transport correspondent Keith Wilkinson came across this rather unusual sight on the M6 motorway today.It's a steam locomotive heading by lorry to the Severn Valley Railway in Worcestershire.
80072 will be chugging up and down on the heritage railway between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, starting with this weekend's Spring Steam Gala.The Standard tank locomotive, built in Brighton in 1953, spent more than 20 years in a scrapyard but was saved and restored by enthusiasts.
The engine was today being transported by road from the North Norfolk Railway and is pictured here in a layby close to the turn-off to Lutterworth in Leicestershire.
It will be moving again after its three-week stint on the SVR - to the steam railway at Llangollen in Wales.80072 used to pull trains between Leamington and Birmingham and was once a familiar sight at Snow Hill.
The Severn Valley railway line was completed in 1862. Credit: ITV News Central
Historic engine 'The Flying Pig' undergoes important overhaul
by Chris Halpin
A locomotive that was once considered the ugliest ever built, is now undergoing important work before the summer season.
The work is being carried out by Severn Valley Railway and costing an estimated £35,000.
The Flying Pig is one of the hardest working locomotives on the heritage railway and has been in service there for more than 40 years. Chris Halpin reports
The railway that carries around 250,000 passengers each year Credit: ITV Central
Over £750,000 worth of shares in the Severn Valley Railway have been bought since they went on sale six weeks ago.
The railway that carries around 250,000 passengers each year, launched its share offer on the 1st October with minimum investments of £100.
The company needs the money for a "major investment" that will take place over the next 50 years.
The attraction, that runs between Shropshire and Worcestershire, is looking to improve its Bridgnorth station, add a visitor centre, maintain its tracks and train young people in the up-keep of a heritage railway.
