A SPECIAL celebration was held at the Launceston Steam Railway on Monday, May 11.

James Evans, owner of the steam locomotive 'Velinheli', marked 50 years of ownership to the day.

Built in 1886 by Hunslet of Leeds, the locomotive spent its working life in the Welsh slate quarries at Dinorwic, before being purchased for preservation in 1965.

In 1969 she finally arrived in Cornwall, where she was rebuilt by James, and used on the private Inny Valley Railway. When this closed in 1986 she moved to the Launceston Steam Railway.

By strange coincidence, the railway's first locomotive, 'Lilian', was also bought 50 years ago by the railway's managing director Nigel Bowman, so the locomotives represented a total of 100 years of ownership.

To celebrate this occasion, both Velinheli and Lilian were steamed to double-head a special train which ran to Newmills and back after the invited guests had been treated, in true railway fashion, to tea and a cake made for the event by James.