Wales has proud steam heritage and this weekend (March 14th and 15th) will see thousands attend a gala welcoming some of the UK's most memorable locomotives.

Organised by the 6880 Betton Grange Society, the steam gala will see six mainline locomotives attend between Llangollen and Corwen in north-east Wales. The event which began last Friday is part of a much wider week-long celebration of all things steam and will include a beer festival held at Llangollen station.

New North Wales reports that around 1,000 people are expected to attend the showpiece day on Sunday. Among the locomotives due to pull into this quaint corner of Wales for the Steel, Steam and Stars IV event include the Central Star 92214 which has delighted crowds in previous years.

Speaking to the news provider, Quentin McGuinness, Betton Grange chairman, explained that he has been pleased with how the event has gone so far and is looking forward to the upcoming weekend's activities.

Mr McGuinness said: "Some of the giant engines have also proved very popular as well, including one called Wells which is a streamlined art-deco engine. We have had local visitors and people coming from as far away as London, and still have plenty of beer and real ale available for next weekend."

The main project currently undertaken by the Betton Grange Society is the construction of a new locomotive based on the No. 6880 locomotive of the same name. The Granges trains have a special place in the hearts of the members as they represent the north-east Welsh region.

Unfortunately, after their decommission none of the 80 locomotives managed to escape the cutters yard and were all broken down. Now the group is aiming to bring one back to life through a team of dedicated volunteers and enthusiasts.

The group hopes to raise money through sales of products via their various retailers.