ALL ABOARD! The Vale of Glamorgan Steam Railway has its Heritage Centre on Barry Island and the elegant, old-fashioned locomotives will be the perfect way to travel between the Waterfront Weekender and our picturesque beach in style.

And as an extra treat, the famous engine Thomas the Tank will be ready and waiting to take children on exciting trips over the two days of this scorching summer event.

Last year the train chuffed past the Goods Shed, but thanks to some clever thinking and an exciting new development, there is a brand new stop created along Hood Road. So the special little engine will now pull in and wait for his passengers at the Dai Woodham Stop. Check out the guide on pages 14 and 15 for the best way to visit him.

The Steam Railway Heritage Centre marked very first festival held on the newly developed docks by opening the new station at Hood Road, now known as Waterfront Platform. Trains were hauled by guest locomotive the ex-Port Talbot Railway's 0-6-0ST No 813, on loan from the Severn Valley Railway.

An added attraction was the display of the Barry Ten - the Wales Railway Centre collection of representatives of the types of locomotive, which operated in Wales in the steam era. It was the first time the locomotives had been on public view since March 1988 when they left Woodham Brothers' scrapyard just a few hundred metres away.

The Vale of Glamorgan Railway Company was formed in 1977 as the Butetown Historical Railway Society (BHRS) which was based in the historic Taff Vale Railway (TVR) station of Bute Road in Cardiff. It was from near this site that the very first train in South Wales ran in October 1840, when the TVR opened the line to Abercynon, extending to Merthyr Tydfil - then the largest town in South Wales - in April 1841.

An agreement was reached with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to move the Society's base to Barry Island, where its dream of a rail heritage Centre was realised. The Centre was formally launched in June 1994, at which time the society also announced its change of name to the Vale of Glamorgan Railway Company.

Work started on the Heritage Centre in February 1996 and all the locos and rolling stock were transferred from Bute Road to Barry Island on February 6 and 7 the following year.

With the ever-increasing rate of expansion, more members are needed in all areas, ranging from administration to operational expertise. Members receive regular newsletters and magazines on the Company's activities, as well as the opportunity of attending talks and films and slide shows on railway and transport-related topics, plus visits to other places of transport interest.

Contact membership secretary Alan Wales on (01446) 748816.