WEYMOUTH is set for another summer of steam.

Hundreds of people will be travelling to the resort on railway excursions hauled by magnificent steam locomotives throughout July and August.

They will recall the golden age of railway travel and make for an impressive sight as they steam into town.

The return journey towards Dorchester Ridgeway Tunnel should also make for good photographic opportunities as trains are usually ‘banked’ up the Ridgeway by a second loco.

Weymouth is a popular destination for steam railtours and the resort can expect to see more this summer, which will provide an economic boost.

Trains are run to allow passengers a few hours by the seaside.

Traction is not usually known until the day but historic locomotives which used to haul express passenger trains can be seen. These could include No. 34067 Tangmere, No. 35018 British India Line, No. 34046 Braunton, No. 46021 Princess Elizabeth and No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell.

The Railway Touring Company (RTC) has been running regular summer excursions to Weymouth for a several years and has lined up more for 2016 including the Dorset Coast Express from London Victoria on Wednesdays from the end of July and throughout August.

However the company is not planning to run its summer Weymouth Seaside Express trains from Bristol on Sundays this year.

The RTC is also organising a train to mark the 49th anniversary of the end of steam on the Southern Region. The End Of Southern Steam ‘trip of nostalgia’ railtour will run from London Waterloo to Weymouth on Saturday, July 9 – the first day of the Dorset Seafood Festival.

Then on Tuesday, July 19 The Cathedrals Express will visit Weymouth in a railtour from London organised by Steam Dreams.

After the summer, the Royal Wessex train will run from Three Bridges, West Sussex. This train was due to run in the spring but has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 8.