Date: 04/04/2013

More than 1,000 people visited a major heritage railway development over the Easter weekend, as the attraction hosted its first train rides.
Visitors to the Aln Valley Railway (AVR) were treated to short trips at the Alnwick site, with an engineer^s track inspection vehicle taking passengers on a half-mile round journey.
The milestone was an historic moment for the AVR, which is aiming to reopen the majority of the branchline from Alnmouth to the town.
It was also the first time that trains carrying passengers have run in Alnwick since the 1960s

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Related images

The former terminus at Alnwick in 2004, some 35 years after closure of the branch from Alnmouth.
Location: Alnwick
Company: Alnwick Branch (York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway)
23/05/2004 John Furnevel

Photograph taken from a train passing south through Alnmouth station on 13 August 1960. Alnmouth was the junction for the Alnwick branch and possessed a 2-road locomotive shed (sub to 52D Tweedmouth - closed June 1966) standing in the centre background. The locomotive in the picture is Heaton based J39 0-6-0 no 64945.
Location: Alnmouth
Company: Newcastle and Berwick Railway
13/08/1960 Robin Barbour Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney)

Passenger entrance to the former Alnwick Station, now Barter Books bookshop, in March 2010..
Location: Alnwick
Company: Alnwick Branch (York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway)
22/03/2010 Alistair MacKenzie

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Tags: x Aln Valley Railway x Alnwick Lionheart x Alnwick x Alnmouth