THE clock was turned back to a bygone age when a steam train puffed through Malvern Wells.

Around 410 rail enthusiasts from the Midlands joined the trip aboard the Welsh Marches Express, hauled by the steam locomotive 71000 Duke of Gloucester.

Organised by Steamy Affairs, of Northamptonshire, the train travelled from Walsall to Bristol, passing through Malvern Wells on Saturday morning.

Alan Kerr, of Steamy Affairs, said it attracted a lot of attention.

"It was rather fortunate for the people of Malvern that we got held up at the signals," he said. "We had to keep the pressure up so there was lots of steam and smoke. It was quite a sight.

"It's the first time we've come down that line but we'll probably do it again. We might even stop at Malvern."

Mr Kerr said the trips attracted a broad spectrum of passengers, from young people to pensioners.

"It's just about having a nostalgic day out," he said. "Some of the older generation perhaps went to school by steam train, others just like them as trains."

The Duke of Gloucester was the last express passenger engine built for British Railways. It was introduced in 1954, but taken off the rails eight years later. It was then rescued by a preservation society.