THREE gleaming guest engines will be joining the home fleet on the Watercress Line for its Autumn Steam Gala.

They will be led by the mighty LMS?Royal Scot no 46100 for the extravaganza featuring a dazzling display of steam-powered magic from October 21 to 23.

For train spotters, the others are S&D 7F no 53809 and Ivatt LMS no 43106.

There will be a re-enactment of the Pines Express – the iconic passenger train that ran between Manchester and Bournemouth from 1910 to 1967 – with different engine combinations each day.

The Queen Mary brake will be available for rides on the goods train. One way rides from Alresford and Alton stations only.

A miniature Royal Scot locomotive will be a highlight too, on Saturday.

It arrived in the UK in the mid 90s and was stripped, overhauled and repainted to replicate the only 10 1/4 Scot to be built in its entirety.

Tickets are £25 for an adult, £50 for an adult three day pass, £13 for a child aged two to 16 years, and free for under twos, and £26 for a three day child pass. A family ticket is £63.

Visit www.watercressline.co.uk for more.