AN army of volunteers are helping the popular Welland Steam and Country Rally, near Malvern, bounce back from the disappointment of being washed out by the wettest summer in 100 years.

The event, which attracts thousands of visitors, will run from Friday until Sunday after it was originally scheduled to take place in July but fell foul of the record rainfall.

Over the past few weeks, volunteers have been out laying a stretch of standard gauge railway, dubbed the Great Welland Railway, that will let full-sized locomotives be displayed in action.

Organised by members of the Ross-on-Wye Steam Engine Society for 48 years, the event will provide a variety of steam engines carrying out ploughing, threshing and timber sawing alongside vintage tractors.

New this year is the demonstration of how road-making was carried out in the first half of the 20th century, while the traditional fairground returns once again.

Other rural crafts on show will include cider making, dry stone walling, blacksmithing, fence making and wood sculptures.

Displays and parades of vintage and classic cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, historic military vehicles, tractors and stationary engines can be found alongside music, Mr Alexander’s Travelling Show, a farmers’ market and trade stands.

There is free admission for children under the age of 11.

Graham Probert, director of Ross-on-Wye Steam Engine Society, said re-scheduling had not been too difficult as the society itself owns the festival site.

With the host of new and returning attractions, he promised this year’s event would be “a day out to be remembered for a long, long time”.

For more information, go to wellandsteamrally.co.uk.