ALTHOUGH it is 35 years since railway horses were last used in Worcestershire, their role in shunting wagons is to be recognised by the Severn Valley Railway this weekend.

On Saturday a ceremony will be held in which a mainline Class 60 freight diesel engine is named "The Railway Horse".

The ceremony, at Bewdley Goods Shed, will take place at 11am and is set to be one of the highlights of the Severn Valley Railway's Heavy Horse Power weekend.

The weekend was inspired in 1996 by Bristol artist and heavy horse enthusiast Ian Cryer, who is also involved this time. It will feature up to 30 horses working the 16-mile stretch of the Kidderminster to Bridgnorth line.

Visitors will also see generations of "mechanical horses", the vehicles which took over the haulage, delivery and collection duties when railway horses retired, in action.

They will include the famous Scammell Scarab, once the mainstay of British railway and parcel delivery services.

Also, on Sunday, there will be a display of 10 London taxis of various vintages, all descendants of the horse-drawn Hackney carriage.

"We don't plan to tell passengers where to look," said Mr Cryer.

"We'd like them to discover these activities randomly, just as they might have done on any train journey 50 or 60 years ago."

Admission for a family of two adults and up to four children is £27.

Otherwise, tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £8 for senior citizens and £5 for children.