THERE’S still two days to enjoy all the excitement at the Isle of Wight Steam Show this bank holiday weekend.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s flagship locomotive Calbourne is back on the tracks, after being off-line for several months to have new tyres fitted.

After beginning life in the Nine Elms engineering works in London, Calbourne’s early years were spent based at Fratton and then Exeter, passing into the ownership of the Southern Railway in 1923.

In 1925 she was shipped to the Isle of Wight as part of a major modernisation of the Island’s railways.

Calbourne completed her most recent overhaul during 2020 and returned to steam in time for the railway’s 50th Anniversary in 2021.

This summer her wheels were removed and sent to the West Devon Railway, where craftsmen fitted new steel tyres onto the cast-iron wheels.

Marc Morgan-Huws, Isle of Wight Steam Railway chief executive, said: “Having Calbourne back for the Bank Holiday is perfect.

“We have a scheduled programme of maintenance to keep our locomotives in tip-top condition.”

The four-day Wightlink-sponsored Isle of Wight Steam Fair began on Friday and runs through the Bank Holiday weekend until Monday.

Steam engines, a fairground, and rides on the railway’s trains are available to show-goers over the weekend.