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A SERIES of technical problems have left Cholsey and Wallingford Railway Preservation Society locked in the sidings and unable to run any of its steam weekends.

Society chairman Colin Young fears that putting things right could cost a great deal of money.

He said: "The long-term future of the railway is not in doubt but we have not been able to run anything since Easter.

"We're hoping to have everything sorted out by the time the famous City of Truro comes to Wallingford in June, but it could be a close-run thing."

The problems arose in the rolling stock and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Railways demanded some health and safety modifications.

But under new regulations any work done on rolling stock has to be verified by qualified independent engineers and a signed report given to the Inspectorate.

Mr Young said: "That means we have to pay out money for the inspection and employ experts because we have no specialists among our volunteers.

"We will also have to get in lifting gear to raise some of the coaches to have the undersides checked and that is both costly and time-consuming in that you can't get the equipment here at the drop of a hat.

"We have our own maintenance regime - we are very conscious of our responsibilities to the public - but these independent surveys by specialists really hit us.

"I can't say how much it will cost in the end but it certainly will not be cheap.

"We are doing everything we can to be sorted out by the time City of Truro visits between June 27 and 29 because that will provide us with a great deal of much-needed income. It's a famous engine - the first to break the 100mph barrier."

A spokesman for the Inspectorate said: "There is nothing we or the society can do until we get verification that everything needing to be done on the rolling stock has been done."

The society was formed in 1981, immediately after the last scheduled freight service to the Pauls Malt site, when road transport took over.

The line itself began life in 1861 when it was originally envisaged that it would run through Benson, Watlington and Chinnor to Princes Risborough. But changes in the plan meant the line, which was laid in 1866, never got further than Wallingford.

8:38am Monday 12th May 2008

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