A STEAM train due to arrive in Weymouth tomorrow, July 31, has been cancelled.

The Dorset Coast Express steam special, run by the Railway Touring Company, was due to pull into Weymouth Railway Station tomorrow afternoon.

It would have passed through Dorchester en route to Weymouth diesel hauled and would have seen the Black 5 class steam locomotive No. 44871 hauling it upon return from the Dorset resort at 5.35pm.

But there will be another steam sighting to look forward to later this summer.

The same steam locomotive is scheduled for a day trip visit to Weymouth from London Victoria on Thursday, August 15.

It will be diesel hauled when it arrives in Weymouth at 2.05pm and passes through Dorchester around 10 minutes before.

On its return LMS Black 5 4-6-0 will take over, leaving Weymouth at 5.35pm, heading back to its final destination of London Waterloo.

This locomotive, designed by Sir William Stanier when he was Chief Mechanical Engineer for the London Midland and Scottish (LMS) railway, was built by the LMS at Crewe in 1945 and later renumbered 44871 by British Railways The 5-MT was first introduced in September of 1934.

There were a number of experimental engine types, which variously had double exhaust pipes, steel fireboxes and roller bearings.

It last came to Weymouth on Wednesday, July 24 - when rail enthusiasts gathered to see the nostalgic sight.