DEAN Forest Railway officials were tight-lipped this week about the possibility that the replica of the historic Rocket steam engine would run for this weekend's Rail Gala.

However they confirmed that the faithful facsimile of George Stepenson's 0-2-2 chuffer was in the Norchard restoration sheds for a bit of a tune-up and some minor repairs.

As the Review reported in February, the replica had earlier this year undergone a complete makeover at Bream's Flour Mill engine sheds.

Engine restorer Bill Parker said at the time they had been asked to restore the replica by the Science Museum, which has Stephenson's original Rocket, so that it could again run at the National Railway Museum in York.