Steam train and sports car in charity challenge
Coronation Street will take on Sky Sports when a Severn Valley Railway locomotive takes an iconic sports car in a charity race for Children In Need.
Corrie star Tony Hirst and Sky presenter Vicky Gomersall will go head-to-head in a challenge to get from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster in the quickest possible time.
Tony, who plays fireman Paul Kershaw in the soap, will be covering the 16-mile distance in a classic three-wheeler sports car produced by Malvern-based Morgan, while Vicky will be aboard the Sir Keith Park steam engine, hoping to get from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster in a quicker time along the Severn Valley line.
The time trial will take place on October 26 and the train and Morgan will both leave Bridgnorth at 12 noon.
Event organiser John Leftwich, of Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd, said: "A time trial between a 130 ton steam locomotive and 500kg car sounds unfair but the steam train is restricted to 25mph on the track and the Morgan Three-Wheeler has more obstacles to contend with.
"The train will be pulling a set of eight carriages, weighing a further 240 tons, carrying customers and a Children in Need coach with children from Edward's Trust in Birmingham and Pudsey Bear.
"Each driver will have to collect traditional railway tokens along the route which will involve the Morgan team jumping out at Highley and Arley stations and running over a bridge."
Dummy runs have already been held with almost identical times for the train and car. The drivers are expected to arrive at Kidderminster at 12.45pm.
Tony and Vicky will also attend the charity screening of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, at the Odeon Cinema, Worcester on Thursday, October 25 as guests of Severn Valley Railway.
