AN old steam locomotive that used to shunt goods in and out of the Fry's Somerdale factory returned to Keynsham more than 50 years after it retired.

The Sentinel had been a familiar sight to workers at the chocolate factory – now Cadbury's – for three decades until it was replaced in 1956 with a diesel shunter.

Eventually it was sold for scrap in 1964 and many people thought it would never be seen again.

But amateur historian and former Fry's engineer Eric Miles was never convinced it had been destroyed and set about tracking it down.

After three years, Eric's detective work paid off when he discovered the Sentinel hidden under a hut in an Essex garden.

Now the loco has been brought back to the West Country for the start of a restoration project at the Avon Valley Railway.

But its journey on a low loader was interrupted by a stop at Somerdale to give those who remembered the Sentinel the chance to see it again.

It was later transported to Bitton, where the restoration will be carried out.

Eric, 75, of Kingswood, used to ride on the footplate of the engine when he was an apprentice in the 1950s, catching a lift to Keynsham station.

It had been used since 1929 to move raw ingredients into the factory from the Great Western Railway line and haul wagons loaded with chocolate back onto the track for distribution around the country.

Eric published a book, The Somerdale Story, after he retired and through his interest in local history, was determined to find the Sentinel.

Through photographs, chance talks with engine enthusiasts and tracing collectors, he found the haulage firm that had taken it to Essex, where it had been sitting in the garden for 19 years.

Eric said: "Despite a bit of rust, the engine itself was in remarkably good shape."

The owner agreed to sell the loco so Avon Valley Railway could return it to working order and as a result, Cadbury made a contribution to the scheme to bring it back home.

David Cole, development manager of Avon Valley Railway, said: "It was Eric's ambition to see the engine brought back to the West Country and we said we would be delighted to restore it.

"Quite a few people turned out to see it arrive at Somerdale. It was the first time I had seen the Sentinel and although it's in pretty good condition, it will take a lot of restoration.

"We will be launching an appeal at some time to raise the funds for the work. It's a nice piece of local history and our aim is to get it running again."