A HEREFORDSHIRE family have been reunited with an old steam engine that powered their business for years.

The Evans family, of St Weonards, near Hereford, bought the 1920 Clayton & Shuttleworth traction engine new to work in their contracting business driving a threshing machine and towing other implements.

When diesel replaced steam in the 1950's it was sold on and in 1989, the engine, named Apollo, was bought by Peter Thompson of Northumberland.

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After it was built in 1920 Apollo was kept by the makers for use in their yard.

It was bought by the Evans family in 1934 from the old Hereford Agricultural Merchant, E A Wilde, 

Grandson of the original owners Ron Evans has recently travelled to Shrewsbury Steam Rally to see the engine after the family were contacted by the current owner Peter Thompson who still had the original logbook.

He said: "I was too young to remember Apollo in the family collection, although I remember my father telling me he was stopped by the Police for driving it whilst under age.

"It was very nice to see the engine at last after being contacted by Peter Thompson who was able to trace us"