Steam rail and riverboat bosses are staging their annual heritage festival this weekend with traction engines and river cruises.

The three-day event will give people the chance to go behind the scenes at Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company's Churston workshops, see the inside of a loco cab and sail on an ex-railway ferry at Kingswear.

Peter Roach, company operations manager, said: 'This year's heritage festival will allow you to travel further and see more, combining all three elements that make up the company.'

The railway will be running an intensive timetable on all three days to include demonstration freight trains and the opportunity to ride in the newly refurbished Devon Belle.

Friday and Saturday will be exclusively steam operation including the first use of 4936 Kinlet Hall, which will be resident on the steam railway for the summer season. Sunday will also see the Class 25 diesel in service.

At Kingswear, there will be a chance to sail on an ex-railway ferry. The Edgecombe Belle will be setting sail at regular intervals on a mini harbour cruise. It was built for British Railway in the 1950s as the Humphrey Gilbert to provide the service between Kingswear and Dartmouth.

Traction engines will be gathered on display along with vintage tractors and cars – spread out between the railways own yard at Churston and the field at Galmpton United Football Club, which will be putting on refreshments including a hog roast, beer tent and burgers.

The football pitch will also have an array of fair ground equipment including organs and children's rides, along with a dog display team, specialising in flyball racing – as seen at Crufts.