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RAILWAYMAN Brian Cocks will make his last journey on Friday ^ by train on the South Devon steam rail line to which he dedicated much of his life.

Mr Cocks, who spent his life working on the railways, died of leukaemia last month aged 70.

Since 1969 he had worked for the Dart Valley Railway ^ more recently the South Devon Railway ^ and drove the first 'public' train on the line between Littlehempston and Buckfastleigh after it was reopened.

On Friday up to 300 mourners are expected to gather at Buckfastleigh Station for a special service before the funeral cortege of family and friends travel on a special train down the line to Staverton for what will be Mr Cocks' final journey by rail.

They will then go on by road for a private committal in Torbay attended by family and close friends.

Many railway staff will be wearing their best uniforms as a mark of respect for Mr Cocks, who was always immaculately turned out on the footplate, and they will travel on the special train over the line which had played a major part of his life and attend a later Memorial service at St Luke's Church in Buckfastleigh.

Fittingly, the train will be hauled by former GWR loco No. 1369 ^ the first engine Brian Cocks drove on the Ashburton Branch line as a volunteer in 1967 and, even though he was very ill at the time, also the last steam loco he travelled on for a short distance in May this year with his wife June and old friend and fireman from the 1960s Colin Harmes.

As a further mark of respect, the engine will be crewed by Driver Dave Knowling, the SDR's longest serving steam driver and old friend of Mr Cocks, and Fireman Alasdair Page.

South Devon Railway general manager Dick Wood said: "Brian Cocks was a much loved, well respected railwayman who was dedicated to the South Devon Railway and helped make it the great place it is today.

"He will be greatly missed by all of his friends and railway colleagues both here and around the country, and our thoughts are with his wife June and daughter Elaine at this time. He leaves a lasting legacy here, and his send off on Friday will be a fitting tribute to a man who gave so much to others. He encouraged many youngsters to learn professional railway skills and to follow in his footsteps on the footplate and in other roles."

Mr Cocks raced motorcycles, worked in a motorcycle factory and for then London fire brigade before joining Southern Railway as a loco cleaner. He became a fireman and then a train driver based at Hither Green.

He married wife June in 1966 and the couple where living at Dartford when Mr Cocks became involved in the Dart Valley Railway work to save the Buckfastleigh line.

After working as a volunteer on the line for two years the couple moved to South Devon where Mr Cocks became a steam line driver.

In 1972 he went back to the national rail network to become senior conductor manager at Exeter St David's Station but in 1991 he came back to the now South Devon Railway.