FOUR HISTORIC LOCOMOTIVES FROM 1890s TO 1960s TO STAR IN NOSTALGIC ‘WINTER WARM UP’ WEEKEND

Story and photographs by Andrew P.M. Wright,

Swanage Railway official photographer and press officer.

An evocative ‘Winter Warm Up’ weekend featuring four historic locomotives, spanning the period from the 1890s to the 1960s, is to bring steam and diesel passenger trains to the Isle of Purbeck – including the nostalgic re-creation of freight trains from yesteryear.

The 1960s heritage diesel locomotive hauling some of the trains was the last locomotive to run from Poole to Broadstone and Wimborne when the Victorian line that linked Southampton with Dorchester closed to freight trains in May, 1977.

Taking place on Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 January, 2025, the Winter Warm Up is the first Swanage Railway event to take place at the start of the national Railway 200 celebrations and will see three steam locomotives and one diesel locomotive in action.

Operating to an intensive timetable – and with locomotives running subject to availability and short notice change - the heritage trains will be running between Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman’s Cross and Swanage.

Making a rare and evocative sight, there will be a re-creation of a nostalgic freight train of wagons and box vans of the type that ran across the south of England – including the Swanage branch – in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

At Corfe Castle station, it is hoped to have the goods shed museum open throughout the special weekend, along with the station’s ‘have a go’ signal box museum.

The Purbeck Mining Museum next to Norden station – which explains and celebrates the 2,000 year old history of ball clay mining – will also be open during the weekend.

The first steam locomotive to be featured in the ‘Winter Warm Up’ event will be the unique Victorian London and South Western Railway T3 class steam locomotive No. 563 built in 1893 which was restored by the Swanage Railway Trust after being donated to the Isle of Purbeck heritage line by the National Railway Museum in 2017.

The second steam locomotive appearing will be ex-Southern Railway 1940s rebuilt Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 ‘Manston’. Bulleid Pacifics like ‘Manston’ hauled trains from London to Corfe Castle and Swanage from the 1940s to the end of steam trains in southern England in the summer of 1967.

The third steam locomotive to be featured in the ‘Winter Warm Up’ weekend will be late 1920s Southern Railway U class No. 31806 which hauled bucket and spade holiday maker trains from Basingstoke to Corfe Castle and Swanage during the 1950s.

The classic heritage diesel locomotive to be featured in the ‘Winter Warm Up’ weekend will be 1960 ex-British Railways Class 33 diesel-electric No. D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ which hauled London to Corfe Castle and Swanage trains during the summer of 1966.

Renumbered No. 33 012 by British Rail in the early 1970s, the locomotive was the last to run between Poole, Broadstone and Wimborne in 1977, after the last section of the former Victorian Southampton to Dorchester main line between Brockenhurst, Ringwood, West Moors, Wimborne, Broadstone and Poole closed to trains.

Winter Warm Up event organiser and volunteer Swanage Railway Trust deputy chair Alex Atkins said: “The ‘Winter Warm Up’ will be wonderful and nostalgic weekend celebrating the best of steam and diesel trains with the undoubted star of the show being the Swanage Railway Trust’s unique and delightful Victorian T3 class London and South Western Railway steam locomotive No. 563 built in 1893.

“Freight trains, like those we will be re-creating during our ‘Winter Warm Up’ event, ran across the south of England for decades reliably delivering goods and farm produce.

“British Railways stopped running freight trains to Corfe Castle and Swanage in 1965, a year before steam trains were replaced by diesel trains on the Swanage branch and six years before the line was controversially closed and demolished in 1972,” added Alex who is a volunteer driver on the heritage line rebuilt from nothing since 1976.

Swanage station shop will be open during the ‘Winter Warm Up’ weekend, subject to volunteer availability.

The Swanage Railway welcomes new volunteers and anyone interested in finding out more should contact the Swanage Railway volunteer recruitment and retention officer Lisa Gravett on 01929 475212 or email [email protected]. Details about volunteering can also be found at swanagerailwaytrust.org/volunteering.