Bullied Light Pacific 34072 257 Squadron on the Swanage Railway

Our 257 Squadron pages are broken down as follows:

  257 Squadron introduction

  257 Squadron in regular service

  257 Squadron Restoration

  257 Squadron on the Swanage Railway

  257 Squadron Gallery

Please select from the above links to view more information.

257 Squadron at Norden in 1995 - photo by George Moon

In September 1990, after one of the fastest overhauls of its kind in history, 257 Squadron proudly took her place at the head of the celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. A rededication ceremony was held at Folkestone Central Station attended by survivors from the original 257 Squadron air crews, military top brass, a cluster of celebrities and hordes of media.

Following this she returned to Swanage in November 1990 before moving around the country visiting various heritage railways. She finally resided permanently in Swanage the following year.

Once in Swanage, she established herself as the flagship of the railway and rarely were there days when she was in service where the platforms were not crowded with enthusiasts, photographers and admirers. After 12 years of sterling service and with her boiler certificate expired, she was finally withdrawn in January 2003 for a heavy engineering overhaul by Southern Locomotives in Herston Works.