The Royal Wessex Railtour from Wareham to Waterloo on Sat 6th December 2003

Photo Report from Keith Morgan with information from Andrew P.M. Wright - 8th December 2003
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For further photographs of this event taken at Wareham by Andrew P.M. Wright, the Swanage Railway official photographer & press officer, please see the associated news page by clicking here.

Battle of Britain Class 34067 Tangmere at Wareham, preparing to haul The Royal Wessex to Waterloo on 6th December 2003

Swanage Railway volunteers and an enterprising Dorset man made a special piece of Dorset history at the weekend - by running the first main line steam train from Wareham to London since the summer of 1967.

Battle of Britain Class 34067 Tangmere at Waterloo after hauling The Royal Wessex from Wareham on 6th December 2003

Thirty-six years on from the end of steam traction in the south of England - and with the locomotive carrying a special headboard - the train called the Royal Wessex made its historic return run from Wareham to Waterloo via Poole and Bournemouth on Saturday, 6th December, 2003.

The Swanage Railway’s catering department provided cooked breakfasts on the special fund-raising train as well as a three course evening meal on the return journey. A share of profits from the train trip will go to the Swanage Railway which is run by volunteers and is a registered charity.

Battle of Britain 34067 Tangmere waits for permission to cross over to Wareham's Up platform,

The special train was hauled by the mighty 1940s-designed Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacific steam locomotive No. 34067 Tangmere which used to run on the line between London and Weymouth. Saturday morning started cold, dark, damp and gloomy, but this didn't detract from the party atmosphere of the gathered crowds waiting expectantly for the historic arrival of Tangmere on Wareham's Down platform.

While the special charter train waited for scheduled services to pass and for permission to cross over to Wareham's Up platform, the crew members seized the opportunity redistribute coal in the tender ready for the journey.

Crew members redistribute coal in the tender of Battle of Britain 34067 Tangmere prior to the trip

With coal redistributed, Battle of Britain 34067 Tangmere moves to crossover at Wareham

The Royal Wessex hauled by Battle of Britain 34067 Tangmere waits on Wareham's Up platform ready to begin its historic journey

Still in its futuristic air-smoothed casing, the mighty leviathan of steam has been lovingly restored after languishing in a South Wales scrapyard following its withdrawal from British Rail service when steam was replaced by electric and diesel traction. Thirty-six years on, the Royal Wessex - named after a regular express steam train service that ran from London Waterloo down to Wareham and Weymouth during the 1950s and 1960s - needed to make a special watering stop at Southampton Central to the great surprise of Saturday shoppers and commuters.

Battle of Britain 34067 Tangmere takes on water at Southampton Central

Roger Hardingham of Kingfisher Railtours being interviewed at Southampton Central station

In an earlier interview with Andrew P.M. Wright, the Swanage Railway Press Officer, Roger Hardingham explained: "It was in July, 1967, that the Royal Wessex train left Wareham for London Waterloo before the end of steam traction meant the end of the Royal Wessex train." Bill Trite added: "This special steam-hauled train to London 36 years on from the last one from Wareham is a first for the Swanage Railway and I am delighted that its running is a partnership with Roger Hardingham’s Kingfisher Railtours. "I am hopeful that this train could be the first of many more special steam trains from the Swanage Railway on the national rail network," he added.

Roger Hardingham (left) of Kingfisher Railtours with crew member Barry Eden and Swanage Railway chairman Bill Trite (right) at Waterloo on Saturday 6th December with Battle of Britain 34067 Tangmere after its successful and historic journey

Battle of Britain Class 34067 Tangmere at Waterloo after hauling The Royal Wessex from Wareham on 6th December 2003

After a day sightseeing in London the passengers returned to the train at Waterloo for the return journey to Wareham. Tangmere again needed to take on water during the journey, this time via a watering stop at Hook, several miles from Basingstoke. Again, like Southampton on the outward journey, there is no permanent water facility at Hook station so the water tender made use of the adjacent supermarket car park as the nearest convenient point.

Battle of Britain Class 34067 Tangmere takes on water at Hook on 6th December 2003

Water Tender to Battle of Britain Class 34067 Tangmere at Hook on 6th December 2003

On Tangmere's arrival at Wareham the waiting crowds and passengers from the train gathered around the locomotive to congratulate the driver and crew after this historic return journey. Overall, this was judged to have been an unqualified success by those who had participated in the day's tour.

Interviews with footplate crew at Wareham on 6th December 2003

Andrew P.M. Wright films the final departure of The Royal Wessex at Wareham on 6th December 2003 as it is hauled by support diesel No 66120 on the return journey to Tangmere's London base.

For details of future Railtours you may like to visit the Kingfisher Railtours website at http://www.railwayvideo.com/ by clicking here.