DRUMMOND M7 No 30053 RETURNS TO THE SWANAGE RAILWAY 20 YEARS TO THE MONTH SINCE RETURNING FROM THE USA
5th April 2007

News Item and Photo Report from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 14th April 2007
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph and subsequently use the Back button on your browser to return to this page.

Drummond M7 No. 30053 returns to Swanage after a major overhaul 20 years to the month since she returned from the USA in 1987

Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied over 40 photos of 30053's return to Swanage on 5th April 2007 and of 30053's earlier return in 1987. To see the full set of photos, please scroll down this page.

Victorian-designed and Edwardian-built M7 No. 30053 - which is synonymous with the relaid Purbeck Line - has returned to the Swanage Railway after its major engineering overhaul, 20 years to the month since it triumphantly arrived back in the Isle of Purbeck after a 20 year stay in the USA.

The veteran locomotive - designed by Dugald Drummond of the London and South Western Railway in 1897 and built at Nine Elms in London in 1905 - arrived by road at the Norden station road/rail interchange on Thursday 5th April, 2007.

After the last service train of the day, No. 30053 was picked up by ex-BR Standard Class 4 Tank No. 80104 built at Brighton in 1955 before being towed down to Swanage. No. 80104 has been engaged in driver experience duties that day and its crew were driver Peter Frost and fireman Graham Froud, both from Corfe Castle.

After 30053's sedate journey to Swanage, the M7 was left in the headshunt at Swanage station - where the locomotive first arrived by road in April, 1987. For Ron, the M7's return brought back his own memories for he was part of the 'welcoming party' for No. 30053 at Swanage station 20 years ago.

On board the M7 for the journey were driver Ron Roberts and examining fitter Oliver Furnell. Shadowing the Victorian lady by road was Swanage Railway deputy locomotive, carriage and wagon manager Frank Mead.

As well as covering No. 30053's arrival by rail from the Norden station road/rail interchange, Swanage Railway official photographer Andrew P.M. Wright has also dipped into his picture archives to supply some splendid shots of the M7 being loaded on to a road transporter at Felixstowe for its journey to Swanage in April, 1987.

For 80104's driver, Peter Frost, picking up the M7 at Norden brought back vivid memories of 20 years before - to the month. Back in 1987, Peter was the Swanage Railway's locomotive superintendent and he was charged with supervising and co-ordinating the loading of No. 30053 on to its transporter at Felixstowe - before its road journey to Swanage.

For Graham Froud - Pete's fireman on 80104 on that Thursday early evening before Easter - he could only listen to Peter as he recalled the events of 20 years ago; when Graham was only four months old!

Andrew P.M. Wright - 22 years of age back in 1987 - accompanied Peter to Felixstowe and then on the journey back to Swanage to record the historic events for posterity.

Growing up in Corfe Castle the son of a publican, Peter used to ride on the footplates of the branch locomotives between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage as a child so he knew the M7s well. After the withdrawal of the M7s by BR during early May, 1964, Peter never thought that he would see an M7 in Purbeck again. That was until April, 1987.

M7 No. 30053 triumphantly returned to Swanage station at 2.20pm on Thursday 9 April 1987 after a 17 journey from the USA. Purchased from Steamtown in Pennsylvania in July 1986, No. 30053 was loaded on to Nedlloyd's 'SS Rosario' at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, on Tuesday 24 March 1987 for the 14-day journey across the Atlantic.

The M7 arrived at the Dooley Terminal of Felixstowe Docks on the evening of Monday 6 April 1987 - leaving for the road journey to Swanage at 1.20pm on Wednesday 8 April.

Passing under the railway viaduct at Corfe Castle - which then carried the abandoned and overgrown trackbed, for the tracks would not be relaid over that point until 1992 - No. 30053 reached Swanage station exactly 23 years to the month since the locomotive last left Swanage with a branch train for Corfe Castle and Wareham in April 1964 under the ownership of BR.

Exiled to Steamtown in the USA - which was then located in Vermont - No. 30053 left via Liverpool Docks in April, 1967. After spending a year at Swanage following its triumphant return to the town in April, 1987, the M7 was moved by the Drummond Locomotive Society to Tarmac's Swindon Heritage Centre in May, 1988, for the start of restoration work. One of the principle forces behind the return of No. 30053 to Swanage was the late Trevor Heard.

The M7's move to the former Great Western Railway works at Swindon followed the locomotive's appearance at Network SouthEast's major Woking 150 railway extravaganza exhibition. No. 30053 returned to Swanage to haul its first train from the town since 1964 in the early 1990s.

The following photos show the return of No. 30053 to Swanage on 5th April 2007