LOOK FORWARD TO A CRACKING EASTER ON THE SWANAGE RAILWAY - 21st to 24th March 2008

Press Release & Photo Report from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 19th March 2008
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
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Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied over 50 great photos of a visiting locomotive which is scheduled to be in service at Swanage over Easter. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the full set of photos.

Visiting from the South Devon Railway - Great Western Railway Pannier 0-6-0 Tank No. 5786 owned by the Worcester Locomotive Society and built at the GWR's Swindon Works in Wiltshire in 1930 - is scheduled for service over Easter Weekend at Swanage 21st to 24th March 2008.

It's set to be a cracking Easter on the Swanage Railway with a unique Victorian-designed locomotive - and a veteran Great Western Railway engine that worked the Welsh valleys before ending its working life in London - operating the service over the four day bank holiday weekend.

Steam trains will be operating every 40 minutes between Norden park and ride, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross, Herston and Swanage between 9.30am and 5.43pm. Trains will be passing each other at Harman's Cross station, between Swanage and Corfe Castle.

The steam locomotives operating the four-day Easter bank holiday weekend train service will include 1897-designed Dugald Drummond M7 tank locomotive No. 30053 built at Nine Elms in London during 1905.

No. 30053 is the only working M7 locomotive in the world and used to haul trains between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage during the first half of 1964 during its final months of operation for British Railways.

Joining the M7 will be a visitor from the South Devon Railway - Great Western Railway Pannier 0-6-0 Tank No. 5786 owned by the Worcester Locomotive Society and built at the GWR's Swindon Works in Wiltshire in 1930.

On the Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, there will be an evening heritage diesel railbus service on the relaid Purbeck Line - trains operating between Norden and Swanage until 8.35 pm and then between Corfe Castle and Swanage until 11.25 pm.

On the Good Friday and Easter Saturday, every passenger will receive a free hot cross bun while on the Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, every child travelling on the trains will received a free hand-made Easter Egg.

The free hot cross buns and Easter eggs will be distributed on the Norden to Swanage leg of the train journey between 9.50am and 4.30pm. Ordinary fares apply.

Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday lunches are also available in the 'Wessex Belle' luxury dining train which will be berthed in the bay platform at Swanage station so you can dine in comfort while watching the steam trains arriving and departing from the main platform. Lunch servings are between 11.45am and 2pm and you do not need to book - just turn up.

Great Western Railway Pannier 0-6-0 Tank No. 5786 at Corfe Castle, and at Swanage with driver Pete Frost (right) and fireman Bryan Hardwick (left)

For the technically minded, 5786 has cylinders with a diameter of 17.5 inches x stroke 24 inches, wheels with a diameter of four feet seven and a half inches as well as a tractive effort of 22,510 lbs. Its GWR power classification was 'C'.

Throughout its time with the Great Western Railway and British Railways, No. 5786 worked in Wales - firstly at Aberdare and then finally at Cardiff Canton. Following an overhaul at Swindon, it was transferred to London Transport in April 1958 where it was painted in the London Transport maroon livery and re-numbered L92 - working from Neasden and Lillie Bridge sheds.

During its visit to the Swanage Railway, No. 5786 will be reunited with an old friend - the old 50 foot turntable from Neasden which was rescued from London and brought to Swanage in the early 1980s when it was installed in the turntable pit outside the engine shed.

The original turntable at Swanage dating from 1885 was cut up by British Rail in the winter of 1967 when the signals and all tracks except the main line into the station platform were cut up for scrap. The signal box at Swanage was also demolished.

In the autumn of 1969, No. 5786 was purchased by the Worcester Locomotive Society and moved to the Severn Valley Railway where it regained its Great Western Railway green livery, together with its original number of No. 5786.

In 1970, the locomotive was moved to Bulmer's Railway Centre, Hereford, where it remained for 23 years - being used for giving brake van rides and hauling passenger trains within the railway centre complex.

Great Western Railway Pannier 0-6-0 Tank No. 5786 at Corfe Castle in March 2008.

With the closure of Bulmer's Railway Centre in May 1993, the Worcester Locomotive Society was grateful for the offer of a home by the South Devon Railway for its locomotives and rolling stock.

Consequently No. 5786 - together with Kitson 0-6-0 ST No. 5474 'Carnarvon' and all other items - were moved to Buckfastleigh at the end of May and the beginning of June, 1993.

No. 5786 was almost immediately put to work until developing a 'hot box' after a few months, when the opportunity was taken to remove the locomotive from traffic for a ten-year overhaul.

Thanks to excellent work by the South Devon Railway workshop for an extensive overhaul - and to Roger Pridham for boiler work - No. 5786 returned to steam in October, 2001, and has been a popular and reliable performer at the South Devon Railway ever since.

No. 5786 had a successful visit to the West Somerset Railway for its Spring Gala in 2003 and the Worcester Locomotive Society is proud to have its Pannier working for a spell at the Swanage Railway.

Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the full set of photos.