DORSET RAILWAY HISTORY TO TAKE PLACE WITH THE FIRST STEAM TRAIN RUNNING FROM SWANAGE TO LONDON SINCE 1966 - Saturday 28th November 2009

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 24th November 2009
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
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Last weekend of steam trains between Swanage and London on 3 and 4 September 1966. It's Saturday 3 September 1966 and 'West Country' class Bulleid Pacific No. 34004 'Yeovil' is bound for London as Ivatt tank No. 41316 steams into the bay platform at Swanage with a train from Wareham and Corfe Castle.
Photo Anthony E. Trood.

Railway history is to be made this weekend when a steam train runs from Swanage and through Corfe Castle to London's Waterloo station for the first time since 1966 - the year that England won the World Cup against Germany at Wembley.

With the mighty 1940s-built Southern Railway 'Battle of Britain' class Bulleid Pacific express steam locomotive No. 34067 'Tangmere' on the front, the 11-coach Capital Christmas Express departs Swanage at 8am on Saturday 28 November 2009 for its momentous five-hour journey to the Capital.

The last time that a steam train bound for London started its journey at Swanage's Victorian terminal station was on Sunday 4 September 1966 - the last weekend of timetabled steam trains on the ten-mile branch line between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage.

Work starting to rebuild the Swanage Railway. It's 1977 and volunteers are relaying the tracks by hand - sleeper by sleeper and rail by hand because they had no crane.
Photo to John Kellaway.

From the following day - Monday 5 September 1966 - British Rail replaced the steam trains, which had run since May 1885 when the Purbeck branch opened, with diesel multiple units as a prelude to the line's closure in January 1972.

Saturday's historic train from Swanage to London and back to the Purbeck seaside town is being run by the Railway Touring Company based at King's Lynn in Norfolk. The long 11-coach train is due to leave London's Waterloo station at 5.15pm for its historic five-hour journey back to Swanage.

Swanage Railway Trust chairman Steve Doughty said: "Saturday will be the first time that a steam train to London has left Swanage since September 1966 - 43 years ago. It will be a very historic and emotional day for everyone involved in the Swanage Railway which has been built from nothing since 1976.

"I'm absolutely delighted that the day has now arrived when the residents of Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck can once again travel to London and back by train for the first time in 43 years.

Pioneering Swanage Railway volunteers pausing from their labours as they start to relay the tracks by hand in 1977.
Photo Mick Stone.

"This is yet another important step forward for our project and further consolidates the Swanage Railway's link to the national network which has been the aim of several generations of volunteers since British Rail closed the line from Wareham in January 1972 after five years of trying.

"Everyone on the Swanage Railway is very grateful to Network Rail and train operator West Coast Railways for its help in running this train over the three miles of line between Furzebrook and the main line at Wareham which is currently closed to regular passenger trains," explained Mr Doughty.

In the beginning ... there was nothing. A disused and derelict Swanage station in September 1975.
Photo George M. Moon.

'Battle of Britain' class Bulleid Pacific steam locomotive No. 34067 'Tangmere' was built for the Southern Railway at Brighton during 1947 and ran almost 700,000 miles during its career with British Railways before being withdrawn in 1963. It was rescued from the Barry scrapyard in south Wales in 1981 with its long restoration to full working order being complete by 2003.