THE FIRST STEAM TRAIN SINCE 1966 RUNS FROM SWANAGE TO LONDON - AND BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR TWO PURBECK MEN! - 28th November 2009

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 29th November 2009
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
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Jimmy Hunt - former Swanage and Corfe Castle British Railways signalman - next to 'Tangmere' at London Waterloo. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

Railway history has been made with the first steam train running from Swanage to London since 1966 - and at the controls of the restored 1940s express locomotive was a man who drove trains on the Purbeck branch line during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Also travelling on the 11-coach train to London's Waterloo station was Jimmy Hunt of Swanage, a former British Railways signalman who worked at Swanage station during the 1950s and the 1960s.

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

Driver Mel Cox at the controls of 'Tangmere' at London Waterloo. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

At the controls of the steam locomotive was Mel Cox from Swanage who worked as a British Railways fireman on the steam trains between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage during the mid-1960s.

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.

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 trains.

During the late 1960s until the closure of the Swanage branch line in January 1972, Mel Cox drove the 'Hampshire' class diesel-electric multiple units that operated the train service between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage.

Mel said: "It was a great day - absolutely incredible. Driving a Bulleid Pacific steam locomotive out of Swanage bound for London with 11 coaches in tow was terrific and something I never thought I would do when steam came to an end in 1967.

'Tangmere' at London Waterloo. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

"Running into London Waterloo was incredible and reminded me of the days when I worked into the station as a young fireman based at Bournemouth during the mid-1960s. The locomotive performed brilliantly - it runs like a finely oiled sewing machine," explained Mel, who works as a driver for West Coast Railways and is also the Swanage Railway's operations manager.

On board the historic train as it ran into London was 80-year old Jimmy Hunt of Swanage. Now retired, he joined British Railways at Swanage as a porter in 1949 after returning to his home town after completing his National Service.

Flashback to Swanage in 1966 and Jimmy Hunt on duty in the station signal box demolished in late 1967. Photo Chris Phillips.

Jimmy worked his way up to being a £7 a week signalman on the branch line, operating the signal boxes at Corfe Castle and Swanage before leaving British Rail in March 1967 during the run-down of the 10-mile branch line from Wareham.

Jimmy explained: "I was probably on duty in Swanage signal box when the last steam train ran up to London's Waterloo station on Sunday 4 September 1966, the last day of the summer service.

'Tangmere' prepares to depart Swanage for London Waterloo. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

"It was great to again take a steam train from Swanage to London after more than 40 years - it brought back so many memories of the people that I used to work with on the railway, some of which I still keep in touch with to this day.

"British Rail should never have closed the branch line to Swanage and its rundown with loyal staff being made redundant during the mid to late 1960s was very sad. It was terrible.

"When the tracks were ripped up in the summer of 1972, I never thought the branch line could or would be rebuilt. It just seemed such a huge and impossible task - I didn't think a group of volunteers could do it but they have and that it's a tremendous achievement. They should be very proud indeed."

Organised by the Railway Touring Company based at King's Lynn in Norfolk, the 11-coach Capital Christmas Express train left London's Waterloo station at 5.15pm for its historic five-hour journey back to Swanage in the dark.

The special train runs through Corfe Castle bound for London. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

The steam locomotive hauling the historic train - '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.