A DORSET steam railway will mark another milestone tomorrow.
Volunteers on the rebuilt Swanage Railway and enthusiasts will celebrate as a steam train travels between London and the resort for the first time since 1967.
At the helm will be ex-Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific locomotive No. 34067 ‘Tangmere’ which has been a regular visitor to Weymouth on rail tours.
The Swanage visit follows a landmark train journey on April 1 when the first diesel-hauled passenger train ran from London to Swanage for the first time in 40 years.
The last time a steam-hauled passenger train ran between London and Swanage was on Sunday, June 18, 1967.
That marked the end of British Rail steam traction in southern England.
It was hauled by Tangmere’s sister locomotive 602 Squadron.
Organised by Past Time Rail and operated by West Coast Railways, this weekend’s historic steam train railtour is being named the Dorset Coast Express with ‘Tangmere’ carrying a special name board on its smoke box door.
The 12-coach train departs London’s Victoria Station for Swanage tomorrow and returns to the capital on Bank Holiday Monday. On Sunday, Tangmere will run on its own to Eastleigh in Hampshire where it will be turned using the railway triangle.
Swanage Railway Trust chairman Mike Whitwam said: “The first steam trains between London and Swanage is something that several generations of determined Swanage Railway volunteers have been working towards, against all the odds, for almost 40 years.
“When the last special steam train ran between London and Swanage, the branch line from Wareham was being run down by British Rail prior to closure.
“The line was finally closed in January 1972.
“The Swanage Railway has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976 so these first steam trains between London, and Swanage since the summer of 1967 are a huge achievement.”
The Dorset Coast Express will run through Wareham at 12.13pm on Saturday and Corfe Castle at 12.55pm before its arrival in Swanage at 1.15pm.
On Monday it will depart Swanage for London Waterloo at 4pm, passing Corfe Castle at 4.20pm and Wareham at 5.05pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here