Two historical locos – Pitchford Hall and an Ivatt tank – will be arriving at Swanage Railway in Dorset, in time for its Spring Steam Gala.
The visitors will be joined by Swanage Railway’s resident fleet of four steam locos for the annual three-day spectacular which takes place from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th March 2025.
Demonstration freight trains will be recreating the past
Ride in a brake van
Throughout the gala there will be passenger and demonstration freight trains running regularly between Swanage, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden, plus a train service between Swanage and Norden on the Saturday evening.
There’s also the chance to book a ticket to ride in the brake van of a 1950s freight train during the gala.
No. 4953 Pitchford Hall loco on loan from the Epping and Ongar Railway in Essex
Pitchford Hall locomotive
This is the first time the locomotive No. 4953 Pitchford Hall has ever visited Swanage.
Built at Swindon in 1929 – at a cost of £4,375 – Pitchford Hall hauled main line express trains across the Great Western Railway area, including South Wales, before being withdrawn from service by British Railways in 1963.
The locomotive was sold to the Barry scrapyard in South Wales in 1963 where it languished for 20 years before being saved by a railway enthusiast in 1984. After restoration, Pitchford Hall moved under its own power in 2004 for the first time in more than 40 years.
It’s usually based at the Epping and Ongar Railway in Essex.
The Ivatt tank No. 41313 on loan from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Ivatt tank locomotive
The Ivatt tank No. 41313 has also never visited Swanage before, although it is one of the locomotive classes that did haul passenger trains on the Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage branch line between 1964 and 1966.
After being built at Crewe in 1952, Ivatt tank No. 41313 hauled trains in Devon, Sussex, Surrey and Kent before ending its service days in Hampshire where it was withdrawn from service in late 1965.
In 1966, British Rail sold No. 41313 to the Barry scrapyard in South Wales where the steam locomotive rusted in the sea air for almost a decade before being purchased by the Ivatt Trust in 1975. After restoration, No. 41313 hauled its first train in 2017.
It is usually based at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, but it is currently on loan to the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, so it will be making its way on a low loader from Sussex to Purbeck in time for the gala.
The oldest of the steam locos at the Spring Steam Gala will be the recently restored Victorian T3 No. 563 built in 1893
The late 1920s Southern Railway U class No. 31806 is a regular sight on the Swanage Railway
Visiting locos
- 1920s GWR 4900 (Hall) Class Number 4953 Pitchford Hall, attending courtesy of the Epping Ongar Railway
- 1950s Ivatt Class 2 Number 41313 – visiting from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Home locos
- Victorian 1893 London and South Western Railway T3 No. 563
- Late 1920s Maunsell U Class Number 31806
- 1940s Battle of Britain Class Number 34070 Manston
- 1940s Battle of Britain Class Number 34072 257 Squadron
The popular 1940s Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 Manston
Joining the line up is the 1940s Bulleid Pacific No. 34072 257 Squadron
“Exciting spectacle not to be missed”
Swanage Railway volunteer commercial director Alex Atkins, who’s organising the event said:
“With a wide range of steam locomotives in operation on passenger and demonstration freight trains – from the 1890s to the 1950s – as well as bracing brake van rides, this year’s Spring Steam Gala will be an exciting spectacle not to be missed.
“It will be thrilling to watch and ride behind a 1920s Great Western Railway express ‘Hall’ class locomotive running on the Swanage Railway for the first time, while the Ivatt tank will take passengers back to the 1960s and the final years of Swanage branch line steam trains,”
Spring has sprung at Swanage Railway
Further information
- More details and to book tickets on Swanage Railway website
