Despite the zero degree temperature, visitors braved the weather for the Swanage Railway’s Winter Warm Up event in Dorset, which saw diesel and steam locomotives in action along the heritage line.
While it was cold, the weekend from Saturday 3rd to Sunday 4th January 2025 remained dry with bright sunshine and blue skies, which lifted everyone’s spirits during the gloom of winter.
Blue skies as the T3 steam locomotive travels along the heritage line between Swanage and Norden
Visitor numbers up
Organisers said that the event attracted double the number of visitors compared to the Winter Warm Up in 2025.
An intensive timetable saw trains travelling between Swanage and Norden via Corfe Castle throughout the day, with some locomotives heading further up the line to the River Frome within sight of Wareham.
Although not everything went to plan with one of the heritage diesels developing a fault which couldn’t be fixed over the festive holiday period in time for the event, so had to be substituted with the steam locomotive Manston.
Steam locomotive ‘Manston’ steps in as a last minute substitute for the diesel loco Class 33 No. 33 012
Class 33 No. 33 053 continued as planned, so diesel fans weren’t too disappointed
Locomotives in action
- Southern Railway U class No. 31806 from the 1920s
- Southern Railway West Country class Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ from the 1940s
- London and South Western Railway T3 No. 563 from the 1890s
- Southern Railway Battle of Britain class No. 34070 ‘Manston’ from the 1940s
- British Railways diesel Class 33 No. 33 053 from the early 1960s
The steam loco U class No. 31806 looked a picture
At Swanage station the Victorian T3 (left) and the 1920s U class (right)
Swanage Railway’s 50th anniversary year
The Winter Warm Up was the first Swanage Railway event of 2026, which marks 50 years since the start of the restoration of the branch line by a group of volunteers.
There are more plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the heritage railway throughout the year, and organisers were delighted that the first event went so well.
Volunteer guard James Puzey
Volunteer station master Pete Maffey
“Commitment, enthusiasm, and resilience”
Swanage Railway chief executive officer Abbie King said:
“What an incredible Winter Warm Up weekend. Despite the bitterly cold weather, we were delighted to welcome double the number of visitors as last year, which is a real testament to the strength of the event and the hard work of everyone involved.
“A huge thank you to everyone who braved the conditions to support us, and especially to those who captured and shared such amazing photos and videos – they really helped tell the story of the weekend and showcase the atmosphere across the railway.
“Unfortunately, Class 33 No. 33 012 was unavailable due to a faulty engine component. With many specialist suppliers on their Christmas shutdown, it wasn’t possible to source the necessary parts in time to carry out a repair – despite our best efforts.
“Above all, thank you to our staff and volunteers who went above and beyond in challenging conditions to deliver such a successful event. Your commitment, enthusiasm, and resilience are what make days like this possible.”
Fireman Robert Craine gets one of the best jobs on a chilly day, sitting next to the fire with a cup of tea!
Lots of work goes on behind the scenes
‘Manston’ builds up a head of steam as it passes Corfe Castle
Watch the locos filmed by The Southerner
Further information
- More about Swanage Railway
