One of the UK’s newest steam locomotive is to visit Swanage Railway for the first time as part of the Spring Steam Gala – and she’ll likely be younger than almost all of the visitors there.
Betton Grange was only completed in April 2024 after a pioneering 25 year project, the first steam locomotive to be built to a Great Western Railway (GWR) company design since the early 1950s.
The 21st Century 6880 Betton Grange is about to make her first visit to Dorset
Has never visited Dorset before
Now she is to star in Swanage Railway’s passenger and freight train Spring Steam Gala from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th March 2026.
All 80 original Grange class steam locomotives – built at the Swindon works of the Great Western Railway to haul passenger and freight trains – were withdrawn and scrapped by 1965, and not a single one of them was preserved.
But an historic new build project by the 6880 Betton Grange Society was started in 1998 to bring the Grange class steam locomotives back from beyond the scrapyard, using original plans and a mixture of old GWR parts and newly manufactured components.
Built in North Wales and Birmingham, No. 6880 Betton Grange carried her first passengers at the Cotswold Festival of Steam in May 2024, and has never visited Dorset before – and her visit to the Swanage Railway is the only one planned to another heritage railway in 2026.
The Austerity No. WD152 Rennes worked in Hampshire during World War Two
Annual three day steam spectacular
She is the newest of only half a dozen steam locomotives built in the UK in the 21st century and is 131 years younger than Swanage Railway’s T3 No. 563 Victorian locomotive, which will also be under steam at the gala.
The popular annual three day steam spectacular will see trains running along the entire nine miles of the Swanage Railway – from Swanage to Corfe Castle and four miles beyond Norden.
With a busy timetable of passenger and demonstration freight trains during the weekend, and an evening train service between Swanage and Norden on Friday and Saturday, the other two visiting steam locomotives will be two Austerity saddle tank engines built for hauling vital freight trains during World War Two.
Built in 1943, Austerity No. WD 75091 carries the number 68067 and appears courtesy of the Roger Hibbert Locomotive Collection and the Great Central Railway. Austerity No. WD152 Rennes worked on the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire, during the 1940s and 1950s, and appears courtesy of the Dean Forest Railway.
Alexander Atkins aboard the Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 Manston
A wide variety of locos at work
Spring Steam Gala chair Alexander Atkins – also chair of the Swanage Railway Trust, a director the the Swanage Railway Company, and a volunteer steam locomotive driver, said:
“We are delighted to be hosting the first steam locomotive to be built to a Great Western Railway Company design since the early 1950s. No. 6880 Betton Grange is a remarkable engineering achievement and a fine steam locomotive.
“Built in the early 1940s, the two wartime saddle tank Austerity steam locomotives also have a fascinating history and played an important part in hauling vital freight trains during World War Two before going on to have busy railway careers with the coming of peace.
“We are delighted to be able to offer enthusiasts, and the public, such a wide variety of steam locomotives at work through the beautiful Isle of Purbeck countryside and past the dramatic ruins of Corfe Castle.
“I would like to thank all the dedicated volunteers who have worked so hard to plan and stage such a complicated event as our Spring Steam Gala, which promises to be a wonderful and evocative taste of yesteryear.”
Swanage Railway’s Victorian T3 No. 563 steams past Corfe Castle
A range of beers, ales and cider
The gala will also see Swanage Railway’s five resident steam locomotives in action – 1940s Southern Railway Bulleid Pacifics No. 34072 257 Squadron and No. 34070 Manston, the 1920s Southern Railway U class No. 31806 and Victorian London and South Western Railway T3 No. 563.
Newly upgraded for hauling excursion trains on the national railway network, Swanage Railway resident 1940s Southern Railway West Country class Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 Eddystone will be hauling trains on the Sunday.
Evening trains featuring a range of beers, ales and ciders will be running on the Friday and Saturday until 11pm with the two 1940s Austerity steam locomotives double heading the four evening trains on the Friday and No. 6880 Betton Grange hauling trains on the Saturday evening.
Swanage Railway’s Bulleid Pacific No. 34070 Manston will be hauling trains at the gala
Newly refurbished shop
Food and drink will be available across the Swanage Railway during the Spring Steam Gala, including hot drinks and snacks from the brake train buffet as well as a range of takeaway favourites from Swanage, Corfe Castle and Norden stations.
The newly refurbished shop will also be open at Swanage station, where there will be railway trade stands on the platform.
Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering on the Swanage Railway should email iwanttovolunteer@swanagerailway.co.uk
Built in 1943, Austerity No. WD 75091 is the third visiting guest locomotive at the spring gala
Further information
- More details of the gala are on Swanage Railway’s website
