Swanage Railway | Spring Steam Gala | 27th-29th March 2026

That's really interesting because I do see where John Petley is coming from but was heading to this thread originally to express the opposite opinion!

When I was a kid in the 1980/90s, I can remember going to Swanage at the end of a summer holiday and being gutted that it was Whiston (I think) on loan from Foxfield running the service, or so many KESR trips when I was desperately hoping for anything other than an Austerity and being disappointed. I had exactly the same feelings John describes above.

Since getting back into the hobby in the 2010s, my head has absolutely been turned by Austerities. I remember a KESR trip on a day when a USA tank and Austerity were sharing services and the Austerity was by far the highlight up Tenterden bank. I realise I'd been doing them a disservice as a kid/teenager and they were actually extremely entertaining locos on preserved lines with decent loads and climbs. It does feel like they've become more appealing to established lines as gala visitors in recent years and I'm all for that.

Intrigued to see how they're deployed when the timetable's out. My starting point for planning my day there will be the Austerities, 6880, the T3 and the Mogul uphill.

 

Swanage gala timetable live btw - no loco allocations though https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/uploads/spring_gala_timetable.pdf

 

Interesting to see what might constitute a bar car if set A set has the buffet, which I assume is S9015

 

Will be very interesting as they have just flogged the purpose built bar car!

 

I like the look of that timetable. Keeping a regular 45-minute two-set base on the regular part of the route and slotting a River Frome set and part-line freight workings around it looks like a good way of creating variety and giving a bit of recovery time too (I know there will be locos to attach/detach but the amount of time at Norden in both directions and at River Frome looks like it offers leeway). Very intrigued to see the locos diagrams now as my window for being there is pretty much 10.45-15.45 on the Friday.

 

Most likely a bar set up in BSK 35059 again, the same as last year’s Autumn Steam Gala.

 

34028 "Eddystone" will join in the gala and will operate on SUNDAY ONLY

 

When can we expect to see the loco allocations so I can plan my journey by train and bus as we aren’t now staying in Corfe. Tickets already bought. Thanks

Don

 

Your guess is as good as mine

 

Loco allocations are now up on the railway's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1335020248659011&set=pcb.1335020325325670) so expect they'll be on the website imminently too. Have tried and failed to upload them here, apologies for my incompetence! But have plotted my Friday visit and am very excited for that pair of Austerities off the River Frome standing start with a Bulleid hanging off the back!

 

I have attached a PDF version if people would prefer that - it hasn’t been uploaded to the website yet but should be soon.

 

Does anyone know what directions the visitors will be facing? Cheers.

 

Rennes is the only one to arrive so far, and is facing London.

I know the talk was of the Grange facing Swanage, on the basis that it 'should' definitely fit that way round*.

*Cue my standard comment that it only won't fit once anyway.

 

Cheers thanks for the info.

 

Timetables now available as separate downloadable links on the webpage

 

This was posted on the railways Facebook page earlier in the week. Not sure I have seen it mentioned on here anywhere. A nice addition.

S49445 joins our Spring Steam Gala lineup thanks to the efforts of our hard working volunteers!
SR 12 Ton Ventilated Van S49445 has been used as storage for the S&T department for a number of years at Norden Station, however it will now take part in our Spring Steam Gala as part of our “C Set”. The van will make a welcome addition to this set and it will add a touch of realism, as many local trains on the branch line featured a mixture of coaches and typically one wagon in the days of British Railways.
The van has received attention to the braking system, including work on the vacuum cylinders. It was also given a much needed clean and brush up which revealed the BR Bauxite livery was in fairly good condition!

 

Swanage Railway's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1339533691541000&set=pcb.1339533738207662
6880 Betton Grange has arrived and, earlier today, was towed to Swanage by 33053.
Now waiting for the final Gala Guest to arrive in the form of Austerity Class tank engine 68067 from the Great Central Railway.

 

Agree with Big Al and just about to buy my tickets for Friday.

Just to check, am I right in thinking that loco directions wise everything faces Wareham except Manston and Betton Grange?