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

Different....

 

Brilliant day at the Swanage Railway today. So many friendly chatty people about which was a blessing. Everything ran almost to time, personally highlight for me was a run back from River Frome to Norden when the Buckets took control of the train. That sound was incredible! Enjoyed every second of that, didn't have a chance to thank the crews as the Buckets where out of the platform at Norden so if that was you. Thank you very much!

 

Harmans Cross

 

Having worked multiple trains over the gala from the freight to the Express, the buckets from Frome bridge were brilliant. If you closed your eyes it could have been a King doing 80 mph.
A special moment for me was having Peter Smith of S&D fame on the footplate of the last up Frome bridge today.
I used to work with Peter Guy so now have had both drivers on the front of my train that drove the last up and down Pines Express

 

Here is my account from a mostly sunny, but very windy, Saturday if anyone is interested!

 

Well, in spite of my lack of enthusiasm for either headboards or "Austerities", I decided to go to Swanage on Saturday, which was by far the best day of the three days of the gala weather-wise, in spite of the strong winds to which other posters have alluded. A pretty good day with a mixture of both travelling on and photographing the trains. Thank you, Swanage Railway. A look at @Chailey Stowe's video above highlights how the sun was going in and out for much of the day. Thankfully (I must have been standing quite close to him at the time), the sun broke through shortly before the critical moment when 6880's second southbound train headed across Corfe Common. Also did well with both 563 and 31806 later in the day at Quarr Farm. (It's a long walk from Harman's Cross now you can't park nearby!)

As a former Dorking lad, I particularly appreciated the PMV(??) marshalled at the head of the rake of coaches 31806 was hauling on the 16.00 ex-Swanage - A "mogul" hauling a van and three coaches would have been a typical sight in my childhood days living on a road which backed on to the Redhill-Guildford line.

 

It was a Southern 12 ton box van John. Glad you enjoyed your day with us

 

When could you ever legally park at Quarr Farm? Not in the 11 years I have been here.
I assume you must have been in the field at Afflington the same time as me when the sun actually worked in our favour for once.

 

People used to park by the crossing at Quarr Farm - including me - until a notice appeared saying don't do this, so I haven't done so since. Checking through my photos, the most recent image taken from that location prior to last Saturday was taken in 2007 during the 40th anniversary of Southern Steam gala and featured 76079, so probably well before the "no parking or we'll clamp you" notice appeared.

Yes, you must have been only a few yards away from me when 6880 passed us in the sun. It is good when it actually works in our favour. I didn't do so well earlier in the day on Stoborough Heath with 6880. Had I gone to the Furzebrook road bridge, the sun would have been out when the Grange passed by. Still that's life - it's always easy to have 100% hindsight!

 

Don't know about that, Certainly 563 working the 1300 ex Swanage stopped in section in the Affington/ Corfe Common section to extinguish a line side fire, Elsewhere in the evening there was a large Heath Fire which near Wareham which is being reported as possible Arson.

I was at Wurzel crossing for 34070 and unlike the previous down working with 6880, the sun was not out.
And thanks to "Beavis" for a splendid shot of 6880 on the 1600 ex Norden, I had just taken over Corfe Signalbox for the evening shift. Owing to all of the Locos drinking the water tower at Swanage dry, Bretton Grange had to take water at Norden
hence the timetable slipping behind a bit! Also 6880 had to take it very slow through platforms due to tight clearance especially through Corfe Castle up Platform.
I understand the weekend was a great success.

 

Bearing in mind I thought I may get to be able to do very little or even none of the gala, I actually managed all 3 days (at times). Lack of energy these days and shortness of breath means I am restricted to places basically flat and near the car, hence the predictable locations for all my images.
Had a good day riding the trains on Sunday with was highlighted by the two buckets a number of times, which as @Daddsie71b sound at 25mph like they are about 3 times that speed. Their run from the River was awesome to hear and the Grange achieved the fastest time I have ever recorded from the River to Furzebrook Bridge, whilst making some great noise as well.
My day was slightly spoilt by an incident at Swanage (which played out in front of me, and I spent all afternoon getting more annoyed about, and hence caused me to miss the Bulleid double header as my train waited at Corfe) that involved an old couple. It was totally their fault, which led to them getting separated from each other and was very well handled by the passenger services staff at Swanage and Corfe and the Guard on the train. It is probably best I mention nothing of how I felt the incident was handled on train by the TTI but as soon as I heard his voice asking for tickets I knew how it would likely go.

Anyway some images from a gloomy Day 1 (and for those who liked to so much) including two Bulleid's with headboards!

 

Evening at Harmans Cross. Steam Heat.

 

All locos that had a layover at Norden took water on all 3 days

 

and the crews took tea

 

I too worked with Peter Guy, He retired in February 1995 at the time I transferred from Eastleigh (Redundant) to Bournemouth as a guard.

 

A few images from Saturday and two from Sunday (between trains).
I thought it was a very well put together timetable, that ran basically to time, other than the last beer train, which I heard going out late both nights.