Swanage Railway steam locomotive returns after 75 years

A Victorian steam locomotive that has escaped being scrapped twice is back in action and pulling trains for the first time in 75 years.

The 1893 London and South Western Railway T3 class No. 563 was donated to Swanage Railway in Dorset in 2017.

It has taken its first passengers on the heritage line following a six-year restoration effort.

Fireman Ethan Waller described the project as "the best of steam preservation".

Designed to haul express trains between London Waterloo and the south coast of England, it was destined for scrap in 1939 but the outbreak of World War Two saw it saved and pressed into wartime service.

It escaped the scrapyard for the second time when it was used to mark the centenary of London's Waterloo station in 1948.

Following its donation to the Swanage Railway Trust by the National Railway Museum, the 81-tonne engine has undergone restoration by specialist contractors at the Flour Mill workshops in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Anthony Coulls, of the National Railway Museum, said it had "strong historical connections" to the south coast.

"We are thrilled to see the T3 returning to steam for the first time in 75 years and now being able to offer passengers the unique experience of riding behind the Victorian locomotive through the Purbeck countryside," he said.

Nathan Au, a volunteer driver and chairman of the 563 Locomotive Group, said: "No. 563 is a real time machine - a living and breathing example of the world when glamorous railways with their brightly painted and highly polished steam engines ruled supreme."

The relaunch of the engine coincides with the centenary of the Southern Railway and the 185th anniversary of the formation of the London and South Western Railway.

Swanage Railway fireman Ethan Waller said it was "an honour" to take the locomotive out on test runs.

"It's been fun to experiment and see how the engine responds.

"When you get it right and the engine's happy, you've got the most stonking, fantastic day out you can have," he added.

The Swanage branch line was closed and demolished by British Rail in 1972 but volunteers spent 30 years rebuilding it as a tourist attraction which, in 2019, carried more than 200,000 passengers.

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