Music concert in memory of young Swanage man who died of cancer to raise money for charities
A poignant and uplifting concert of live music and song by the sea in Swanage in memory of a young man who died of cancer is to raise...
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Andrew P.M. Wright
Jul 292 min read
‘Sunset Shuttle’ evening heritage diesel train service connects Swanage, Harman's Cross & Corfe Castle
A summer holidays ‘Sunset Shuttle’ evening heritage diesel train service connecting Swanage, Herston Halt, Harman’s Cross and Corfe...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jun 163 min read
‘Roads to Rail’ steam rally to take place next to Norden station near Corfe Castle
Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are to stage a nostalgic fund-raising steam rally in a field next to Norden station near the village...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jun 114 min read
Historic eight steam locomotive ‘Strictly Bulleid II’ gala attracts more than 4,700 people
An historic gala gathering featuring eight impressive 1940s Bulleid Pacific steam locomotives has attracted more than 4,700 passengers in...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 287 min read
D-Day 80th Anniversary plaque unveiled at station where American soldiers left for Normandy
A plaque marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied D-Day invasion of France in June, 1944, has been unveiled at the station from where...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 234 min read
Eight 1940s Bulleid steam locomotives to appear in gala unlikely to be repeated
Eight impressive 1940s Bulleid Pacific class steam locomotives are to appear in an historic three-day gala gathering unlikely to be...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 213 min read
D-Day anniversary plaque to be unveiled at station where American soldiers left for Normandy
A plaque marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied D-Day invasion of France in June, 1944, is to be unveiled at the station from where...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 123 min read
Locomotive partially derailed at Corfe Castle during Diesel Gala and Beer Festival
Evening diesel gala and beer festival train services on the Swanage Railway heritage line in Dorset were suspended after a diesel...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Apr 294 min read
Nine heritage diesel locomotives to star in Annual Diesel Gala and Beer Festival
Nine classic heritage diesel locomotives – that help to tell the fascinating story of Britain’s railways during the transition from steam...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Apr 173 min read
Second unique Victorian locomotive to be returned to steam by dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers
Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers – who restored a unique Victorian steam locomotive so it could haul a passenger train for the first...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Mar 262 min read
Easter Egg Hunt Family Fun comes to the Swanage Railway for four days
Family fun is coming to the Swanage Railway between Good Friday, 29 March, and Bank Holiday Monday, 1 April, 2024, inclusive – with...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Mar 143 min read
Victorian weekend to celebrate the pioneering era that built the Wareham to Swanage branch line
A nostalgic and evocative Victorian Weekend is to celebrate the pioneering era that built the Swanage Railway with two unique steam...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Feb 123 min read
Volunteers win two national awards for ambitious restoration of unique Victorian steam locomotive
Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are celebrating after winning two prestigious national awards for their six-year restoration of a...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jan 163 min read
Community Weekend to give public a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes on the Swanage Railway
Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are to stage a fascinating two-day Community Weekend giving the public the rare opportunity to go...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jan 13 min read
‘Winter Warm Up’ steam & diesel weekend to include Victorian steam locomotive & freight trains
An evocative weekend ‘Winter Warm Up’ event is to bring a mixture of steam and diesel passenger trains to the Isle of Purbeck – including...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Nov 7, 20233 min read
Dedicated volunteers launch £450,000 ‘Save Your Railway’ appeal
The ‘Save Your Railway’ appeal is aimed at boosting the financial reserves of the Swanage Railway through the early months of 2024 before...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Oct 10, 20235 min read
Church bells ring to mark unique Victorian steam locomotive hauling first passenger train since 1945
Church bells rang out in Swanage to mark a unique Victorian steam locomotive hauling its first passenger train since 1945 - following a...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Oct 3, 20234 min read
Unique Victorian steam locomotive to haul first train since 1945 after six year £650,000 restoration
A unique Victorian steam locomotive is to haul its first passenger train since 1945 - following a challenging six-year £650,000...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Aug 31, 20234 min read
Unique Victorian locomotive arrives after six year £650,000 restoration project to return to steam
A unique Victorian steam locomotive that has taken six years and £650,000 to restore to full working order – after escaping being cut up...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Aug 24, 20232 min read
Rail minister visits the Swanage Railway using its trial Wareham heritage diesel train service
The Minister of State for Rail and HS2, Huw Merriman MP, has made an informal visit to the Swanage Railway in the Isle of Purbeck –...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jul 17, 20233 min read
Victorian steam locomotive steams for first time since 1948 at Gloucestershire restoration base
A unique Victorian steam locomotive that has taken six years and £500,000 to restore to full working order has steamed – and moved under...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jun 21, 20233 min read
£40,000 appeal launched to help restored Victorian steam locomotive haul first train since 1948
A £40,000 appeal has been launched to help a unique and historic Victorian steam locomotive – saved from the scrapyard so it could...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jun 16, 20233 min read
Nostalgic 'Roads to Rail Steam Rally' to take place next to Norden station near Corfe Castle
Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are to stage a nostalgic fund-raising steam rally in a field next to Norden station near the village...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 2, 20233 min read
Nine 1960s heritage diesel locomotives to star in annual Diesel Gala & Dorset Beer Festival
Nine heritage diesel locomotives – that help to tell the fascinating story of Britain’s railways during the transition from steam to...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Apr 5, 20234 min read
Swanage Railway starts first DMU heritage train service to main line at Wareham since 1972
The first diesel multiple unit train service to the main line at Wareham since 1972 has been started by the Swanage Railway – with a...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Apr 2, 20235 min read
Child on last British Rail train to Wareham is conductor driver on first heritage train to return
A dedicated volunteer who was one of the first to start rebuilding the Swanage Railway – and who travelled on the last British Rail train...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Mar 19, 20234 min read
Historic locomotive that hauled King George VI funeral train to star in Spring Steam Gala
An historic locomotive that hauled the funeral train of King George VI is to star in the Swanage Railway’s Spring Steam Gala along with a...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Mar 8, 20234 min read
Trial train service from Wareham into the heart of Purbeck - thanks to working in partnership
Leave your car at home and travel by rail is the message from the Swanage Railway which is to operate a trial heritage diesel train...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Feb 10, 20233 min read
Chance for public to drive historic steam locomotive that hauled King George VI funeral train
She is an impressive and historic leviathan of steam – an iconic and powerful 95-ton express locomotive that had the honour of hauling...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Feb 6, 20233 min read
£85,000 appeal to complete restoration so unique locomotive can steam for the first time since 1948
An £85,000 appeal has been launched to complete the ambitious and meticulous restoration of a unique and iconic Victorian locomotive to...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jan 28, 20233 min read
Public invited to enjoy Swanage Railway ‘Behind the Scenes’ community engagement weekend
The Swanage Railway has been rebuilt from nothing by dedicated volunteers since 1976 after the ten-mile branch line from Wareham to...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jan 24, 20233 min read
Volunteer who set up Swanage Railway signalling school retires after 31 years of dedicated service
A volunteer who set up the Swanage Railway’s first signalling school – and helped ensure the safe operation of its trains as a signaller...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jan 1, 20233 min read
‘Winter Warm Up’ steam & diesel event includes nostalgic re-creation of 1950s & 1960s freight train
An evocative weekend ‘Winter Warm Up’ event is to bring a mixture of steam and diesel passenger trains – as well as a nostalgic...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Dec 25, 20222 min read
Explore the Isle Of Purbeck thanks to a restored 1950s heritage diesel train
A restored 1950s heritage diesel train – of the same type that ran on Dorset’s last branch line between Maiden Newton and Bridport for a...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Nov 29, 20223 min read
Steam and Lights trains to bring festive cheer to young and old thanks to dedicated volunteers
Ten days of evocative Christmas Steam and Lights trains – featuring refreshed lineside and station lighting displays – will be bringing...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Oct 22, 20223 min read
Daughter of ‘Flying Scotsman’ saviour waves off world famous steam loco on first train from Swanage
Making the emotional pilgrimage to Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck from her home in Portugal for the special occasion on the morning of...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Oct 17, 20223 min read
World’s most famous steam locomotive ‘Flying Scotsman’ arrives for three-week visit
The world’s most famous steam locomotive ‘Flying Scotsman’ has arrived on the Swanage Railway for an historic visit with the...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Oct 11, 20223 min read
Swanage Railway founders from 1972 return to lay flowers at heritage line’s volunteer memorial
Two pioneering Swanage Railway founders who started the battle to rebuild the Dorset heritage line as university students in 1972 – just...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Oct 9, 20224 min read
Daughter of man who saved ‘Flying Scotsman’ to make pilgrimage to ride behind the iconic locomotive
The daughter of the man who saved the record-breaking ‘Flying Scotsman’ from being cut up for scrap is to make a pilgrimage to Dorset’s...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Sep 8, 20221 min read
Queen Elizabeth II
On behalf of the Swanage Railway's members and staff, I would like to express our condolences to the Royal Family, after the death of Her...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Sep 1, 20223 min read
Close to celebrating its centenary, iconic ‘Flying Scotsman’ to visit the Swanage Railway
Close to celebrating its centenary, record-breaking ‘Flying Scotsman’ – the most famous and iconic steam locomotive in the world – is to...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Aug 23, 20223 min read
Sygnets group appeals for adult volunteers as it celebrates 25 years of helping youngsters
A youth group that has inspired generations of children to find and develop their skills – some becoming adult Swanage Railway volunteers...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jul 31, 20224 min read
Swanage Railway 50th anniversary celebrated with loco headboard & long service badges presentation
The 50th anniversary of the birth of the Swanage Railway has been celebrated with a special locomotive headboard and the presentation of...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jul 18, 20222 min read
Re-creation of 1950s ‘Royal Wessex’ train launched with reserved seats in 1930s heritage carriage
An evocative taste of a 1950s ‘Royal Wessex’ express steam train that carried excited holidaymakers from London to Corfe Castle and...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jul 3, 20223 min read
Unique Victorian steam locomotive re-wheeled towards return to steam for first time since 1948
A unique Victorian steam locomotive has been re-wheeled in “a hugely significant milestone” towards restoring the historic engine to full...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jun 12, 20223 min read
Nostalgic ‘Roads to Rail’ steam rally to take place next to Norden Station near Corfe Castle
Dedicated Swanage Railway volunteers are to stage a nostalgic fund-raising steam rally in a field next to Norden station near the village...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Jun 4, 20223 min read
Come and join us! Swanage Railway volunteer appeal as part of National Volunteer Week
An appeal for volunteers with a wide range of interests, and from varied backgrounds, is being made by the Swanage Railway as part of the...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 29, 20222 min read
Volunteer crafts special headboards marking Queen's Platinum Jubilee to grace steam locomotives
A dedicated Swanage Railway volunteer has crafted two special headboards marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee that will grace the front...
Andrew P.M. Wright
May 3, 20223 min read
Convoy of heritage locomotives arrives for first 'Diesel Gala and Beer Festival' since 2019
A convoy of four classic 1960s main line heritage diesel locomotives - from across the country - has arrived on the Swanage Railway to...
Andrew P.M. Wright
Apr 27, 20223 min read
Eagerly awaited 'Diesel Gala & Beer Festival' returns with eight heritage locomotives
Eight heritage diesel locomotives – that help to tell the fascinating story of Britain’s railways during the transition from steam to...
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