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...
top of page
Andrew P.M. Wright
- Jul 29
- 2 min
‘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 16
- 3 min
‘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 11
- 4 min
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 28
- 7 min
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 23
- 4 min
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 21
- 3 min
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 12
- 3 min
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 29
- 4 min
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 17
- 3 min
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 26
- 2 min
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 14
- 3 min
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 12
- 3 min
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 16
- 3 min
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 1
- 3 min
‘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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 5 min
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, 2023
- 4 min
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, 2023
- 4 min
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, 2023
- 2 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
£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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 4 min
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, 2023
- 5 min
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, 2023
- 4 min
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, 2023
- 4 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
£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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
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, 2023
- 3 min
‘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, 2022
- 2 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 4 min
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, 2022
- 1 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 4 min
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, 2022
- 2 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 2 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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...
bottom of page