History will be made on the Swanage Railway this spring as a 1920s Great Western Railway ‘Hall’ class locomotive visits the line for the first time. The six-engine passenger and freight Spring Steam Gala takes place from Friday, March 28, to Sunday, March 30 2025.
The popular three-day event will also see the return of a 1950s Ivatt tank engine—one of the classes that hauled passenger services on the Wareham to Swanage branch between 1964 and 1966, just before steam gave way to diesel traction.
With a packed timetable of passenger and demonstration freight trains running between Swanage, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden, the gala will also include an evening service between Swanage and Norden on the Saturday.
A highlight for visitors will be the chance to ride in the brake van of a 1950s demonstration freight train, with tickets available from the Swanage Railway website: swanagerailway.co.uk.
Iconic locomotives from across the decades
Although ‘Hall’ class locomotives never visited the Purbeck branch in BR days, they were a familiar sight on inter-regional expresses, including Bournemouth to York and Poole to Bradford. One such engine, No. 4953 Pitchford Hall, will appear at the gala courtesy of the Epping and Ongar Railway in Essex. Meanwhile, Ivatt tank No. 41313 is visiting from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
Swanage Railway’s home fleet will also be in operation, subject to availability. This includes 1893-built London and South Western Railway T3 No. 563, late-1920s Southern Railway U class No. 31806, and two 1940s Bulleid Pacifics—No. 34070 Manston and No. 34072 257 Squadron.
‘An event not to be missed’
Swanage Railway volunteer commercial director Alex Atkins said: “With a superb line-up of locomotives spanning from the 1890s to the 1950s, this year’s Spring Steam Gala promises to be an unmissable event.
“It will be a thrill to see a ‘Hall’ class locomotive in action on our line for the first time, while the Ivatt tank will bring back memories of the final years of steam on the Swanage branch.”
Swanage Railway Company chair Gavin Johns added: “We are delighted to offer enthusiasts and the public such a varied selection of locomotives working through the stunning Purbeck countryside and past the dramatic ruins of Corfe Castle.
“While the ‘Hall’ class worked inter-regional services from Weymouth, Poole and Bournemouth, the Ivatt tanks were a familiar sight across Dorset. They played an important role in the county’s railway history, being the last steam locomotives on the Lyme Regis, Bridport and Portland branches.”
Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts said: “I’d like to thank all the dedicated volunteers who have worked tirelessly to organise this complex event. Featuring six steam locomotives covering over six decades of railway history, the gala will be a truly evocative experience.”
Preserved survivors of a bygone era
Built at Swindon in 1929 at a cost of £4,375, Pitchford Hall hauled express trains across the Great Western system, including services in South Wales, before withdrawal by British Railways in 1963, having covered 1.3 million miles.
Sold to Barry scrapyard in South Wales, the locomotive languished for 20 years before being rescued in 1984. Restored to working order, it moved under its own power again in 2004.
Built at Crewe in 1952, Ivatt tank No. 41313 worked on secondary and branch lines in Devon, Sussex, Surrey and Kent before ending its BR career in Hampshire, where it was withdrawn in late 1965.
Sold to Barry scrapyard in 1966, it remained there for nearly a decade before the Ivatt Trust saved it in 1975. Fully restored, the locomotive returned to steam in 2017.
For more details and to book tickets, visit swanagerailway.co.uk.
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