Not loNg NoW UNtIl ‘NeW U’ MAKeS A MAIN lINe retUrN…

Another engine to look forward to that’s been away even longer than Bahamas is ‘U‑Boat’ No. 31806. The Swanage‑based Southern ‘Mogul’ has been a runner since 2011, but now the main line electronic gizmos have been fitted and the Swanage team is working through the engine’s gauging and certification. Locomotive Carriage and Wagon Manager James Cox told me in December that the view is to organise a trial run “in the New Year.” As Steam Railway has reported before, the main reason for No. 31806’s resurrection to the ‘big railway’ for the first time since 1964 is to run beyond Swanage’s main line railhead and over Network Rail metals into Wareham. Effectively, the potential for the Maunsell machine to stretch itself more widely than that is a bonus. The Railway Touring Company has already taken the opportunity to advertise the former Guildford 2‑6‑0 for April’s ‘Great Britain’ and, looking ahead, James tells me that No. 31806 “will be in prime position to do the Swanage‑Southampton ‘dragbacks’, rather than a diesel.” By that, he’s referring to Dorset coast trains that reverse – and currently have a diesel ‘top and tail’ to take over when the booked steam locomotive is on the wrong end of the stock. Quite apart from the welcome variety a Southern 2‑6‑0 brings, there’s certainly plenty to anticipate in having a ‘U’ on the main line for the first time since classmate No. 31625 – remarkably the best part of 20 years ago now. Arguably, the ‘new U’ has a more interesting history than its stablemate too – it actually started life in 1926 as ‘tankie’ No. A806 River Torridge, being rebuilt in 1928 after the Sevenoaks derailment of classmate No. A800 River Cray.