Pause for thought

Coupled to 1940s Bulleid stock, No. 563 gives the impression of being in steam at Corfe Castle during a Timeline Events night shoot on November 12, arranged to raise funds for the Swanage Railway’s ‘T3’ appeal.

Aloping Victorian 4-4-0, paused at an equally charming intermediate country station: it’s easy to warm to the above scene. The mirage you see is LSWR ‘T3’ No. 563 on November 12 at Corfe Castle; plumbed-up with smoke machines to create the illusion that the Nine Elms-built locomotive is actually in steam. Yet, if the Swanage Railway Trust (SRT) realises its new dream, the engine will be back here, as a working engine, in a little over three years. As reported last issue, a private sponsor is funding a strip-down of the locomotive at the Flour Mill to ascertain its condition ahead of a possible return to operation. There has been plenty of argument over the ‘T3’ this year, following its disposal by the National Railway Museum. Indeed, in the debate in Parliament on October 25, the minister responsible for the NRM used the previous day’s announcement to argue that its transfer to the ‘Purbeck Line’ was in the best interests of the locomotive. Others counter that it should return to the National Collection. This now is a different aspect to the debate. One argument is that the ‘T3’ is unique and fragile, and it should, therefore, never steam again. Those in charge take a different view. As enticing as a working Adams 4-4-0 may sound, there is also uncertainty. Uncertainty, because while the dismantling may be ‘paid for’, there would still remain a mammoth task to fund the engine’s return to steam. The Swanage Railway Trust initially quoted £2 million in an appeal leaflet, but later admitted that was a mistake. Either way, the SRT also has pressing priorities that require big ticket funding – like the provision of undercover protection for rolling stock. Whatever the final figure, even if the current Crowdfunder appeal raises every penny of the initial £50,000 target by

December 23, that would certainly only be a small percentage of what is needed. As of November 22, four weeks after launch, it had raised £3,021. Against such a background, it would be a very brave decision to plough ahead now with the dismantling of the engine. Which is why we believe that this is now the time for those who bear the responsibility for the ‘T3’ to pause. Although the engine is now safely ensconced under a roof in the Forest of Dean (itself a welcome development), there is still time for Swanage to pause the dismantling in order to seriously consider all the options for this national asset. There is still time to accept Barrow Hill’s offer of two years’ free accommodation and display, for example, which would ensure continued public access and, in our opinion, time to form a more robust financial plan. Indeed, provision for a long-term, undercover home at Swanage could also be made regardless of whether or not it is restored to steam. Former express 4-4-0 No. 563 was withdrawn in the 1930s, but patched up for the war effort and restored to steam in particularly fragile condition by the Southern Region for the 1948 Waterloo centenary celebrations, when boiler pressure was reduced from 175lbs/sq. in to 60lbs/sq. in and speed restricted to 25mph. Therefore, any restoration of this Eastleigh time warp is likely to be complex and littered with difficult choices about what can ethically be renewed. And while cash might be in hand to take the ‘T3’ apart, it seems less obvious whether there are funds in place to reassemble it as a museum piece, if the major capital investment is not forthcoming. Even if that happened, some Eastleigh workmanship, inevitably, will already have been destroyed. Nobody would want to see another episode like the NRM’s Taff Vale 0-6-2T, which spent years in several pieces amid its aborted restoration attempt (a semblance of pride was finally restored in 2014 when No. 28 was reassembled as a static exhibit). A pause would not preclude any future return to steam, but would give everyone time to plan and consider all of the issues; a breathing space without the added stress of artificial deadlines. A lot has happened quickly. In March, No. 563 was still part of the National Collection and there have been various plans mooted since. There is much to gain by leaving it intact, not least for the Swanage Railway itself and especially for the locomotive. And, after all, what’s the rush…? A pause is the right choice, particularly for the ‘T3’.