2029 return for ‘T9’ 30120?
THERE COULD be two ex-LSWR 4-4-0s running at the Swanage Railway in six years’ time, if plans to return ‘T9’ No. 30120 to steam in time for its 130th birthday come to fruition.
Fresh from the recent launch into service of newly restored LSWR ‘T3’
No. 563 on October 7, the Swanage Railway Trust 563 Locomotive Group is finalising an agreement with the National Railway Museum – which owns No. 30120 – to launch a fundraising campaign to return the Drummond ‘Greyhound’ to service in 2029. The necessary paperwork is expected to be finalised in the next couple of months.
Based at the ‘Purbeck Line’ since July 2017, the 1899-built ‘T9’ last ran in July 2020, when it was withdrawn with broken firebox stays. As reported in SR547, the prospective overhaul of No. 30120 is expected to be undertaken by The Flour Mill, and it may return to steam in Maunsell-era olive green. If the overhaul goes ahead, it will mean both surviving LSWR 4-4-0s will be running together in preservation for the first time.
‘T3’ No. 563 was formally launched into traffic at the Swanage Railway following its £650,000 restoration on October 7 – its first passenger trains for 78 years. The launch was attended by SRT patron Sir Philip Williams, whose great-grandfather was on the LSWR board, and Robert Adams, a descendant of No. 563’s designer William Adams, while Swanage volunteers rang bells at nearby St Mary’s church in celebration. Public services commenced on October 8.
In addition to continuing to care for No. 563 and potentially managing the overhaul of the ‘T3’, the 563LG is developing plans to create undercover storage for the ‘T3’ and provide areas for access and interpretation of No. 563’s history. The group said: “This has to be achieved against the backdrop of a challenging financial outlook for almost all heritage railways, including the Swanage Railway. However, we believe that investment in locomotives such as the ‘T3’ and ‘T9’ and the facilities they require is an essential part of a plan to reduce operating costs, and create a sustainable long-term future for the Swanage Railway.”