Fundraising bid for Victorian steam locomotive to haul first train in 75 years

Swanage Railway volunteers in Dorset have spent the past six years restoring the T3 class engine

It is hoped restoration work on the locomotive will be completed by the autumn (Phil Anderson/PA)

Railway enthusiasts have launched a £40,000 fundraising appeal so a Victorian steam locomotive can haul passenger carriages for the first time in 75 years.

Swanage Railway volunteers in Dorset have spent the past six years restoring the T3 class engine, which dates back to 1893.

The 563 Locomotive Group is attempting to raise £40,000 to enable the completion of a £500,000 project to return the locomotive to action.

The T3 No. 563 engine was withdrawn from regular service by the Southern Railway Company in 1945. It last pulled carriages in 1948, the same year it took part in celebrations for London Waterloo station’s centenary.

The locomotive was donated in 2017 by the National Railway Museum to the Swanage Railway Trust, which hopes restoration work can be completed in time to allow it to haul passenger carriages between Swanage and Wareham this autumn.

The engine is being refurbished at the Flour Mill workshops in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Steve Doughty, treasurer of the 563 Locomotive Group, described the project as “unique and historically important”.

He said: “The T3 class of steam locomotive hauled trains from London down to Corfe Castle and Swanage from the 1890s to the 1930s.

“The restoration back to full working order of No. 563 gives us the opportunity to show our visitors what the railway was like during Dorset’s industrial and social development in the 19th century.”

Anyone wanting to make a donation can visit 563locomotivegroup.co.uk for more information.

• Whether it’s the slow chug-chug-chug of a steam train winding along the rails or being able to see familiar towns and cities of the UK from a fresh angle, there’s something special about travelling on the railway. From the UK capital to the Cornish coast and from a jaunt through Wales to a show-stopping tour of the entire country, The Independent has found some of the best train holiday packages you can book.