LSWR ‘T9' steam locomotive No. 30120 is to have an extended stay at the Swanage Railway thanks to a new agreement between the National Railway Museum and the Swanage Railway Trust.
The new agreement will see the locomotive stay on the Isle of Purbeck and will be stored at the Swanage Railway after its boiler certificate expired back in August 2020.
A boiler lift and limited disassembly work are included in the new agreement to assess the locomotive's potential to return to steam.
Built in 1899 at Nine Elms Locomotive Work, the T9 operated with the London and South Western Railway before being withdrawn in 1963 and becoming part of the National Collection.
In 2010, 30120 was overhauled at the Flour Mill Engineering Works for use on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway before moving to the Swanage Railway in 2017.
Volunteer Matt McManus, of the Swanage Railway Trust, said: “The T9 has been a popular member of the Swanage Railway locomotive fleet for some years now and we are delighted to have reached agreement with the National Railway Museum for the T9 to stay in our care and, hopefully, be overhauled and returned to service.”
Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator of Rail Transport and Technology at the National Railway Museum, said: “The T9 remains a valued part of the museum's collection, and we have enjoyed sharing it with heritage lines across the country where it has been in steam, especially the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and most recently the Swanage Railway.
“The National Railway Museum's Operating Rail Vehicle Strategy, published in 2019, is due for review but we still see a working future for No. 30120 which is dependent on the practicality of another overhaul to working condition,” he added.
Matt McManus added: “No timetable has yet been set for the engineering assessment of No. 30120, although the Swanage Railway is keen to complete this as soon as possible for it to be included in its overall motive power plan.
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If he gets another chance to steam, will it be with the original LSWR livery?