The Swanage Railway has announced that for its Spring Steam Gala on 24th to 26th March, a star attraction will be Standard Class 4 2-6-0 No. 76084.
The locomotive will be visiting Swanage from its usual home at the North Norfolk Railway thanks to the 76084 Locomotive Company. It will be joined at the gala by locomotives from the Swanage Railway's home fleet, including U Class 2-6-0 No. 31806, and Bulleid Pacifics West Country Class No. 34028 Eddystone, and Battle of Britain Cass No. 34070 Manston. There will also be another visiting locomotive for the gala, but its identity is yet to be announced.
76084 entered service in 2013, since when it has made guest appearances at, among other, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, East Lancashire Railway and the Great Central Railway. You can see 76084 in action at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway below:
76084 is certified for mainline operation, and is often seen on the North Norfolk Railway's coastal branch to Cromer to make use of its mainline connection.
Swanage is the furthest south that 76084 will have travelled during preservation and will remain on the Swanage Railway until December 2023. Last year, it was granted a one year extension on its 10 year boiler ticket, so this may well be the last time to see 76084 in service for a few years.
31806 was built at Brighton in 1926 as a K Class locomotive, but was rebuilt as a U Class in 1928 and is the only one of its class currently in service.
West Country Class 34028 Eddystone was built in 1946, then in 1959, like many of its classmates, it was rebuilt to a more conventional design and remained in BR service until 1965. The Southern Pacific Rescue Group, which merged with Southern Locomotives Ltd, acquired the locomotive in 1986, and it finally entered service at Swanage in 2003. It was withdrawn for overhaul in 2014, and like Manston, it returned to service in 2021.
Battle of Britain Class 34070 Manston was built in 1947 and withdrawn from service in 1964 when it was purchased by the Manston Locomotive Preservation Society, which later merged with Southern Locomotives Ltd. In 2008 it entered service with the Swanage Railway until it was withdrawn for overhaul in 2017. Manston returned to operational service in 2021.
Further information about the Spring Steam Gala can be found on the railway's website at https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/spring-steam-gala and tickets will go on sale on Sunday, 12th March.
