The Swanage Railway’s upcoming Diesel Gala and Beer Festival is set to feature nine locomotives.

The event runs from the 8th to the 10th of May, with the beer festival being held at Corfe Castle station.

The intensive timetable is set to be a huge hit with visitors, and will also mark the first time Class 58 diesel locomotive No. 58 023 operates between Furzebrook and the River Frome since 2005.

Visiting locomotives (subject to availability) include:

• Class 20 No. 20 066 courtesy of Shaun Wright.
• Class 26 No. 26 007 courtesy of Victor Korzeniewicz.
• Class 37 No. 37 607 courtesy of Swietelsky.
• Class 45 No. 45 041 ‘Royal Tank Regiment’ courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Company.
• Class 58 No. 58 023 ‘Leicester Depot’ courtesy of Ed Stevenson.
• Class 73 No. 73 119 ‘Paul Taylor’ courtesy of GB Railfreight and subject to availability.
• A mystery locomotive courtesy of GB Railfreight.

Additionally, the 1966 Class 438 ‘push-pull’ 4TC four-carriage set No. 428 will be visiting courtesy of London Transport

1960s Class 33 diesel-electric No. D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ and 1960s Class 33 diesel locomotive No. 33 053  will also appear at the gala

in the evening ‘Beerex’ diesel service will run between the festival and Swanage on both the Friday and Saturday.

Further information on the gala and festival, including tickets, can be found on the railway’s website.

“It will be very special to see – and hear – Class 58 diesel locomotive No. 58 023 operate between Furzebrook and the River Frome since it hauled gas trains from the Wytch Farm oilfield gas terminal at Furzebrook to the national railway network before the terminal closed in 2005.

“A lot of detailed organisation by a small team of enthusiastic Swanage Railway volunteers and staff goes into planning the diesel gala with planning beginning four or five months before the event,”

Event organising team member and Swanage Railway volunteer Dan Bennett