Eddystone steam locomotive returns to Swanage Railway

The 96-tonne locomotive arrived at the railway by road transporter

A 1940s express steam locomotive has returned to a volunteer-run heritage railway after a £350,000 revamp.

Following the three-year overhaul Dorset's Swanage Railway hopes to run the Eddystone locomotive between Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage.

It was built in 1946 for Southern Railway and based at Bournemouth during the 1950s and 60s.

Following testing, it is expected to haul trains on the line by early summer, the railway said.

The locomotive previously hauled passenger trains on Swanage Railway for 10 years before being taken out of service for the overhaul in 2014.

The work was carried out by its owners Southern Locomotives Limited.

After testing and running in, the locomotive is expected to haul trains between Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage

Covid-safe steam train services resumed on the railway on 12 April, after the lifting of government restrictions.

Services had been suspended on the railway, which has been run as a tourist attraction since the 1990s, since 29 December.

The original rail line from Swanage to Wareham was closed by British Rail and ripped up in seven weeks in 1972.

Volunteers spent decades reinstating the 5.5-mile (8.8km) stretch from Swanage to Norden.

Swanage Railway began running steam trains on its line in 1980

In December the railway was awarded a £50,000 Department for Transport grant to look at reinstating services to the mainline.

In 2017, it reconnected with the mainline and the first timetabled passenger service ran along the full 10-mile line for the first time in 45 years. The railway had been working to make the trials a regular service.

The money will be used to produce a business case for a regular passenger service between Swanage and Wareham.