Historic Steam Locomotives Reunite After 50 Years

Eight steam engines will gather on a historic railway line, marking a sight not seen in southern England for over 50 years.

The 1940s Bulleid Pacific class steam locomotives will run along the nine-mile Swanage Railway track, which pass through Swanage, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle, Norden, Furzebrook, and the River Frome from Friday 7th June.

This gathering is part of the Strictly Bulleid Two event, a three-day celebration in Dorset, commemorating these machines which ceased operation in southern England in 1967.

The first Strictly Bulleid event was held in 2017, with five locomotives hauling trains along the track. This week’s event showcases the brilliance of the Bulleid Pacific class engines and the people behind them. This unique gathering of eight Bulleid Pacifics in steam, hauling trains together, is a rare spectacle.

Designed by Southern Railway's chief mechanical engineer Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid during World War Two, these engines were used to haul trains from London to Corfe Castle and Swanage between the late 1940s and 1966. The locomotives were nicknamed "Spam Cans" due to their resemblance to the distinctive tin cans used for tinned ham.

The Strictly Bulleid Two event will feature trains running on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th June in the evening, with Swanage Railway operating night-time passenger trains for the first time, recreating the night steam trains from the British Railways era.

On Sunday 9th June, visitors can head to Swanage Railway’s Corfe Castle Station to see all four operational Bulleid Pacifics, owned by Southern Locomotives Limited, positioned across the mainline, loop and in Corfe Diesel Depot sidings. Photography opportunities will be available of the two original and two reconstructed trains. From 7pm onwards, the coal merchant the coal merchant yard will be open for public access, once the locomotives have been put into position for track level photos, as well as both of the Corfe Castle Platforms and the station footbridge. Tickets are live - BOOK HERE!

Photo Credit: Alex Atkins, The Southerner and Charlie Rogers