34028 Eddystone FAILS on her return to mainline service

September 10, 2025, marked a historic moment for 34028 West Country Pacific Class Eddystone.
The locomotive was hauling it's first passenger train on the UK rail network for the first time since 1964.

This was the Railway Touring Company's Swanage Belle, which went from London Victoria to the Dorset resort via Winchester and Eastleigh.

The return leg was via Romsey and Andover before reaching Basingstoke

Unfortunately, at Basingstoke, Eddystone was declared a failure with an undisclosed problem. However, there are rumours flying around that it was due to faulty injectors (Not confirmed).

This resulted in the railtour being terminated, with passengers forced to catch a South Western Railway train to London Waterloo.

During the video, we see the stock being hauled off the mainline at Basingstoke into the up reception siding (last clip).

Whilst Eddystone was being serviced, the opportunity was taken to film some of the service trains that were operating on the Swanage Railway.

Due to the railtour occupying the main platform at Swanage station, service trains had to use the bay platform.

This resulted in a Class 08 being employed to haul the stock into the platform after the leading loco had uncoupled and had moved to the sidings before setting back onto the train.


EDIT: Eddystone returned to Southall in the early hours of Thursday morning along with the coaching stock.

Locomotives in action

SR West Country 34028 Eddystone
SR U class 31806
Class 47 47812
Class 33 D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN
Class 08 08436

Filming locations are as follows.

Winchfield Station
Winchfield Roadbridge
Poole Station
Norden (Swanage Railway)
Harmans Cross (Swanage Railway)
Swanage Railway shed viewing area
Dean station
Basingstoke Station