Swanage Railway - 'Winter Warm Up' Gala 03-04/01/2026

The bookend of the festive operating season heralds the return of the annual ‘Winter Warm Up’ Gala at the Swanage Railway, which serves as a final fling before their winter shutdown. The event first appeared in 2013 and, with the exception of its absence due to the global pandemic, has been a welcome feature on the event calendar every year since; and the perfect antidote to post-Christmas blues.

For the 2026 edition, held over the weekend of January 3rd-4th, the event would feature 5 locomotives in action - the most in the events’ history. Class 33 - 33053, currently on hire to the railway to cover for the absence of resident 33111, would provide diesel fans with some relief against the quartet of steam locomotives. U Class - 31806 would be operating alongside T3 Class - 563, complimented by a duo of Bulleid pacifics appearing courtesy of Southern Locomotives Ltd, in the shape of 34070 “Manston” and 34028 “Eddystone”. 34028 has recently completed its first stint of mainline operations in preservation, returning to the Swanage Railway for a period of winter maintenance before it heads out for another busy year on the national network.

The gala would feature an intensive timetable, with services regularly going 'over the road' and onto the Wareham extension as far as River Frome Viaduct, which serves as the current limit of SR metals. As such, services from Swanage would gain a tail locomotive at Corfe Castle or Norden before continuing west, due to the absence of a run-around loop on the extension.

Locomotives:
BR Class 33 - 33053
Ex-SR U Class - 31806
Ex-SR Rebuilt ‘West Country’ Class - 34028 “Eddystone”
LSWR T3 Class - 563
Ex-SR ‘Battle of Britain’ Class - 34070 “Manston”

00:00 - On shed at Swanage
01:00- 563 Corfe Viaduct
01:59 - 31806 Catseye Crossing
03:23 - 34028 Creech Bottom
04:50 - 34028 Furzebrook Heath
06:21 - 33053 Catseye Crossing
07:34 - 34070 Furzebrook Heath
09:12 - 34070 Furzebrook
10:48 - 34070 Haycrafts Lane
12:09 - 31806 Haycrafts Lane
13:24 - 31806 Dickers Wood
15:21 - 563 Dickers Wood
17:01 - 563 Catseye Crossing
18:01 - 34028 Afflington Farm
19:43 - 33053 Creech Bottom
20:55 - 33053 Quarr Farm
21:51 - 34070 Holme Lane
23:53 - 31806 Holme Lane
24:34 - 34028 Holme Lane
26:54 - 34028 Creech Bottom

All footage filmed on Saturday the 3rd, and Sunday the 4th, of January 2026.