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.