THE return to steam of LSWR ‘T3’ 4-4-0 No. 563 by the Swanage Railway Trust has taken two major steps forward in recent weeks.
The tender tank arrived at the Swanage Railway’s Herston Works on May 3. Parts of the tank have been refurbished and the well section of the tank has been replaced. Coal rails have also been fitted back to the tender for the first time since the 1960 cosmetic restoration at Eastleigh, when No. 563 was last seen in its Drummond livery. With wheelsets also now back, the tender overhaul continues to make excellent progress.