Steve Doughty, the treasurer of the Swanage Railway Trust – 563 Locomotive Group, has announced that its appeal to raise £40,000 for the restoration of Adams T3 Class 4-4-0 No. 563 was achieved in June.

During the last month, 563 has been transformed and now looks nearly ready to haul trains again.

At the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean, where much of the work has been carried out, the engine has been painted to exhibition standard, whilst at Herston on the Swanage Railway overhaul of the tender is increasingly near to completion.

As with most steam locomotive overhauls, it is not until the final phase of the project is reached that the exact amount needed to complete the overhaul becomes clear.

With 563, the funds required to complete its overhaul have been constantly reviewed so that the fundraising target is as near as possible close to the best estimate of the final cost.

Although the amount raised so far is near to what is required, more time and labour than originally anticipated have been needed for cosmetic jobs on both the engine and tender. Until now the Trust has not compromised on quality and does not intend to start now as the final finish achieved by both the Flour Mill and Herston Works is outstanding.

However, some additional work has been required, and 563 still needs to be tested before it is ready for service. The latest estimate is that just £10,000 is now needed to complete 563’s overhaul, and the Trust is appealing for donations to get there.

Moving forward, the current plan is that 563’s engine and tender will be reunited later this summer at the Swanage Railway, when commissioning, testing, and training will take place so that it will be ready to enter service this autumn, all being well.

A special launch event is being planned as well as 563’s first public running dates, and those dates will be confirmed shortly.

At the Flour Mill work has continued on painting and lining, including hand-painting 563; LSWR crest of arms. Besides the paintwork, a large number of fittings and pipe work such as the vacuum and steam brake have been refitted. Although from a distance they may not affect the look of the locomotive, it is both important work and very time-consuming.

As at the Flour Mill, work at Herston on the tender has concentrated on the paintwork. The tender tank has now received a first coat of LSWR passenger green, but that took longer than expected and it will now be another five weeks before the tank is ready to be lined out.

After the Trust’s recent call for supporters to sponsor various components, it has issued a request for a ‘storm sheet’ which is an essential item, particularly when running tender first. The sheet will make life much more pleasant for crews, and help keep them dry in the fairly exposed cab of 563. For this, the Trust is seeking donations of £200.

Full details of how to donate to the Trust can be found on its webpage at 563locomotivegroup.co.uk/donate/