On Saturday, 7 October, the 563 Locomotive Group and its supporters and volunteers celebrated when Adams T3 Class 4-4-0 No. 563 hauled its first two passenger trains since 1945.

Many of the supporters and invited guests on the trains wore period costume as they boarded three green carriages that included the Swanage Railway‘s two 1930’s Maunsell open saloons.

However, bringing 563 into service is not the end of the story, because although its restoration is complete, the group wants to ensure that it remains in first class condition for the next ten years.

As 563’s boiler ticket nears expiry in 2033, the group also hopes to have enough funds to repaint it in different liveries such as Southern Railway Olive green.

The group also wants to raise enough funds to purchase some more spares so that they are readily available when needed whilst 563 remains in service. The aim is to have sufficient spares available for immediate use when they are needed. Under the terms of the running agreement with the Swanage Railway, the railway will replace them as and when they are used. Included in the list of spares are:

• Driving wheel springs – four needed at £2,500 each;
• Firebars – £2,500 per set;
• Oil feeders and Cans for the exclusive use on 563 – £300;
• Large pallet of soft cleaning rags (one year’s supply) – £900;
• Cleaning liquids and metal polish (one year’s supply) – £850.

Sponsors are being south for good-quality products to keep 563’s paintwork in tip-top condition. These include Peek/ Brasso metal polish, Autogylm paint cleaning products, and soft cotton rags that are less likely to cause scratches than man-made fibres and other materials where buttons and fasteners are often found in so-called rags.

Also on the wish list are new vacuum and pressure gauges that cost around £500 each. Although the originals have been refurbished, ideally they they need to be replaced. If new ones can be obtained, the originals will be displayed at the Swanage Railway’s Museum at Corfe Castle.

Anyone wishing to donate for any of these projects can use the same arrangements that were in place during 563’s restoration. Any donations received from now on will go towards funding these projects.

Now that the 563 Locomotive Group has achieved its aim of bringing Adams T3 Class 4-4-0 No. 563 back into service, the group is looking at whether it would be possible to restore T9 Class 4-4-0 No. 30120. In the next couple of months, the group hopes to launch a fundraising campaign to restore 30120 and return it to steam by 2029, which will be 130 years after it was built.