Swanage Railway will host a ‘Roads to Rail' steam rally on the last weekend of this month.
The event will take place in a field next to Norden station near the village of Corfe Castle, and will feature up to fifty traction and miniature engines, steam rollers and ‘showman's engines'.
There will also be fairground rides, trade stalls, food stalls, live music and a bar and live music, creating what Swanage Railway hopes will be an “evocative and family friendly three-day yesteryear” gathering.
An intensive steam train service will operate between Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage during the event, and a special evening heritage diesel service will run on the Friday (28 June) and Saturday (29 June) evenings.
Camping pitches are available, and must be pre-booked via the event's website. There will be live music on the Friday and Saturday evenings.
The ‘Roads to Rail' event was first staged in August 2021, and is now in its fourth year.
Prices for the event are:
- entry to the steam showground only: adults £8.50; under-16s free
- evening entry to the showground from 6pm: adults £5 for adults; under-16s free
- day parking: free
- combined train ride from Swanage to Norden and return, with entry to the steam rally showground: adults £26, 5-to-15s £14; family of two adults and three children £75 .
Information and tickets are available on the event's website.
“We're very proud to be hosting our fourth ‘Roads to Rail' which combines the nostalgia of steam rail travel with steam powered traction engines, steam rollers and vintage fairground rides.
“Going from strength to strength against the backdrop of the ruins of Corfe Castle, this is an evocative festival of steam large and small for all of those who love vintage steam-powered vehicles on the road or on the rails. More than a hundred exhibitors have confirmed their attendance at this year's event.
“Last year's ‘Roads to Rail' event was incredibly successful and this year more than a hundred exhibitors have confirmed their attendance at the event featuring traction engines and trade stalls as well as a bar and beer tents, food stalls and live music on the Friday and Saturday evenings.
“With people attending the steam rally also having the rare opportunity to go on the footplate of one of our steam locomotives, ‘Roads to Rail' is a great day out for all the family and we hope that it will again draw in the crowds.
“Special events such as our ‘Roads to Rail' three-day event are critical for helping to fund the continued operation and development of the Swanage Railway as well as drawing visitors to the wonderful Isle of Purbeck ahead of the main summer season.
“The ‘Roads to Rail' steam rally takes a lot of dedicated planning and organising from our staff and volunteers and I would like to pay tribute to all the hard work that has been put into the event.”
Volunteer Swanage Railway Company commercial director Robert Patterson said:
