The Swanage Railway Trust has issued an update on its overhaul of Adams T3 Class 4-4-0 No. 563, with news of what it calls a “particularly exciting stage” of the work.

Following testing, the 130-year-old steam loco’s boiler is now completed and installed, which enabled quick progress with reassembly.

Work has now moved on to paintwork and other improvements to its appearance.

563’s number plates have been cleaned, removing old varnish from the brass before applying red undercoat onto the background and gloss coats on top of that.

The tender frames have been sheeted over and work has been carried out to prepare the tank, including applying filler which will be sanded to create a flat surface before painting. This work is being carried out at Herston Works in Swanage.

At the Flour Mill Workshop near the Dean Forest Railway, the boiler barrel now has a gloss coat to match the tender frames and also has a mirror finish.

The boiler bands have been painted black, with Drummond’s distinctive thick purple/brown bands have been painted either side of them.

The cab roof and spectacle plate have been fitted and the lining has been finished. Signwriter Phil Anderson has painted a wood grain effect inside.

The finished cab has now been varnished.

The lining on the engine is now complete. The next step will be to finish the crests, and then to apply varnish to seal and protect the paint.

Swanage Railway Trust has also announced an exciting boost to its fundraising efforts. An anonymous donor, impressed by photographs of the restoration work, has offered to match-fundi all donations received by the end of this month, up to a limit of £4,000. This means that any donations during the remainder of June will be doubled – and can also increase by a further 25% using Gift Aid.

The Trust has stated its appreciation for the donor’s generosity, and hopes that this will help the appeal collect the remaining £40,000 need to reach its fundraising target.

Extra attention to painting the engine has pushed the cost of the overhaul up a little, but the Trust still expects to finish the work within its budget.

Details of how to donate can be found on the 563 Locomotive Group’s website.