Swanage Railway 563 Locomotive Group
Home of the unique Adams T3, No. 563 and Project 120: The race to return Drummond T9, No. 120 to steam for its 130th birthday.
A new chapter for two LSWR legends…
Following the fairy tale story and award-winning restoration of William Adams’ sole surviving T3 class, the 563 Locomotive Group is embarking on its next ambitious chapter. While we are dedicated to maintaining No. 563 in peak operational condition, we are now also fundraising for the major overhaul of its Victorian stablemate, Dugald Drummond’s T9, No. 120.
Join us as we work to bring these two unique icons of the London and South Western Railway together in steam for the first time in eight decades, targeting the T9’s return for its 130th birthday in 2029.
Photo courtesy of Nick Brodrick
Photo courtesy of Bill Monteith
Photo courtesy of Anthony Bossom
Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett
Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett
Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett
T3 Times – Read all about it!
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Our Mission
The 563 Locomotive Group is responsible for ensuring the long‑term future of the Swanage Railway’s T3, No.563 and managing the overhaul of the National Railway Museum’s T9, No.120. As a volunteer‑led group, we are reliant on successful fundraising and this is subsequently our main focus, along with effective project management to look after these unique LSWR engines.
Our vision is to see both 563 and 120 in steam together for the first time in preservation. In the longer term we intend to then stagger their overhaul cycles, so that at least one of the locomotives remains in service while the other undergoes major work, thereby helping to secure a continuous and sustainable future for LSWR steam on the Swanage Railway.
