The Swanage Steam Railway is situated In the Isle of Purbeck, in the south-east corner of the picturesque county of Dorset.

The railway first came to Swanage in 1885 and was operated by the London & South Western Railway Company.

Having survived the Beeching Axe of 1963, British Railways closed the line in January 1972 and lifted the seven miles of track from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Furzebrook.

In the summer of 1975 a license was granted to the Swanage Railway Society to occupy the disused Swanage station site, since when the dedicated volunteers have lovingly restored the railway to what you see today - and continue to work towards the railways ultimate aims.

At Norden a Park & Ride facility was created which now provides over 300 warden-attended parking spaces.

On January 3rd 2002 - exactly 30 years to the day after the line was closed, the Swanage Railway laid the final panel of track to the buffer stop at Motala near Furzebrook, the limit of Network Rail.

Sunday September 8th that year saw a four coach Virgin Voyager unit come down the branch from the main line to Swanage station. Here it was officially named "Dorset Voyager" by two longstanding volunteers of the Swanage Railway and in the presence of Chris Green, Chief Executive of Virgin Trains.

The aims of Swanage Railway are: -

• The restoration of the rail link between Swanage and Wareham and the re-establishment of a daily service to connect with main line trains

• The creation of a comprehensive historical record of steam railways and steam technology in southern England

Visit their website - www.swanagerailway.co.uk