We British love almost nothing more than complaining about the weather, but the start of Autumn this 2015 has been nothing short of fantastic (ignoring the weather today at any rate!)  And what better way to spend this belated summer with friends in Dorset and of course no visit to Dorset is complete without a trip to the Swanage Railway.

Ex-LSWR M7 tank engine 30053 was in steam over the weekend.  On the Saturday it hauled a demonstration freight train, in operation for training purposes, whilst during the next day hauling the somewhat more glamorous Dorsetman for Sunday Luncheon.

30053 is a magnificent steam locomotive and is always a welcome sight.  It looked to be in fine form over the weekend in both of its roles!

If you wish to see more pictures of this characterful locomotive in action, please click here.

30053 has been joined this summer by another product of Dugald Drummond – T9 class 30120, that was sitting in a siding in Swanage.  I look forward to seeing 30120 in action later in October in the Mid-Hants Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala, that is shaping up to be quite an event.

Thanks for reading!