A brass horn that once signaled the departure of the first passenger train from Swanage in May 1885 is set to echo through time once more. The historic instrument will take center stage as part of the 140th-anniversary celebration at Swanage station next month.
Open to the public, the commemorative event on Saturday, May 17, 2025, will evoke the Victorian era with themed attire. The occasion is part of Rail 200, a nationwide initiative honoring two centuries of rail travel across the UK, including the Isle of Man.
To recreate the atmosphere of 1885, the Swanage Town Band will perform on the platform to welcome distinguished guests, reminiscent of the original festivities. Among the attendees will be Dorset’s Lord-Lieutenant Michael Dooley, representing the King, Swanage Mayor Tina Foster, and Swanage Railway Trust patron Sir Philip Williams.
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The event will feature addresses by Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts and other dignitaries. At 2 pm, the historic London and South Western Railway brass horn will resound to signal the departure of a special anniversary steam service. The route will traverse Herston Halt, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle, and Norden.
Passengers on the anniversary train will indulge in the luxury of a restored 1940s ‘Devon Belle’ Pullman observation carriage. Pulling the train will be the Victorian T3 class No. 563 locomotive, crafted in 1893 at Nine Elms, London. This type of engine was originally in service on the Swanage line from the 1890s to the 1930s.
While admission to the ceremony at Swanage station is free, the public wishing to board the anniversary train will be required to purchase tickets.
Volunteers participating in the event or on duty that day will be presented with a specially designed commemorative badge by Swanage Railway Trust director Clive Hardy, who is also coordinating the anniversary arrangements.
Clive Hardy elaborated on the event, stating, “The celebration of the 140th anniversary of the Swanage Railway’s inauguration will mirror the jubilation that accompanied the arrival of a special train carrying the directors of the Swanage Railway Company from London to the seaside town on Saturday, May 16, 1885, and the departure of the first public passenger train from Swanage to Corfe Castle and the main line at Wareham on Wednesday, May 20, 1885."
He further added, “The opening of the Swanage branch line was a momentous occasion, bringing about a transformative change for the Isle of Purbeck – turning Swanage from a fishing and quarrying town into a popular seaside resort and Corfe Castle into a sought-after day-trip destination.”
Frank Roberts expressed his delight, saying, “We are thrilled that the Lord-Lieutenant Michael Dooley, representing His Majesty the King, alongside Mayor of Swanage Tina Foster, Swanage Railway Trust patron Sir Philip Williams, and other esteemed members of the Isle of Purbeck community, will join us for this very special celebration commemorating the 140th anniversary of the first train departing Swanage for Corfe Castle and the main line at Wareham in May 1885.”
He added, “The resounding of the London and South Western Railway brass horn, exactly 140 years after it echoed through Swanage station to mark the departure of that first passenger train in 1885, will hold profound historical significance and provide a poignant link to the past.”
Gavin Johns, chair of Swanage Railway Company, emphasized the importance of commemorating the 140th anniversary of the Swanage Railway’s opening, given that the branch line came close to disappearing after British Rail ran the last train from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage in 1972 and dismantled most of the tracks.
He commented, “Since 1976, numerous generations of devoted volunteers have labored tirelessly and selflessly to relay the tracks and reconstruct the necessary infrastructure, enabling the operation, development, and integration of the vibrant community heritage railway into the national railway network that we enjoy today.”
The brass horn, believed to have been sounded in 1885, was generously donated to the Swanage Railway Trust’s museum at Corfe Castle station in 2010, where it has since been meticulously preserved.