THERE'S a chance to sup pints and watch trains at a Dorset event in the coming days.

The Swanage Railway’s annual three-day diesel gala and beer festival starts on Friday, May 11.

A special diesel gala preview day – featuring both diesel and steam trains travelling on the branch between between Norden and Swanage – takes place on the Thursday.

Arriving at Swanage on that day to the delight of enthusiasts is the Purbeck Explorer excursion train from London.

It will be hauled by 1960-built former British Railways Class 33 diesel-electric locomotive No. D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’.

It will be the first time in more than 50 years the locomotive will have hauled a passenger train from London to Swanage.

No. D6515, which is now owned by the Class 71A Group, will arrive with a 4TC carriage set in Swanage at 4pm on Thursday. The train returns to London – hauled by two heritage Class 20 diesel locomotives on Sunday, May 13.

Swanage Railway Company chairman Trevor Parsons said: “The ‘Purbeck Explorer’ will revive the excitement of travelling from the capital to the coast in a 4TC carriage set hauled by a British Rail Southern Region Class 33 diesel locomotive.

“Class 33 diesel locomotives first hauled ‘bucket and spade’ trains from London down to Corfe Castle and Swanage in the summer of 1963 and continued to do so until the end of the summer of 1966.

“With the London to Bournemouth electrification ousting steam in 1967 – and the new diesel service between Bournemouth and Weymouth – Class 33 locomotives hauled 4TC carriage sets from London to Swanage from July, 1967, until British Rail ceased trains from the capital to Swanage in October, 1969.”

This year’s Swanage Railway Diesel Gala and Beer Festival will see heritage diesel locomotives operate an intensive passenger train service between Swanage, Harman’s Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday – with some trains operating through to Wareham. The beer festival is based at Corfe Castle station.

The guest locomotives being put through their paces during the three-day Diesel Gala will be Class 20s No. 20007 and 20142 courtesy of the Class Twenty Loco Society, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7017 courtesy of the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group, Class 37 No. 37521 courtesy of Colas Rail, Class 45 No. 45041 ‘Royal Tank Regiment’ courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Society, Class 50 No. 50 049 ‘Defiance’ as well as Class 66 No. 66704 courtesy of GB Railfreight and two Class 73 electro-diesels – No. 73107 courtesy of GB Railfreight and No. 73133 courtesy of Transmart Trains.

The nine visiting heritage diesel locomotives will be joined by two Swanage-based diesel locomotives – D6515 ‘Lt Jenny Lewis RN’ and ‘push-pull’ fitted Class 33 No. 33111 which hauled the last ‘4TC’ carriage set to Swanage on an special enthusiasts’ train in September, 1971, just three months before the Isle of Purbeck branch line closed.

The festival’s preview day on the Thursday is on a ‘Type 3 Thursday’ theme that will see recently restored 1960s Class 37 diesel locomotive No. 37521 haul trains with 1960s Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7017. The steam locomotive for the day is planned to be 1940s rebuilt Battle of Britain class Bulleid Pacific No. 34053 ‘Sir Keith Park’.

For tickets and more information see www.swanagerailway.co.uk