Normally, the Swanage Railway holds its main Steam Gala in September, but in 2014 a new events program had been introduced which now included a Spring Gala in April and an Autumn Gala in October.
This year's event was held on October 17th-19th with South London as its theme with visiting locomotives appropriate to London's suburban and Underground lines. Most of the line's residents also have links with the capital with the exception of one.
The full line-up consisted of...
- Metropolitan E-class 0-4-4T No.1 (visiting from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre).
- BR(W) 1500-class 0-6-0PT No.1501 (visiting from the Severn Valley Railway).
- GWR 5600-class 0-6-2T No.6695.
- LSWR M7-class 0-4-4T No.30053.
- SR U-class 2-6-0 No.31806 (making its first gala appearance as a Swanage resident).
- SR 'Battle of Britain'-class 4-6-2 No.34070 "Manston".
Two main passenger services ran at 45-minute intervals between Swanage and Norden with Metropolitan No.1 working two-coach semi-stopper services every 90 minutes from Swanage although one slot was taken up with the Demonstration Goods Train during the middle of the day.
Footage taken on Friday 17th October 2014.
