The Swanage Railway Trust, 563 Locomotive Group, has issued an update on progress with plans to restore London & South Western Railway T9 Class 4-4-0 steam locomotive No. 120.

The project received a major boost when it received a significant legacy, which the group hopes will fund most of the cost of overhauling the boiler.

Although significant funds are needed to overhaul the chassis and tender, the group is confident that, financially, the project is on a sound footing, with completion no longer a question of if but when.

When the locomotive was withdrawn, except for a cracked cylinder block, the chassis was fully serviceable.

Other than the cracked cylinder block, there is not a lot that needs urgent attention, but work will continue to address areas of wear and refurbish where necessary.

Replacement of the cylinder block is likely to require a long lead time, and investigations have started on options for its replacement.

The Flour Mill workshops at Bream in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire will carry out the main part of the work on overhauling the boiler and tender, while the overhaul of the chassis will take place at the Swanage Railway’s Herston Works.

By carrying out the work at two sites means that it can be undertaken concurrently, and by opting for the chassis to be overhauled at Herston, some costs will be spent internally

A detailed overhaul plan has been submitted to the National Railway Museum for its approval, and once received, work will start in earnest. The current plan is that 120 will be outshopped in Olive Green, but the 563 Group is seeking views on whether there would be enough support for it to replicate its 1960s-era livery.

The Flour Mill also overhauled London & South Western Railway T3 Class No. 563, from which the 563 Locomotive Group derives its name.