The locomotive, which belongs to the National Collection at the National Railway Museum in York, was moved to the Swanage Railway in 2017. Its boiler certificate expired in summer last year, so it will be stored at the railway until it can be assessed for its potential to be returned to steam.

No. 30120 was built at the Nine Elms Locomotive Works in London during 1899 for the London and South Western Railway and was withdrawn in 1963 before being added to the National Collection where it went on display at the National Railway Museum in York. It was overhauled and put back into service in 2010 on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway before its move to Swanage.

Matt McManus, a volunteer at the Swanage Railway Trust, said, “The T9 has been a popular member of the Swanage Railway locomotive fleet for some years now and we are delighted to have reached agreement with the National Railway Museum for the T9 to stay in our care and, hopefully, be overhauled and returned to service.

“No timetable has yet been set for the engineering assessment of No. 30120, although the Swanage Railway is keen to complete this as soon as possible for it to be included in its overall motive power plan.”

Senior curator of rail transport and technology at the National Railway Museum, Anthony Coulls, said, “The T9 remains a valued part of the museum’s collection and we have enjoyed sharing it with heritage lines across the country where it has been in steam, especially the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and most recently the Swanage Railway.

“The National Railway Museum’s Operating Rail Vehicle Strategy, published in 2019, is due for review but we still see a working future for No. 30120 which is dependent on the practicality of another overhaul to working condition,” he added.