ADAMS LSWR T3 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

Introduced by the London & South Western Railway (LSWR), between 1892 and 1893, the Adams T3 class were part of a family of four 4-4-0 engine types with varying dimensions.  The twenty strong T3 class were a development of the Adams X2 class but with longer fireboxes and smaller 6ft 7in driving wheels intended for use on the undulating lines west of Salisbury; however, they worked from depots on the Bournemouth line as well as the West of England line.

Originally fitted with equalizing beam suspension this was replaced with more traditional springs in the early 1900s. Drummond gradually replaced the elegant stovepipe chimneys with one of his own design, but as these and other minor modifications that took place under Drummond's care the T3s were being displaced by more modern designs such as his T9 class. A few T3s were sent west of Exeter where they were particularly successful. During the First World War, these T3s, like all of Adams locomotives, were in high demand and all survived to be taken into Southern Railway (SR) stock in 1923.

With the spread of electrification in the 1920s and 1930s, a surplus of light passenger locomotives on the LSWR and SR was building up and withdrawals of the T3s commenced, with all but three being withdrawn by the end of 1933. Number 557 was withdrawn in 1936, but numbers 563 and 571 saw the start of World War II. However, Nº571 was withdrawn in 1943 Nº563 continued in service only to be laid aside in August 1945.

Number 563 was chosen to represent the old London & South Western Railway at the 1948 centenary of Waterloo station exhibition. It was partially restored and painted in the early Drummond livery of the LSWR. On the closing of the Waterloo exhibition, Nº563, together with other exhibits, was stored at the back of Farnham electric carriage shed, although it could often be seen at depot open days during the 1950s and also spent time stored in the by then out of use ex GWR loco shed at Salisbury. In 1958 it was transferred to Tweedmouth for storage before being once again cosmetically restored and painted into Adams pea green livery in 1959 at Eastleigh in readiness for display in the Museum of British Transport at Clapham that was opened in 1961. This was closed in 1973 and Nº563 was then sent to the new National Railway Museum at York that opened in 1975. During the early 2000s she was on display at Locomotion at Shildon.

In March 2017 following use as part of Railway Children theatre productions at London Waterloo and in Toronto Canada, ownership was formally transferred from the National Railway Museum to Swanage Railway Trust 563 Locomotive Group. Arriving on the Swanage Railway on 12 April 2017, No.563 was initially placed on display at Corfe Castle, before being moved to the Flour Mill workshops in the Forest of Dean for restoration to commence, including a brand-new copper firebox, and it was successfully returned to steam in October 2023 resplendent in Drummond double lined livery.

The EFE Rail model has been developed with the help of the South Western Circle – the historical society for the London South Western Railway – who have provided archive drawings and photographs, and the Swanage Railway Trust 563 Locomotive Group who have provided access to the preserved locomotive throughout its restoration.

Sound fitted versions using a Zimo sound decoder, with stay alives fitted, recorded on No. 563 and produced by our friends at YooChoos also available exclusively from Kernow Model Rail Centre.