Urie society

22/08/2026

We are excited to announce that this year's Urie Society Open Day is taking place alongside The Watercress Line Engineering Open Weekend on the 12th and 13th September at Ropley.

As we enter an exciting chapter in the restoration of our S15 No.499, come along and see the latest progress that has been made. Our team will be on hand to answer your questions, and if you have ever considered becoming a member or volunteering with the society, then this is a great opportunity to find out more.

31/07/2026

Believe it or not there’s more than just water inside a tender! Today we catch up with the Urie Loco Society to find out a little bit more about their work to build a 1920s designed tender almost from scratch.

To find out more about the ULS check out their website uriesociety.co.uk

31/07/2026

27/07/2026

We are thrilled to be making the trip up to our friends at the East Lancashire Railway this October. The East Lancs team visited the The Watercress Line line last year so it is wonderful to have the opportunity to return the favour.

We are delighted to announce our first guest locomotive for our Autumn Steam Gala! 💨🍂

Urie S15 No. 30506 will be heading to the East Lancashire Railway for the first time since 1993!🤩

30506 will be operating on an intensive timetable throughout the three day gala between 16-18th October 2026, starring alongside our home fleet locos as well as further guests to be announced soon!

We are very grateful to our friends at The Watercress Line and the Urie Locomotive Society for the loan of their locomotive.

🎟️🎟️ More details will be added to the website along with tickets going on sale soon, keep your eye on our page for further updates: www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/autumn-steam-gala/

24/05/2026

Check out this month's ULS blog for the latest progress on boiler No. 799 and our new tender tank.

Plenty to see on 499's boiler and new tender this month with new steel in place on both. Our team are making excellent progress. Find out how you can support us.

24/04/2026

A tribute to a classic rail tour and to preservation's pioneers. Celebrating today at with our take on the 1963 Locomotive Club of Great Britain's 'Hayling Farewell', adapted to recognise our 50th anniversary at the railway. We want to take this moment to recognise the many dedicated people in our 50 plus years that have contributed to keeping LSWR and Southern steam alive in Hampshire and beyond.
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24/04/2026

We're set up and ready for the first day of The Watercress Line's Spring Gala!

Come and say hello, we're in the society marquee in the orchard at Ropley.

22/04/2026

Ropley won't have quite as many engines in steam as Feltham (shed 70B) this weekend but the South Downs atmosphere will be full of the sights, sounds and smells of steam. Tickets for The Watercress Line's Spring Gala are still available: https://watercressline.co.uk/special-days/spring-steam-gala/
We'll see you there!

10/04/2026

This month marks a historic milestone for the Urie Locomotive Society as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of 30506 at . The locomotive will feature at the Spring Steam Gala, taking place from the 24th to 26th April 2026.
The Urie S15 Preservation Group rescued 30506 from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales after a determined fundraising effort. The engine arrived at the fledgling Mid Hants Railway in April 1976, becoming a cornerstone of the line’s heritage fleet when it returned to steam in 1987.
We invite all gala attendees to visit our sales stand to learn more about our work on 499 and contribute to the “final push” to return this second Urie S15 to steam. Tickets for the Spring Steam Gala can be booked via the Watercress Line.
See our latest progress in this month's engineering blog: https://uriesociety.co.uk/celebrating-50-years-of-30506-at-the-watercress-line/