ONE of the steam locomotives involved in a collision at Swanage railway station suffered damage to its buffers, rail bosses say.

Swanage Railway Company chairman Trevor Parsons said one of the engines will be going into the workshop after suffering "bent buffers" while the other sustained only minor damage and should be back in service in a matter of days.

Mr Parsons said: "It was a bump more than a crash, but when you're talking about locos that weigh 80 or 90 tonnes hitting one another, it can easily cause damage to the buffers.

"One has got bent buffers the other just has minor damage.

"We are looking to cover the service very quickly though."

The two locomotives collided on Monday (JULY 24) morning, during shunting operations, in an area not open to the public - between the signal box and the engine shed.

Speaking in the aftermath of the collision, railway manager Matt Green said: "No-one on the footplates of the two steam locomotives involved in the collision was injured.

"The Swanage Railway would like to apologise to passengers for any disappointment caused by the need to run diesel-hauled trains instead of steam.

"The Swanage Railway is investigating the cause of the incident."