CROWDS gathered at Corfe Castle and Swanage to watch a record-breaking locomotive steam into Purbeck.

After 83 years in service, the iconic 6201 Princess Elizabeth made its debut appearance on the Swanage Railway after heading the luxurious Cathedrals Express train service from London Victoria.

Swanage Railway Company chairman Trevor Parsons said: "It was a great honour, and very exciting, to play host to such a prestigious, powerful and record-breaking steam locomotive that was the largest to visit Corfe Castle and Swanage.

"A member of the Princess Royal class of steam locomotives, No. 6201 is a magnificent and majestic piece of engineering – it was absolutely wonderful to see it in steam and doing what it was designed to do more than 80 years ago.

"Named after the Queen when she was the seven year old Princess Elizabeth of York, 'Princess Elizabeth' sounded its whistle on the Battersea railway bridge over the River Thames in London to signal the start of the Queen's Thames diamond jubilee pageant in the summer of 2012."

In 1936, Princess Elizabeth broke the world long-distance speed record for steaming in excess of 70mph between London and Glasgow, a world record that still stands for steam engines today.

Roland Norton, a volunteer in the Locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth Society, said: “The giant 160-ton locomotive, resplendent in L.M.S. red livery, is substantially more powerful than its L.N.E.R. rival Flying Scotsman.

"It was designed at Derby’s locomotive works in 1933 and built at Crewe, where it was named after Her Majesty the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth of York.

"In its working life with the L.M.S. and British Railways Princess Elizabeth powered expresses from London’s Euston Station to the north, often consisting of up to 20 coaches, weighing well over 550 tons."

Today, it is controlled by the Locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth Society Ltd, and has recently received a three and a half year overhaul to resume its 40-year-old role hauling charter trains across the railways network.

Operated by Steam Dream tours, the Princess Elizabeth returned to commercial service earlier this month, with Wednesday's London to Swanage journey its third trip.