Swanage Railway General Discussion

How steep is the bank?

 

The 3 mile climb out of Swanage has stretches of 1 in 78, same the other way, from Frome river bridge.

 

Take your pick ... (from the gradient profiles thread):

Tom

 

Flat then

The Ivatt (with firehole doors shut) can make it up the climb from Alton with 5 Mk1s....but you wouldnt want to do it too often or in poor rail conditions. 4 is fine though. I have seen it hauling 5 with the needle "on the line" with both injectors on. The harder the boiler is worked the better it steams it would seem. Such a pity there are not more of them.

 

Exactly my thoughts on our M7! Steams best the more you can hang on the back of it, 6 coaches and its just starting to get good...

 

Indeed. I have never heard anyone with experience of a 2MT, tank or tender with a bad word for them.

Not likely to appeal to rank big chufferites though! The story goes that 41313 hung around Barry for years until the Ivatt Trust came in search of spares for their pair but were persuaded by Dai Woodham to take the whole machine. For that, there may well have only been three survivors.

Paul H

 

without knocking any engine, the entire heritage railway movement owe a great debt of gratitude to Dia Woodham, without whom we would not have anything like the variety of loco's we have now

 

Paul, there's quite a few if's buts and maybes regarding what survived and what didn't. Just give a rest eh?

 

If you had said nothing I would not have needed to point out that this thread was not revived by me!

PH

 

The problem is Paul, that you seem largely incapable of making comment or opinion without giving someone a back handed slap in the process. There are people doing good work out there, following their passions, keeping minds and bodies active, making a difference and giving to their community.

You can't change how we all got to this point with negative repetition on issues that don't fall into line with your perfect idea of heritage.

You could try positively spruiking the issues and projects that you see as worthy?!! (I think this may lead to less people entertaining thoughts of throwing their computers across the room....)

 

Why on earth not? It's a good opportunity to say the Swanage Railway do seem to be suitably cautious about their Wareham operation and learning from past experiences elsewhere.

PH

 

With that one hopes that Wightrail do not get swept along in the rush for Ryde.
Revive the tunnel scheme from Yarmouth. WIBN

 

I've attached a better updated version that includes the line to Wareham and some other route info.

Not to flat. Not to steep. I'd say in the Goldilocks zone, just right.

 

Do you mind if I link to that file in the gradient profiles thread?

Thanks!

Tom

 

Be my guest!

 

Interesting, looks like a few bridges/large culverts are missing.

 

Well they were all there when I bagged a footplate ride on the T9 yesterday. Call the cops, the thieves can't have got far!

 

On the chart that is

 

Not sure if anyone from the railway is on line but my father who lives in Gilbert Road says that the safety valves have been making a loud whistling noise for over two hours and there seems no one around of course. Apparently his neighbours have tried to get an emergency contact for the railway but nobody seems to know one and the noise apparently is disturbing his neighbours who live higher up than he does (plus he is hard of hearing anyway)
Is there a number for out of hours?

 

Can't help yourself can you Paul? How wrong you are though. It may come as a surprise to someone with such a narrow view of things but the rest of us love steam locos of all shapes and sizes, from a Quarry Hunslet right through to a 9F.