Swanage Autumn Steam Gala - 12-14 October 2018

Not all at once , But one of them will be good, Will be going anyway just be nice if one of them visited, basicly anything that isn't LNER and Swanage have sold a ticket,

 

Now we're talking, With N out as well it would be epic.
Maby spring 2019 fingers crossed.

 

6023 king Edward please

 

As outside cylinder 4247 wouldn`t fit, what makes you think 6023 would?

 

Thats the problem , your always gonna get someone who wants an unrealistic loco to come,

Wide cylinder GWR locos on a southern branchline is never gonna work,

 

Castles and Halls have visited the Mid Hants as have 6024, 5322 and 5224. 5199 visited the Bluebell and 4247 ran on the Kent & East Sussex

 

depending where 35018 is at the time, Swanage to Wareham service topped and tailed by 35018 and 31806, 30120 on goods, 80104 / 34072 passenger So how do you get 35018 to Swanage , at the head of a rail tour out on the Friday night to Weymouth train worked back to Swanage by 35018/ 31806 topped and tailed , the rail tour rake could then be used as the Swanage to Wareham set, on the Sunday evening, the u class, or 33 takes the tour to Southampton with 35018 on the back where the tour reverses, Swanage railway loco returns back to Wareham whilst 35018 heads back to London via laverstock. get a tour operator to arrange the tour, out by steam, return by public service from Wareham , on the Friday. on the Sunday , out by public service to Wareham, Join the SR service at Wareham, return on the Tour in the evening.

 

This is about the Swanage Railway,

Nothing to do with either of those railways is it ?

 

Nice idea but a DCE takes 5 hours to Weymouth 4.5 hours to Wareham. So it is really an afternoon tour, and for those not staying the last Weymouth to London train leaves Weymouth 2110 (Wareham 2142) and costs a lot, so it is really leave London just after lunch to give people chance to eat somewhere.
The other issue I perceive is where are WCRC going to find all the crews to do the tours and operate to Wareham for the (3 days so I assume it becomes out on Thursday) when they have publicly said they are short of steam crews down south.
I had heard (maybe incorrectly) that LE moves pick up little or no track access charges, so if you were lucky enough to get BIL why complicate things with a couple of railtours on top. There is of course a CME that weekend so there may be other plans for it anyway.

 

And 7802 has run on the Swanage Railway. One other advantage that 6023 will likely have is comprehensive gauging data, given the aspirations during its restoration of mainline running, enabling an early assessment of whether it will actually fit.

And no, this isn’t a hint!

 

No, but to be fair you did say

And those are all examples of wide cylinder GWR locos on southern branch lines.

 

7820 is on the WSR up to the end of September. Perhaps a brief detour on the way back to the GWSR could be arranged?

Just a thought....

 

Has there been any indication of a visiting locomotive?

Just wondering as the spring gala ended up being home fleet only

 

Unfortunately they didn't. Furzebrook oil and later lpg terminal opened in the mid 1980's. The nearest to heritage traction that was ever seen in the terminal was railfreight class 47's.
Perhaps you were thinking of the early 1960's when Fawley to Bromford Bridge oil trains were hauled by 9F's between Eastleigh and Bromford Bridge?

Cheers, Neil

 

Easy to get confused when you come from the smokey north, yes I probably did mean Fawley, but again, because they roamed the area would put them in the frame.

 

9F would have been a very rare bird west of Holes Bay!

 

I'm not overly concerned to be quite honest with you,
As I said ,I'm gonna be going anyway, only thing that would put me off is a lner loco as the visitor,
I'm very happy with the homefleet without a visitor , long as theres a couple freights sprinkled in during the 3 days.

 

Swanage Railway have just announced that No.6233, Duchess of Sutherland will be visiting for the Autumn Steam Gala. More guests to be announced.

 

Excellent news for the Swanage Railway. I hope the visit happens.
But perhaps they should have waited a bit longer before announcing this as the FB page says this: "*6233 is provided subject to final gauging confirmation."
When I saw the announcement the first thing I thought was does a Duchess fit down there? So far the biggest steam loco's to go over the ML connection have been 6201, 35028 and 60009.

 

Not too many things bigger than 6201... length and driving wheel size wise. The Brit has been down there too