Swanage Railway General Discussion

Special fares includes travel on the 'feeder service' - especially useful if one prefers to park one's car at Norden rather than Swanage with all 60103's trips starting/finishing at Swanage - and also permits access to specific viewing areas.

 

The visit of 60103 in 1994 created unprecedented passenger figures on the Railway. You must have been lucky to find it " ... was pretty much just a normal service day ... " as many, many days were sellouts and I was fortunate enough to drive FS on some of them.
I suspect the current 'hire/steaming' fees charges are some order of magnitude bigger than 1994.
I hope people do not take silly risks. There are a reasonable number of countryside sites available for non-lineside shots using telephoto lenses.

 

Special fares includes travel on the 'feeder service' - especially useful if one prefers to park one's car at Norden rather than Swanage with all 60103's trips starting/finishing at Swanage - and also permits access to specific viewing areas.
Whether the special fares prove to be too much remains to be seen I guess.

 

To be fair though, those costs would be incurred at other railways hosting FS - I know at the Bluebell, the ticket price included travel on all other trains during the day etc. allowing a feeder service from East Grinstead for those coming from that end of the line. Tickets were £35 for adults, £17.50 for children. Swanage tickets are AFAICS £40 with no child discount. As you say, will be interesting to see whether it sells out - fair play to Swanage if it does.

Tom

 

Prices for the visit of 4488 UoS.A. at the NYMR end of March early April
Adults £35.00, Children £17.50 and Family £72.00 (2 Adult + 2 Children, 1-15 years)
So £5 extra for a celebrity loco doesn't seem to be so bad, especially for us 'rich' Southerners

 

Rich Southerners? Speak for yourself! We will go anyway but as much for 30120 and 34072 as 60103. Also to support our favourite line.

 

Even at that price, I'm sure I'll be there purely because my son has wanted to travel on the Flying Moneypit for as long as I can remember and it didn't help when I had the "pleasure" as part of my duties in 2017 (as well as on Swanage back in '94).

 

You do get to go a good bit further behind the engine on the NYMR, though, and it is made to bark rather more loudly as it goes from Grosmont to Goathland or Levisham to Goathland.

 

Why not look at it for what it really is, a fund raising event where if you give £40 to the railway you get a ride behind Flying Scotsman. Your money then helps the railway out and helps it survive.

 

Because if that’s all it is, it deserves to fail. Swanage are charging £40 for Flying Scotsman trips, which if I was paying would seriously need to justify the fare.

If they can make it work, they have my congratulations. But it is a commercial venture, not an appeal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It is not aimed at enthusiasts. There are many affluent people in Dorset/Hampshire and I`m sure they will have no difficulty filling the trains.

 

It is a commercial venture Im sure but where do all the profits go? Back into the railway?

 

Certainly seems to be a lot of jealousy and sour grapes, going around over the visit of Flying Scotsman. As a member of the aforementioned NYMR they "cashed in" on 'Scotsman's visit back in 2016 and had quite a hefty cash windfall, as fellow member Bean-counter/Steven would testify. Thing that makes me laugh/smile at that event was when "Mr Master Shot" was so busy with his state of the art camera, he edged nearer and nearer to the edge of Platform 2 at Grosmont and promptly stepped off, thankfully no harm was done as 'Scotsman was stationary, other than to Mr Master Shots' pride!

I say why not "cash in" and use any profit to finance over and above other projects, that aren't necessarily as fashionable as say restoring 563 the LSWR 4-4-0 they inherited from the NRM.

 

The NYMR certainly did cash in on the visit of Scotsman. I've forgotten the exact figure but it was a lot. They have continued to put on similar events since, using Royal Scot and Tornado and this year Union of South Africa. However, these are aimed more at the corporate market with pre-booked seats rather than Joe Public or the enthusiast. That approach seems to work.

 

Certainly a way of generating extra cash at a low point. At the start of the season, which for most lines is around Mid-March/Easter. So good for Swanage following suit and an example for others including the "big league outfits" out there to follow, if they get the chance. Any profits being used to help with the bank balance, workshops [for all stock not just the locos], trackwork etc.

 

On the Bluebell, some of the income from FS is being put towards permanent volunteer accommodation.

Tom

 

Project Wareham still needs funds, so I assume it will go in that direction.

Its just a pity that they do not have any mainline registered passenger carrying stock. Top and tailing with the U into Wareham would be a money spinner, hang on, that's for next year

 

On what basis do you say that it would be a money spinner to do this? It only becomes a money spinner when the additional income exceeds the additional expenditure by a substantial amount and the additional expenditure will be quite significant if you add in everything needed to do it.

 

Indeed, and I wish them luck. My comment was aimed at those suggesting it was just a form of donation to the railway.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Absolutely. And so any losses should (God forbid) they arise.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk