Swanage Railway General Discussion

Are there any recent updates on the Purbeck Mining Museum at Norden

 

Although part of the SR trust seems to be run separately, there is a thread in the
Narrow Gauge Railways area.

 

The two Swanage Railway Museums Corfe Castle & Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum (PMMM) are part of Swanage Railway Trust (SRT) and controlled via a 'subcommittee' which reports in to the board of trustees. The SRT funds a full time Museum & Education manager to guide and coordinate the activities and work towards formal accreditation for the Museums. Part of accreditation criteria is that the Museums need to be to a certain extent separate in their finances and operation so @DcB is correct in that perception.

I was hoping someone more 'in the know' about the latest happenings would come along but I will tell you the little I do know. The PMMM is a little short of volunteers at the moment so the main focus has mainly been around tidying up the site and opening for the main season. No major changes in progress that i'm aware of. Invisible things like the (SMS) Safety Management System are being worked on. Its hoped that the repair of Skew Arch bridge will be carried out over the winter of 2020/21 and this will be the imputes for an extension of the narrowgauge to run over it. Until then its really a case of gradual organic improvements to the displays and putting in place the foundations for accreditation. Museum accreditation opens the way for more grant funding and other opportunities.

I hope someone can add more....

 

Also there is the problem that the Land that the museum is on, belonged to PDC which no longer exists and the New Dorset Council has other important matters. The museum needs the ownership/lease of the site to be sorted. Then there is the proposed long term plan for Norden Station itself (including 6 coach trains) that is under review and planning. It affects the Skew Arch bridge and entrance to the museum. There is a link to Salisbury Cooling Water Tower, in so much that the existing water tower may move to Norden (allowing 6 coach trains in Swanage) and that may effect the height of Skew Arch Bridge. Serveral things are on hold.

Also I believe there are plans by the council to update the area to improve safety for public.

 

Today on SR Facebook.

Swanage Railway
16 hrs ·
SPRING TIME IVATT COMES FOR SUMMER!

Summer comes soonest in the South - and thanks to our friends at the LSLG and the Great Central Railway LMS-designed Ivatt ‘46521’ will be heading back to Purbeck for the Summer season.

This short notice hire, for which we are incredibly thankful, will see 46521 arrive next Wednesday (subject to haulage) for around 8 weeks - adding steam support to our fleet at the busiest time!

46521 starred on the SR earlier this year, and proved to be a popular locomotive with passengers and volunteers alike - so we hope you can come and enjoy her once again with us this Summer! ☀️

 

We are staying near Weymouth for a few days next week and will hopefully persuade the others to swing by the railway at some point, does anyone know what the scheduled loco for next week is and which way it faces? Thanks in advance!

 

Do not know the roster but 80104 faces Swanage and 34072 faces Norden.
Note there is a gap in the diesel service at lunchtime which is shown on the website but not in the printed timetable version.

 

South Western Railway Saturday service cancelled two weeks in succession and that's without industrial action. Don't know how well supported this service has been but SWR does not appear to be very committed to it.

 

On the move again, from what I can work out on RTT may have been an issue with the WCRC to Weymouth. I wonder if one of the dieses failed and the other had to run round.
Following GWR service well delayed as well.
Of course they may decide to terminate it at Weymouth as it is late.

 

Now I am confused. Checked earlier on Realtime Trains which indicated that service was cancelled throughout. It would appear that the service has been resurrected as it has just arrived in Weymouth albeit twenty five minutes late.

 

Some weeks there seems to be a duplicate path in RTT for the morning service, no idea why.

 

Realtime Trains say the 11:35 arrival at Corfe was cancelled but it is not clear if the 1:30 arrived? Can anyone confirm?

 

Service from Waterloo held at Norden Gates until the 1200 service departed. Not sure if was then held at Corfe to allow the pax to transfer.
1210 to Poole ran as well a few minutes late.


http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W31316/2019/07/13/advanced

 

Thank you!

 

For anyone planning on visiting the Swanage Railway, please note the chain ferry between Sandbanks and Studland is currently out of action due to mechanical issues and is likely to be out of commission until at least 12 August.

 

Hell's bloody bells! ..... what now? It's not long since an inordinately protracted annual service break ended. The joys of commercially operating antique tech, Eh?

Oh how I wish I had a dozen 'Canadian' style 4 seat canoes to tout to would-be foot passengers.

 

Or a Mexflote

This is interesting

http://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/downloads/press-release-20190312.pdf

 

Well, our sailing club has bought a load of Sandbanks Ferry chain.

www.wsc.org.uk/node/4082

 

I hope that this isn't the reason why 257 Squadron took longer than expected to return to service . <BJ>

''Lengths of huge mooring chain, formerly of Sandbanks ferry, are laid on the sea bed, shackled at each end to old railway wheels''.

 

Based on previous "estimates" from the ferry company I know I, a large number of residents have little faith in that date. Lets hope we are proven wrong but I suspect spare driveshafts for a ferry such as this are not laying on a warehouse shelf somewhere.
I find the minutes about the new ferry interesting as it implies this was unknown, whereas the local paper has run articles about the level of money being taken out by the owner, whilst putting aside nothing for a new ferry.
Since the public enquiry (where the company of criticised by the chairman for trying to intimidate objectors) and Chris Grayling refusing the proposed eye watering increases the service has deteriorated seriously.
I feel sorry for all the businesses in the town who suffered over Christmas and now the school holidays. Their two main revenue streams.
For those planning to use the 50 most seem to run OK but on Sunday (during my day of TV sport) I noticed two pass by inbound 2 minutes apart and then another 10 minutes later, the gap of course is supposed to be 30 minutes.