Swanage Railway General Discussion

Did not all go like clockwork today, a lineside fire around lunchtime suspended services for a while and the 33 came out to play late in the day. Not sure if it was due to a crewing issue or loco issue.

 

Will be 33111 and 34072 tomorrow I believe, at least to start with anyway. I’d count on it being that combination most if not all of the day

 

Does anyone know how much longer before the T9 tender is repaired? If it had been in traffic it would have eased the current loco shortage

 

By all accounts an issue with 80104......hole in grate/ash pan allowing hot embers onto track = line side fires

 

Hole in the grate or the ash pan? Those are two fundamentally different things. A hole in the grate would normally be caused by a burnt fire bar; it would make firing more difficult, but is easily rectified (the railway would probably hold spare fire bars as a stock item). My experience of the multi-part grates in BR standards though is that they don’t tend to be susceptible to burning away fire bars.

Tom

 

End of day fire was falling out on track bed and started 3 fires....hence '104 taken OOS

 

Quite possibly; I’m just making the point that a hole in the grate and a hole in the ash pan are two fundamentally different things.

Tom

 

Any news on when 31806 is going to appear again?
Not seen anything about it since a photo of it in the air with its wheels dropped out a few months ago.
Thank you in advance.

 

I think the original plan was for both 31806 and 'Keith' was to be back before the yellow timetable started, with I guessing 30120 back as soon as the new springs arrived, but that hasn't happened. In fact last I heard 'Keith' was expected back at the start of August but looking at recent from FB photos shes back on her driving wheels, her bogie is now out having new rivets being put in. As for the 'U-Boat' nothing has been reported for a while...

 

A U boat report along with an N class update will be hitting the moguls fund website in the next week.

 

How will we deal with the U-Boat? Hedgehog or standard Depth Charges?

 

Nah send Olympic at it...

 

U boat update would be well appreciated, did check their site , before posting here, Thought it was best instead of being lazy and just asking here, to get pointed in that direction,
Thanks

 

What has happened to the M7? Nothing has been mentioned anywhere that I am aware of for many months. It was a shame it missed the Flying Scotsman as it would have made 3 items of rolling stock recovered from the USA. Swanage Railway is all the poorer without the M7, it is suited to the branch line more so than any other loco. Is their a financial problem, or what?

 

I have been thinking myself actually that is has been some time since I last heard of it. A shame really, for I'd agree there's no better suited flagship for the Swanage Railway then the M7, the two are a perfect match. Just feels like railway's missing something without the M7 being around.

 

The Swanage Railway wikipedia entry has the M7 boiler certification expired and
"The loco has been partially stripped with the boiler currently at the North Norfolk Railway"
The reference is from the owners Drummond locomotive ltd website which has now expired and taken over by another sales company which is not a good sign.
The Drummond locomotive ltd seems to be like Southern locos and is a group of enthusiasts. Hope it is OK and there is funds to get the boiler fixed and recertified.

 

Steam loco ownership can be complicated and from the internet 30120 is on loan from the NRM and the boiler certification expires next year so is it the SR who pay for the recertification?
Guess it's on loan to free space at the NRM and will be returned when 563 is overhauled and in service?
https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/detail/autumn-steam-gala
There is no info on the Steam Gala yet, hopefully by then there will be enough working locos to make it viable?

 

Two comments heard this morning whilst having a trip behind 257 Squadron.
One was "Mummy has not been on a steam train since she was your age" said to a very young child. This sort of sums up to me one of the reason why steam is more popular than diesels on Heritage Lines.
The other was from a young boy watching 257 run round for the next service. "Is that electric as well" I suppose his education has to start somewhere!

 

Why do people need to cast aspersions when they don't know? It was always said this overhaul would take a bit longer than previous, but that she would be done. And whilst this prediction has fallen true, all of a sudden Drummond Loco Society have a financial problem? They've had this since the day they took responsibility for the M7 I'd say!

With 80104 + 34072 + 46521 (until last week) being kept serviceable for the main season, the unexpected repairs to 30120, plus the ongoing work with 31806 and 31874, the SR Engineering team can only do so much. And with Herston itself also having 34028 inside for SLL to work on, there only so much indoor space for overhauls. 30053 boiler wouldn't of been sent away if they weren't going to do anything, but equally there's no point overhauling a boiler to return to an untouched loco and have to wait 12 months for further work to be completed before it can return to steam proper.

 

Latest up date from SLL now on line. Looks like 34053 is fixed and will be returning to Dorset this coming month, as soon as a low loader can be sorted out. What with the announcement of 73156 visiting for the Autumn gala as well and the promise of an update on the moguls, there will be plenty to look forward to in the coming months. I'm please that things haven't been quite as bad at Swanage as was the case two years ago following the collision between 34070 and 80104, but I doubt if anyone expected the motive power situation to be so tight yet again in the peak season. Hopefully 2020 will be a lot less of a problem with 34053 back and 34028 possibly available by the summer.