Swanage Railway General Discussion

I would have thought that at least one Bulleid would be under overhaul at any given time. So they could send 2 to Swanage and 2 to Spa Valley if both railways had need of them. Alternatively, the Severn Valley seemed to make good use of SKP when it was there, or the GWSR might be good.
Not sure on long term takers for the MN. Maybe SVR, MHR, WSR (if it survives) or NYMR could make use of it, but those would all probably be more short term hires.

Keith

 

.... though that may well change once 21C11's re-tuning (or should that be un-rebuilding?) bears fruit!

 

I've always thought that 34072 was considered a flagship loco at Swanage. Whatever happens with 34028 or 34070, not many owning groups can claim to have as many operational locos at one time as SLL which is quite a feat.

 

I see that the double-headed Class 33’s which moved the Quantock Belle carriages from Williton to Bishops Lydeard on Monday also carried the BE head code. A nice touch I thought.

 

Reality Bites!
This announcement recently published by the Chairman.
Swanage can't be the first with this sort of announcement and I suspect not the last?
Very sad but underlines the need to support all our railways in whatever way possible.
Still £37,000 to be raised to meet the SOS target. Donation details in the footer.

Staff Redundancies

The Swanage Railway Company has throughout the 2020 operating season been very mindful of the need to address the significant impact of Covid-19 on our business.

Turnover this year is projected to be around 33% of 2019 levels because of the pandemics effect on our services. Consequently how we operate and on what cost base requires detailed scrutiny across the whole business and plans developed and implemented to balance reduced income and our historic cost base, with the need to retain the capability to operate a safe train service.

The Board, having prepared a survival plan shared elements of this with both staff and volunteers. It has also taken a further long and hard look at its future operating plans, building on work it had started in autumn of 2019 i.e. before the pandemics consequences were known and which was indicating even at that time then that change would be necessary. In July 2020 the views of employees were sought on various options under consideration which included voluntary redundancy, taking of sabbaticals in winter months and potential changes to working hours and / or salary options.

Taking the response from staff into account and the data collected during recent summer trading with Covid-19 restrictions in place, The Board has decided that the future financial projections coupled with the need to change the focus of some of our activities meant that the small number of voluntary redundancies received from staff did not address the issues sufficiently. The Board has therefore taken the decision to secure, in compliance with statutory procedures, a further six compulsory redundancies. A total of eight employees will be leaving our employment over the coming weeks.

These roles being made redundant are spread across the Railway Company and Trust in the areas of Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Catering, Permanent Way, Operations, Locomotive Carriage & Wagon departments and Museums.

The Board do not anticipate any further redundancies being required at this time.

Line managers and Directors will share with staff details of these changes in the coming days.

Gavin Johns, Chairman
3rd November 2020

 

Also true and consequentially 257 is popular with the longer standing crews where as Manston was popular with the 'youngsters'. The Loco Superintendent probably sits more in the latter category hence my speculation but as I said earlier this is purely a personal guess based on that and the logic of keeping the less run in locos closer to home.

I asked and apparently this agreement allows for the locos under the agreement to be based elsewhere. Makes sense as Swanage would be a slightly odd railway if every day was like the Strictly Bullied gala. It maybe that 257, Manston and Eddystone all stay, but I know the preference is to have some shorter locos as 2 Bullieds dont fit on shed at the same time making things operationally more difficult.

 

Linking into Moguls reply above. Both the Southern Schools class 4-4-0 Repton belongs in a trust to the NYMR. Though has visited several other lines over the years either for a short "gala" or slightly longer visits by arrangement. Which I believe is the case with many locos, they have a "home" line where ever up and down the land, but visit however fleetingly other lines. This will also generate interest on the visiting line as they have a "new/visiting" loco and interest in it's home line too, leading to a reciprocal visit by one of the host lines locos............

 

I’m not sure what point you are trying to make here? I think we’re all aware that most locos have a home line, and might make occasional visits to other lines.

 

My point being, whilst the two groups having a "contract/agreement", it isn't necessarily set in stone and precluding visits elsewhere up and down the land. With the mutual benefit to all parties....... Especially if the home line has no use for a period for a given loco. After all we all know how expensive an overhaul/restoration of a loco can be. The bigger the loco the bigger the bill......

 

A past SR Loco on it way to Mid Norfolk for next years season.

 

According to Rail Advent the Swanage Railway has received a £223,000 Culture Recovery grant. Very good news indeed. <BJ>

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/11/swanage-railway-receives-223000-culture-recovery-grant.html

 

I can't find 'Swanning Around' on the new version of the website. Has it been binned?
Pat

 

The new websites have dropped Swanning Around. I am sure that will be corrected in the future but in the meantime here is a copy below.

 

Thanks for that.
I hope you're right about it returning. It is always an interesting read.
Pat

 

Hehehe! On a quick look on the phone, it looked like the transit was towing the trailer...
Is that one of the 4mt that sat on the station end at Swanage in 1992ish? (Happy days at the Christian Union holiday camp, watching the red arrows (and Vulcan) over the bay... jumpers for goalposts...)

 

Don't Panic! It's still available on the staff website, outside the password protected area, at
http://www.srstaff.co.uk/swanningaround

Give it a try to see if I'm right.

 

Try given. Works a treat. Thanks.
Pat

 

New edition of Swanning Around Swanning Around - Issue 68 (November 25th).

 

An unscheduled trip to the Post Office this afternoon seems the station and adjacent area now has the full Christmas feel.

 

Nice town Swanage, always liked it even my wife likes it and the added bonus of the steam railway whats not to like although my is not so keen on the railway, big boys toys etc.