If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Swanage Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Rumpole, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
    Messages:
    1,338
    Likes Received:
    421
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The 4TC group have not made any announcements about the Buffet coach.
    When I was on the LU 4TC on a Sunday trip the catering in the guards area on a temporary table was not ideal. Back in post 5571 the buffet coach from Dartmoor is similar to one the Hastings Diesel group use and could replicate a 5TCB unit used on the mainline. From an internet search it also gives a better view through windows than other buffet coaches. If the 4TC group had not got it (for a reasonable price?) It may have been scrapped.

    The 4TC group have updated the FB page about the shunting and posted a video (by Jamie Smith).
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2021
  2. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2019
    Messages:
    1,173
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Brighton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The birds nest buffet was built as a RBR, it was never a TSO. You’re probably thinking of 1885/3764 which is the TSO that was converted to a RMB, and got sold to Midsomer Norton a few years ago.
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2021
  3. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2019
    Messages:
    1,173
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Brighton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Duplicate post
     
  4. 80104

    80104 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Messages:
    679
    Likes Received:
    451
    Location:
    a small town in germany
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I wasnt sure exactly which carriage was which but as I understand what is the BN Buffet at Swanage could be made into a high capacity passenger carriage./ TSO equivalent.
     
  5. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
    Messages:
    1,338
    Likes Received:
    421
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I am not familiar with the Mk1 coaches at Swanage, so have been looking on the web, from http://srstock.co.uk/ There are several Mk1 carriages not in either part of set A or B rakes!

    There are 2 TSOs not part of set A or B, 4349 and 4981, which could be used to eventually make the sets 6 coaches? So presume the BN Buffet will reopen 2022 at Swanage to replace the temporary buffet area in the ticket office?.
    Also the 1865 Ex Norden 'Nest' Buffet is currently not needed at Norden or Corfe (where there is a "Tea Truck"), and in a siding, so may be able to be reused somewhere?

    From the 4TC Group facebook page 6th Nov
    "Yesterday all but one of our coaches were coupled together for the first time. Our two restored DTSO’s (76275 & 76322) are now back to back, with newly acquired“BIG” buffet 69322,TFK 70855 and spare DTSO 76298 on the end. TBSK 70824 remains at Swanage.
    Photos Ben Dolman/George Rashbrook"
    TBSK 70824 will presumably be taken from the Swanage siding to be joined in-between 76275 & 76322 to form a 3TC.
    From the video of the shunting presume DTSO 76275 is the one under tarpaulin?

    Also there is a green Mk1 coach before these, looking at http://srstock.co.uk/ and cross refencing http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1871 could be BSK 35059 which is also not in set A or B, now looking a bit faded?
     
  6. Wenlock

    Wenlock Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2008
    Messages:
    2,027
    Likes Received:
    1,319
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Bus Driver
    Location:
    Loughton Essex
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The fact that two other coaches seem to be available for adding to the two running sets should not be a surprise.

    Surely there is a need to have serviceable spare coaches which can cover for vehicles removed from the sets for maintenance. It is also possible that there may occasionally be a need to adjust the formations to match advance bookings. I can't see it as sensible to commit all available vehicles to service at all times.

    I do know that at the KESR for example, guards sometimes have to reform the A set if say bookings require two TSOs, or if one of the coaches needs an exam. Making up two sets for Santas is another example where the seating requirements mean a bit of shunting, although it is normally possible to do this during the non-running period between the normal service and start of the Santas.
     
  7. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Surely spare coaches would be to allow service carriages to be withdrawn for periodic overhaul. If you routinely run two five coach sets, you can't do it with only ten nominally operational carriages - surely? (Hence, incidentally, why brake carriages are at a premium).

    Tom
     
    Hirn likes this.
  8. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Its an RU as built.
     
  9. ady

    ady Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2006
    Messages:
    2,369
    Likes Received:
    281
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Post office
    Location:
    South
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Swanage has been short of coaches this year, hence why people might have noticed in images shared, that one of the Blood/Custard dining coaches is in one of the main sets. So I suspect the 'spares' your are on about, are coaches that are OUU awaiting attention.

    From what I remember as TTI, there weren't that many spare coaches. However the railway did have the intention that 6-coach trains should be a practice during peak times. However that was depended on the water tower project finally being finished and the replacement of the two points in Swanage station with a double slip. Of which no progress has been made for some years even without Covid getting in the way.
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2021
  10. 80104

    80104 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Messages:
    679
    Likes Received:
    451
    Location:
    a small town in germany
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Yes to run 6 coach trains in the peak has been on the SR wish list. It could also mean that Car 14 The Devon Belle is run year round and not just non peak season only. It cant be run in the peak because of the need for capacity.

    The problem is that water towers and point work seems to have a lower priority compared to (a) Project wareham (b) Traction Units be they steam locos of Diesel Locos / DMUs.
     
    Morris_mad and Wenlock like this.
  11. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2019
    Messages:
    1,173
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Brighton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The ongoing heritage coach restorations continue to provide useful additional coaches. Hopefully another Maunsell TO will be ready before too long in the shape of 1346.
     
  12. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
    Messages:
    1,338
    Likes Received:
    421
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    https://www.swanagerailwaytrust.org/giving
    "The Railway recently recovered a redundant stone built LSWR water tower from near Salisbury station. A project has been drawn up to rebuild this historic structure at Swanage and install a spring water extraction system. In the long term this will save the Railway a large amount of money as we will no longer be dependent on using treated water from the mains for our steam engines. The groundwork is underway but we still need funds to complete this work."
    Not forgetting the important carriage shed which should be finished in 2022 and help keep some of the Mk1s and the heritage carriages, including The Devon Belle, in good condition and "reduce the ongoing costs of the maintenance and overhaul of our carriages".
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2021
  13. 80104

    80104 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Messages:
    679
    Likes Received:
    451
    Location:
    a small town in germany
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The first part of the wording dates back to 30th March 2015.

    See the Wikipedia Page for Swanage Railway which referring to the Water Tower Project cites an archived SRT page dated 30th March 2015.
     
  14. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,074
    Likes Received:
    4,889
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    BSK 35059 is currently over the pit I believ having been part of the running set all summer. 9105 (a BSOB) externally marked as a Buffet Car is the half brake in the set currently in P2 I noticed when I went down the town this morning.
    Eddystone was also missing this morning, I think may have gone to Norden RRI, not sure if it was getting its own bogie back or not. By the time I managed to get out there I had missed what was happening and also missed the loco returning behind 08 D3591.
     
  15. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
    Messages:
    1,338
    Likes Received:
    421
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Thanks for updates, no doubt further shunting and work on carriages for the lights and dining trains?, found on the Swanage Railway unofficial Facebook group an update from David Ensor, with some photos (think you have to join the group to see them?)
    "Southern Locos - work in progress
    257 Squadron just awaiting the fitting of the steam pipe and this is imminent - 257 Squadron tender cleaned, tidied and ready for re-fitting
    Manston tender is about half way through a general tidy up
    Eddystone has had the bogie repaired and re-fitted
    Sidmouth frames are on there way to Sellinge for cleaning
    Brocklebank Line cab is now at Herston ready for refurbishment"
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2021
  16. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2015
    Messages:
    783
    Likes Received:
    84
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Honiton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    One thing they would want to do is use the extension more and this could be by break van rides. The line to fuzbrook isn’t used enough. One thing passengers at Borden would like is to be taken up the fuzbrook in a gards van as it gives them more to do while they are waiting. Stopping at fuzbrook would Alain mean that it is far enough from the junction to stop one shooting across the mainline in an accident so this would help the BTP allow the rides to go ahead. The narrow gage line should be used more to as entertainment.
     
  17. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
    Messages:
    1,338
    Likes Received:
    421
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    There is a thread in the Narrow Gauge forum about the Purbeck mineral and Mining Museum line.
    But most updates are on the public FB page. (Too many SR Facebook pages with updates to watch out for)
    https://m.facebook.com/purbeckmineralandminingmuseum/
    There is now a picture of the passenger coach they hope to use when the bridge across Norden station is finished.
    They were also planning pottery making demos to show more history of the use of clay.
    Ideally the drive a ng loco offers will also return.
     
  18. Jupiter

    Jupiter New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2020
    Messages:
    114
    Likes Received:
    64
    Location:
    Dorset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    It’s a railway taking people from A to B. As far as I know there are different implications, including tax, for A to A “fairground rides”. The line to Furzebrook and beyond is a link to the next station at Wareham. I’m unsure where the notion of “shooting across the main line” comes from. The infrastructure includes protection against this, mentioned further up the thread. By “BTP” do you mean British Transport Police”?
     
  19. 5914

    5914 New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    520
    I am not sure that the cost of putting on brake van rides would be covered by any revenue gained - even on the most optimistic of days. Brake van rides as a commercial venture normally depend on using the marginal costs of something that is already needed to be in operation - not specifically opening up a complete section of line with all the costs that entails. The daily additional cost of running brake van rides as suggested would be in the thousands (loco steaming fee, coal and water, crew of driver, fireman and guard, additional signalman, contribution to maintenance of brakevan etc). I am not sure that there are that many passengers who would wish to take the time out (and thereby miss the train they had intended to catch) to do this. My suspicion is that to cover costs you would be looking at needing hundreds of passengers each day, or a very few and very rich passengers with time to waste...

    Also, I'm not sure of your conception of how a railway runs if you consider that a train needs to stop several miles away from a junction (that is up a significant gradient, and protected by signals and a catch point) - let alone why British Transport Police would be involved in giving permission.
     
    Jamessquared likes this.
  20. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2006
    Messages:
    5,294
    Likes Received:
    3,596
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I'm not going to disagree with some of what you say, but I do wonder whether, in trying to make your case, you have overestimated many of the costs.

    There might a case for running such a service with a small industrial engine and using it to carry out crew training so no costs for the crew, signalling and station staff and low cost for the engine and its ancillary supplies. I can imagine that more problems might arise from the signalling arrangements at Norden and beyond as they are probably not set up for this type of operation.
     

Share This Page