Swanage Railway General Discussion

Last year's Diesel Gala on the Mid Hants feature PP working with 2×73+2×4TC. Seemed to work OK.
I remember being on a railtour arriving at Westbury with a Crompton at the front of TCs. The Broad Gauge idiots wouldn't allow it to leave in Push mode, and insisted on a run-round! (And we wonder how Railtour Standard Time came about!)
Pat

 

It works both ways. BR(W) Hydraulics working to out of region destinations were almost invariably returned L.E at the earliest opportunity

 

Nobody seems to want to answer the question? Has work re- commenced on the Hertston Carriage Shed project??

 

Not a question of not wanting to but not knowing. However having said that if the work is being carried out by volunteers the work may be waiting for a more "outdoor friendly time of year" or if by a contractor waiting for the contractor to be available to continue the project. SRC tends to use a mix on projects,

The SR permanent way gang tend to be very busy this time of year getting ready for the start of the running season which is Feb half term so probably not available at this time for any carriage shed related work unless it has been programmed in., IIRC the site of the carriage shed at Herston can be very wet so it may need a drier time of year for works to restart.

 

I believe the last news item on this definitely stated that the work would be carried out by contractors before the start of the running season. There are many supporters(especially those who have contributed to the Appeal) who would like to know if this is going to happen. If we got an update instead of conjecture it might help!

 

A far nicer view of things to come in the future when I walked past the station this afternoon.

 

Hi Oliversbest.
You only have to go back to yesterday 25th January and you have your answer! I have repeated it for you below.

I totally agree with what "007" says, Of course if there is some very kind benefactor out there.....................

 

Anything to get rid of them, I imagine. If the WR 'experts' couldn't keep them together then what chance for anyone else. It didn't get any better when the DH locos were gone and 47s and 50s were the staple power. I was told by a friend in management back in the day that, at a regular Motive Power Conference, it was officially stated that the unreliabilty of the 50s was not due to the way that Southern drivers drove them.
Pat

 

I only hope it gets moved from that spot before it attracts the wrong sort of people!

 

The hymeks worked daily to Portsmouth Harbour and Weymouth from thr late 60's to at least 1972, The Westerns regularly worked the Merhead Fareham stone trains and a link of Eastleigh drivers knew the Warships, and of course Salisbury and Waterloo drivers also worked on them.
Um going a bit off topic here.

 

The 4TC has taken 18 years since being brought from London Underground in 2003 to arrive at the Swanage station platform.
Will give the 4TC group the chance to check and repair the carriages, plus the damage to the route indicator from vandalism when in the sidings and prevent rust getting worse.

Sad after a successful urgent appeal to get the shed erected during the winter to give much needed protection to some of the working MK1 and heritage carriages, the suppliers have increased prices for materials, adding another year till it can be used.

 

If I remember correctly (and I'm sure someone could correct me if I'm wrong), the 4TC fails the current crash test regulations so cannot lead a train on the mainline.

 

There are hundreds of vehicles in mainline service that do not meet current crashworthiness requirements for new trains. Eg various classes of Sprinters, and indeed HSTs…..

As standard evolve and improve, some; such as TPWS are mandatory for all vehicles, but others, like crashworthiness; are not retrospective.

It happens all the time everywhere, not least everyone’s houses!

 

A great prop for a sci fi movie at the moment

 

Can't see Mum and Dad and the kids lining up to go on a 70s commuter train, Is it going to have that dreadful charcoal/black seating?

 

Quite possibly true. Although how has the 5 BEL project got around this problem.

Another issue is that the LU 4TC doesn’t have TPWS etc fitted in its cabs, so can only be used as hauled stock on the mainline.

 

Its probably for occasional use, but now they have a buffet coach they eventually could run mainline excursions like the LU 4TC?.
From the FB 4TC group after external restoration.

Presumably has been cleaned now?

 

Isn’t the DMU just a 70s commuter train? You seem very keen on that! Or are you in favour on the Wareham thread, but against on the Swanage thread?

Tom

 

When I've taken the other half's parents to the Mid-Hants they've been more interested in the coaches rather than the steam engine on the front (despite my best efforts to get them down on a diesel running day) so having a train that looks like the ones they grew up with is probably going to have more of an impact than a 1930s coach on most modern families.

 

OK/. Now show me the interior of the 4TC. Looks as if its at least a couple of years out yet. We might even have a carriage shed by then! and I am in favour of any SR based train that is passed to run to Wareham. DMUs are well known for their "view" characteristics, please tell me more about the 4TC units. Seems to me i read somewhere (RM)they were known to be rough riding. Give them a shot and i will take one if I have to.meanwhile priorities are surely
1. Herston Carriage Sidings (took a while to ascertain its not happening
2.Perenco Sidings (ditto)
3.Water Tank(ditto)
4. Turntable(ditto)
The odd man out is Perenco because i have subscribed to the Appeals for the others
Literally on a different scale the renascent Corris Railway site openly discloses what it has and has not got the money for. The new build Falcon loco being a case in point. They have paused the project as they are short of money at the moment for its completion.