Swanage Railway General Discussion

Trains to Wareham have been scrapped for 2022.
https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/news/view/wareham-trial-train-service-postponed-to-summer-2023
I very much doubt the business case will ever be made to make this commercially viable unless it can be subsidised by local councils/DFT (did I just see a flying pig!)

 

Hmm does rather make you think:
Capital cost of DMUs: no charge - provided by DCC
Cost of refurbishing DMUs: no charge - grant funded
Cost of signalling system upgrade: no charge - grant funded
Cost of level crossing: no charge - grant funded
Cost of DMU service pit at CC: no charge - grant funded
Cost of crews: no charge - volunteers

So what is left to pay:
Cost of Diesel and Lubricants
Cost of servicing - carried out by some paid staff some volunteer
track access charges on mainline (short section between Worgret junction and Wareham)
station access charges (Wareham)
Cost of maintaining track - carried out by some paid staff some volunteer
Other minor costs?

IIRC the choice of the DMUs has been explained by the low operating costs.

If SR do not think the service would be viable this year because of the financial climate then one has to wonder if ever there would be a year when it would be viable?

As council budgets become ever more stretched by their statutory obligations the chance of getting funding to make up any shortfall becomes less and less.

The reputation and credibility of SR is being eroded by this saga. Perhaps the time has come to discuss with DC and other stakeholders what the way forward is and what the implications would be of that decision? Those discussions may of course have been held and the outcome known only to the Council of Management of the SRT and Directors of the SRC.

 

Being discussed in the Project Wareham thread.
The press release does not make good reading.
"The Swanage Railway's business is still recovering from Covid, which badly affected customer and staff confidence, against a background of challenging trading conditions and economic uncertainty."
If 2022 does not work out well and there is a financial downturn, then Seaside towns could struggle with attractions, hotels and restaurants closing.

Hopefully not the case, and the SR will survive 2022, so the Wareham service will be able to start in 2023. When running will encourage extra lesiure travel (for the steam railway, hiking, bike hire, seaside, castle etc,) to Swanage and Corfe by mainline trains, rather than cars.

 

Hi does anyone happen to know the diesel gala ticket prices yet? None are on the webpage yet

 

M'Lud
Overheard in the Chamber of the unelected!
Sire, the Heritage Railways,amongst them Swanage, are running out of steam
House Leader; Are there no coal mines?
Sire,we closed the last one a couple of years ago
House Leader. Let them eat ovoids.
Then M'Lud may I suggest the excellent services of the Purbeck Breezers?
House Leader. Splutters,Maybe Wellington was right about Railways, and I've never been on a bus in my life!

 

a quick search shows UK diesel fuel prices up by nearly 14% in the past three months. VVP may know the answer!!

 

Diesel gala prices for 6-8 May are now on the website. Adult day rover in advance is £35, £40 if paid on the day. Visiting traction includes a Class 44, 46 and heavy haul 37/7, Class 25, 31 and the local SR fleet of 33s. Great selection of motive power in my view.

 

On a more encouraging note check out "The Grocer". An excellent article on Tesco and its commitment to rail deliveries. The telling quote is that some in Rail and distribution view the drop off in passenger numbers as permanent. therefore opening up more freight paths. Co=op containers to Swanage??

 

Thank you very much (particularly for a proper answer)

 

“Some” might regard that drop as permanent; this traveller has observed numbers rebounding strongly. As for containers to Swanage (or anywhere else it’s like), the suggestion betrays a certain unfamiliarity with how the logistics industry operates.


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I do remember BR experimenting with a self propelled goods wagon. No I am not familiar with the logistics industry hence my quoting those who are. I would certainly say that things are likely to change rapidly for recognisable reasons. Less vehicles.,less drivers., less fuel consumption. did we close goods yards to quickly?

 

Or for that matter how the supermarket industry works.
Yes Swanage station my happen to be next to the Coop but where would the infrastructure go, who would pay for it. What would they do with a trainload of containers, no space to store tem, which is why the trucks deliver at different times throughout the day to align with the space and staff
availability to unload them. Plus of course you need a rail connected hub at the other end with all the infrastructure.
So how many Canadian supermarkets have rail deliveries to their door then?

 

Very Few. In fact CP Rail just went on strike. Fuel is of course much cheaper here in north America but even in Happy motoring USA gas (Petrol) is over $4.00(usd) a gallon. Yesterday here in Canada it was 1.62(cdn) per litre
The question for the UK is can it presently sustain its fuel costs and even more in Southern UK, the burden that unlimited motor vehicle use is putting on its structures and environment?
Of course I know that containers will not be going to the Co-op but does it not highlight the missed use of railway facilities?

 

Based on my (very unofficial) records this was the first non Christmas dining train today since November 24 2019, and the first time two steam hauled public trains had been in Swanage awaiting departure since December 29 2019. Whilst in the first image the Eddystone nameplate is being polished, reviewing my image of the second departure it would appear the nameplate is missing. Also some interesting disc locations to add to my collection, I believe the first is Bournemouth West to Dorchester and the second S & D.

 

You had better check with Gladiator who is reporting sparse numbers at Swanage on another thread

 

Highly unlikely that any heritage railways have the clearances for running intermodal. In fact, a lot of NR is the same, and only the lines that have had squillions spent on bridge lifting, track lowering, &c. can cope.
Pat

 

Noted. I was referring to “big railway” usage, and had misunderstood your comment.


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Sorry to correct you on a couple of points, but last year during the Peak season we had steam hauled service trains in both Platforms 1 and 2 awaiting departure during the lunchtime break in services.

The nameplate is visible on '28 in your second photo too, it's just that the present black background is a bit more subtle than other colours.

 

I forgot about the lunchtime shunt into the bay, probably as I was normally at home having lunch!
I do need a trip to Specsavers (actually about a year overdue for a check at Friths in Station Road) but I did need to blow that image up a long way to see it. Thought maybe it was an early homage to the 55th Anniversary of the End Of Southern Steam although the loco is far to clean for that really.

 

I have zoomed up the colour pic, It is very difficult to see,due to the angle of the picture but Eddystone's nearside nameplate is firmly attached to the locomotive.
Unlike Three other preserved West Countries, 34028 has not had a shield attached, (Thank goodness) I doubt if Eddystone lighthouse has a coat of arms!
Very nice set of pictures @Gladiator 5076.