Swanage Railway General Discussion

When the DMU is cheaper it always seems to do fairly well with loadings. Defo seemed to be a lot of 'walkers' ect ect that are happy paying £10 when I used it last time

 

Swanage Town seemed busy today with quite a few day trippers looking for something to do. There was a queue outside Greggs at lunchtime. It is an interesting question as to whether SRC should charge much lower fares on days such as today when it is only the DMU in operation.

 

What a difference a day makes. The same service, the return of the 14:45 Polar Express (15:30 from North Pole) 24 hours apart on Friday and Saturday.
Most days of Polar this was the only train that ran in daylight and by 15:30 there is virtually nowhere that if the sun is out it hits the line. Prevailing strong southerly or westerly winds also meant any attempts at a silhouette shot were impossible during most of the programme due to blowing steam. There was once place where some sun sometimes reached between Townsend Bridge and the lineside hut. Luckily there was a little of this on Friday, and also lucky that when I fell over on the bridge (having caught my foot in some brambles) before the train arrived there was no damage to me or more importantly the camera equipment.
Saturday the weather was, well the polite version is gloomy for 15:40, but unusual for the loco to have steam on of course most service days.

 

Yes that is correct in part, The DMMU has to be in Platform 2 occupying the track circuit, However today and I suspect tomorrow It had to run to and from platform 1 Bay as the coaches from the Polar express are in P2 I guess being stripped of lighting/sound equipment by the PE Production company.
I closed out Swanage box on the Thursday night of the 2023 Diesel Gala when the LT 4TC and 33111 were performing.

 

Oh yeah. The Night DMUs used to use the Corfe signal box style of running

 

Yes OVS has been exhumed for the occasion

 

Again that would be something interesting too!
Seriously Don, I appreciate there’s some fat fingers going on somewhere, there’s a reason for those smileys.

 

Yes, I used to believe that re 36001 and 563, but my world was turned upside down when a 1959 rebuilt West Country class turned up at Sheffield Park recently in war time black and numbered 21C127 - especially as I photographed what I thought was that loco a couple of times on the Oxted line in 1962 in BR grime covered green and with the number 34027. I suspect a time machine of some sort, or perhaps 3D printing ; I'm still trying to work it all out.

 

Always makes a difference when the sun’s out, hopefully in another 3 weeks I won’t need my head torch on the way into work at about 3:30 in that place where the sun comes soonest in the east.
All the best for 2024 to yourself and those around you in Dorset my friend

 

That first picture shows a rareity on a heritage railway, namely an immaculately maintained trackside, something that always impresses me about Swanage Railway. A real credit to the railway.

Peter

 

Lets hope 2024 the Railway gets back to strength through a new business running model (allowing gift aid) and increasing revenue.

One thing I was thinking, if the M7 comes back next year, are there the services to use it? If summer goes back to 2 seam then I guess so. We already have 3 with Manston coming back mid may. Then the 4MT should be back 2025?

Really excited to see the return of the 3TC set, which hopefully will be this year, maybe for the diesel gala (wishful thinking) tho what services that can be used on we will have to wait to be seen

 

Meanwhile you will have to make do with this.
https://www.railwaytouring.net/the-bath-and-bristol-steam-express---15-06-24

 

Blessed with an excellent Pway manager and supporting team.

 

Two T3 test runs today ahead of the "warm up", first with 3 coaches which went out as I took my first bite of my lunch sandwich.
The second with 5 coaches that I madly decided to go out to photograph at HX stormed up the climb where it was VERY wet. Also there 33111 had what is either the freight set, or the freight set less the Dogfish has been kicking around the station area for a while.
The entry gate to the up platform seems to be the "drain" for all the water from Haycrafts Lane this afternoon, and there are a few hours of what is described as "exceptional rainfall" still to come.
Anyone linesiding will find that everywhere will be very wet and muddy.

 

Great pictures, even if wet! From the forecast the "warm up"days should be dry.
From http://srstock.co.uk/ the demonstration goods train also includes a Box Van E 775832 and an 8-Plank Open S 59342, will these be added?

 

The warm up days should be dry and cooler. However the ground will be very wet.
Currently a flood warning in existence for much of the area around the railway in Swanage due to the Brook. I sit here keeping refreshing the website for monitoring station down near the Victoria Avenue bridge, where currently it has just changed to "steady" rather than the "rising" it has been all afternoon. Still raining though and I would not want to be driving around here tonight.
No idea on the wagons you mentioned, I thought someone had said a train of Dogfish wagons was planned. Certainly the one kicking around the station area for sometime was given a paint job last weekend

 

Thanks. We are planning to visit tomorrow. How are things now and did 563 get through its 5 coach test runs ok? I am still not fully fit but will try to get there by train and bus. Any information grateful received

 

Looks OK around here today, although I understand from a friend there was flooding in Corfe and across the causeway at Wareham earlier today.
I assume 563 did OK it and Eddystone had fires in them when I came back from another failed trip to Boots to collect my dad's prescription.

 

Ok thanks

 

5 coach testing went very well; work so far seems to have gone a long way towards unleashing the locos potential, and taught us more about modifications that we suspect were done in connection with exhibition at Waterloo in 1948.