Steam Dreams Banbury - Swanage 19th April 2012

RR - runround, RM - reversal manouveur.

 

Revised times now up on UK Steam. Now only 1hr 45mins in Swanage!

 

Sheff

The platform at Swanage only takes the loco and approx 6 coaches, so if you are further back it is advisable to start walking forward after Corfe.

Paul

 

Cheers Paul. We'll be armed with an optimised routemap to the nearest 'spoos for food and beer, wearing our trainers and sharpening our elbows

 

How will shunting at Swanage work? Presumably there will be a loco acting as station pilot but where will the stock be left while the steam runs in at 1600 and how will 6201 get back on the front ready for the return journey if the set is so long?

 

It's a while since I last ate and drank in Swanage, but you can probably do a little better than a Wetherspoons. A quick google search suggests The Red Lion in the High Street and The White Swan in The Square might be worth a look, and I'm sure there are others.

As for beers, Palmer's Bridport Ale is lovely, though I think Swanage is a bit too far east for them. Look out for Hall & Woodhouse "Badger" beers (brewed in Blandford); Dorset Brewing Company, a relatively new brewery in Weymouth; Ringwood Ale is highly recommended (by me!). The White Swan's web-site shows it stocks Dorset Piddle Brewery! Don't be put off, it's the name of a river (flows through Piddletrenthide, Tolpuddle, etc.) and the beers seem to have won a few awards recently. If you are not used to it, though, treat the local cider with respect. ;-)

The long water stop at Oxford/Hinksey is very common. The line from Oxford to Reading very busy, and steam normally has to await a path there. They usually stick to the booked time, but ocassionally they're let out early, just to catch out the photographers trying to fight their way through the traffic on the ring-road to get a second shot at Radley!

 

If I remember correctly the procedure is that a Swanage railway diesel attaches to the rear, and hauls the stock out of the station back to Harmans Cross where they have now built a siding long enough to take a 12 coach charter train. The steam loco is thereby freed up to go to the shed for servicing. When that's done the loco can wait in a siding outside the station until the diesel returns with the stock.

Before the siding at Harmans Cross was completed I think they had to take the train right back beyond Norden to get it out of the way!

 

I can recomend a pint of piddle and the piddle pie is good at the white swan,cross the road outside the station walk down the street to the end the white swan is in front of you about 5 mins walk

 

I would recommend Red Lion Pub Swanage Real Ale Accommodation Bed and Breakfast B&B. I have been there 3 times spread over the last year 3 years. Good selection of real ales, and good food.

 

Cheers Paul,

Just drawn a blank on the 'spoons front. Hope they have food at gone 3 in the afternoon!

 

There have been rumours, for a few years, of Wetherspoons opening in Swanage. Not yet!

 

Network Rail appear to have a regular 'steam' path that reaches Wareham Station around 13:15.
Despite various queries NR still timetable all the work that has to be done at Motala Ground Frame in just TWO minutes [Open Gate, unlock ground frame and change trap points, signal railtour through onto SR metals and then stop it once clear, re-set points, lock ground frame, lock gate then walk forward to locomotive to resume journey to Swanage]. That's why 10 minutes is allowed on the SR working timetable in each direction.
Then there's a few minutes allowed for passengers to disembark on the five coach length platform at Corfe Castle. (Any readers wishing to get off at Corfe on Thursday please ensure you are in the REAR [Wareham end] coaches).
Swanage Platform 2 is the equivalent of 8 coaches long so with loco and support coach leading only the front six passenger coaches will be alongside the platform and those at the rear will have to walk through the train.
Generally speaking it takes an hour between Wareham and Swanage at the moment but, hopefully, will be noticeably less once NR re-signalling of the main line (including Worgret Junction) has been completed around May 2013.

 

Some very unusual station stops on this one. I can't remember any steamers stopping at Tackley, Radley or Pangbourne and very rarely at Reading West.

 

Thanks King John. Found this article about the new siding on the Swanage website. Swanage Railway News Gallery - Page 748 As I guess two diesels will be needed will Swanage provide both or will one be on the train from Banbury to assist with the maneuvers?

 

Just heard 6201 has failed her FTR exam. I heard it from Radio Oxford who spoke to Steam Dreams. Anyone know more?

 

Oh dear not a good way to find out if booked on the tour. Since when did local radio stations issue bulletins re locos failing their FTR!

 

UK steam now showing TBA - 46201 unavailable - updated in last few minutes. Nothing on Steamdreams when I last looked DH

 

They wanted me to go on the Breakfast show tomorrow morning to talk about 6201 and steam trains in general - also a good opportunity to talk about the C&WR. The producer phoned me earlier and stood me down though. She said she had spoken to Steam Dreams and the loco had failed so it will be diesel instead. Perhaps no the best source in the world as it is 2nd hand, and I hope it is incorrect! Was hoping someone on here might know more.

 

This trip seems to be jinxed. Anyone know what the options are? Refund or discount off future trips?

 

If you want a refund you'd better be quick as presumably you can't claim a refund tomorrow. Also usual T&Cs I guess mean SD is not required to give any compensation but they are usually quite good with vouchers etc.