Swanage Regatta Timtable

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/09broch/fireworks09.pdf

Normal day rover ticket fares apply £13.50
Evening rover tickets: £5.00

Think its what you call value for money

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/news563.htm

 

Any gen on which loco is doing which evening, or if its going to be the same one for each? Thanks in advance.

 

Seconded; do you know if the diesel diagram is rostered to be loco-hauled (ie the Crompton), or is it booked a DMU turn?

I'll be down on August 1st - Swanage fireworks are well worth the effort to see, its a bit of an annual fixture for us. The opportunity for a bit of evening Crompton haulage is always a bonus....

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(Its an impressive example of what the Swanage can do, in terms of 'people-moving'; just after the fireworks finish (circa 2200). Always reminds me of the days of the MHR 33 working service trains on Valley Lines....absolutely packed trains, very quick turnarounds, and quick station stops with very nifty acceleration into the night - very reminiscent of their time on the mainline too. Wonderful).

=D>

 

The cunning plan is for a Crompton & 5 to be on the 18:15 from SW, 18:50 from Norden and the DMU to be in the other path - 18:48 from SW, 19:22 from Norden. (Full timetable at http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/09broch/fireworks09.pdf ) Crompton likelly to be 33111.

 

Only if they have finished the work they are currently undertaking on her. The other one was out last night. 33111 had some very strange faults last Friday but they were working on her yesterday.

 

Went to the Swanage today but the traffic defeated me! It normally takes 2hr50 from home, today 4hr25! No parking in Swanage so I beetled around a bit, saw the joint was jumping, but I went home.

Regards

 

That's what Norden Park & Ride is for ! "Let the train take the strain" as BR used to say...........

 

Yes it's what the Norden 'park and ride' is for. The problem is that even on an intensive service such as for this event it is possible to wait 50 minutes for a train! The concept of a 'park and ride' includes the idea that the motorist won't have to wait very long before being wisked along to his, in my case, destination. Sorry but this aspect of the SR is the only one which doesn't work. The railway is fine, but the concept of the 'park and ride' is wrong simply because the concept is for a 'public transport' environment not a recreational heritage railway. A recreational heritage railway simply cannot offer the frequency of service needed to make a 'park and ride' work.

During my planning for the first visit I made to the Swanage in 2001 I saw that there was a 'park and ride'. Great I thought leave the car and get the train. I then waited for ages for the train; not going to do that again. Now I drive to the Victoria Road car park.

Please understand that I'm not being critical of the railway. I wouldn't mind betting that the 'park and ride' was foisted on the SR by the local planning authority.

This weekend's visit was just an unfortunate happenstance. The lesson to be learnt is not to use the 'park and ride' but not to go to Swanage an a summer Saturday! Try mid-week instead! If the weather is better during the week who knows I might just try again. I've done dafter things.

Regards

 

Here's a daft idea: Have you considered the outlandish concept of "looking at a timetable" whilst planning your journey? I can't think of any lines I've been to where there isn't a "significant" gap between trains, if you turned up in time to just miss one (not counting gala days). It's hardly going to be like Clapham Junction is it?

 

James: The poster had clearly travelled some distance given the elapsed time for the journey.

Other than "blues & twos" or a helicopter, I doubt if you could aim to arrive at a distant location at an exact time! Particularly on a Summer Saturday.

Regards

46118

 

Generally the Park & Ride works quite well, the fireworks are a problem trying to move a heck of a lot of people in a short space of time. I can understand that coming a long distance presents problems with timing your arrival to coincide with the train service. Generally on the peak season timetable there is only 40mins gap between departures and there is actually only some 25 mins before the next train arrives in the platform, the evening service is a little different I know but if it's the difference between coming all that way and not finding a car parking space........... your decision I know.

Norden P&R was not exactly 'foisted' upon us it was, however, a proviso of our being permitted to open the line to Corfe Castle as there is no parking facility at Corfe Castle station. This was quite understandable though it did cause us some financial problems in having to afford the 'extra' extension before being able to open that section and earn some return. Nevertheless the P&R has been an outstanding success for both ourselves and the Councils and is arguably our 'core business'. It is not so much that a heritage railway can't provide the frequency, the limiting factor is the single line and the passing loops, even if we put in more loops the consequent delays in crossing of trains wouldn't help that much. We do have a 'third path' which could be used on very busy days with a DMU but the problem is that you get a slightly disjointed timetable (not clockface for the third path).

 

Thank you '46118'. Actual distance to Swanage from home 124.6 miles, expected, and usual, travelling time without breaking speed limits too much around 2hr50; actual travelling time last Saturday from home to the Corfe Castle car park 4hr25. This was because, as I said in my original post, the holiday traffic, three accidents en-route (two involving bikers, one of whom was certainly bonkers, saw it in my rear view mirror) and the extra traffic generated by the regatta. The solution is, as I said in my post earlier today, is to go to the Swanage during the holiday season mid-week to miss the traffic.

I have read 'Nigel Clark's response and I feel I am obliged to respect the view expressed, but, with respect, I won't be using the P&R facility.

Regards

 

Yesterday the trains were heaving. My last departure form Swanage we had to stop people from trying to get on the train. I understand the problems with trying to get to Swanage on Saturday afternoon as it took me an hour form Poole, and that was using the back roads that most of the normal traffic doesn't use! I had forgotten that the Red Arrows were performing. The trains for the fireworks were very busy as well. I don't understand how you would have a 50 minute wait for a train unless you arrived very late between the fireworks starting and the service for returning happy people back to their cars! The yellow timetable was operating during the day and that is every 40 minutes!

I would recommend that anyone traveling to Swanage this week uses the park and ride. The carnival and regatta are all week with final fireworks on 1.8.09.

 

Re: Swanage Regatta Timetable

Just to clarify a little.
The Carnival was yesterday but there are many, and varied, events during the 'regatta' part of the week's festivities both afloat as well as on shore - some even involving beer [on shore] !!

Evening fireworks on Wednesday 29th and Saturday 1st.
Additional fireworks this year on 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.
They start (usually) at 2145 and last for about 15 minutes.
Needless to say the 2210 [delayed 2155] gets somewhat crowded !

Car parking in Swanage is limited during these peak periods so the Town Council opens up the playing fields next to the main car park - which is fine if it doesn't rain !

 

Many thanks for the kind provision of gen - that was definately the information I was after. Thankyou very much, it is much appreciated!

Mind you Peter, you mention in your latest post that there are also fireworks on the 8th/15th/22nd/29th. Does the loco hauled diagram make an appearance on those dates too (a la 1st August), or is it booked just the standard evening DMU timetable?

Regarding other posts; I have to admit, I've never had any trouble with the Norden P&R - imo, its a wonderful example of how a railway can be attractive to all members of the family. Clean, professional, tidy and wellkept; a far cry from many railways small, dusty gravel holes that pass for carparks these days. Norden P&R is as befits a tourist attraction of such a high calibre. Having driven around the block endless times, searching in blind optimism for a space on Victoria Rd, then the carpark at Norden is a breath of fresh air. Simply roll up, take your ticket from the attendant, and park up in peace of mind. Incidentally, the attendant always hands you a timetable leaflet, and without fail has always mentioned the time of the next train to Swanage, on arrival. Not quite sure how you managed to be waiting around, Columbine...?

Such is the frequency of trains on the 40 minute timetable, it is great to just break the journey at the intermediate stations for a wander around, safe in the knowledge that 'there will always be one along soon'. Corfe is especially good for this - and when the third diagram (the Harmans shuttle) is in operation for galas, surely it must be on of the busiest stations in pres? Departures literally every few minutes.

Looking forward to visiting you guys down in Dorset on Saturday, its always a pleasure. A particular lingering memory of last year was, post-fireworks, calling in at Quarr Farm en route back to the accomodation, to watch the Crompton blasting uphill. Wonderful stuff, which we hope to continue this year, with our annual doseage of chips, fireworks and railways.

See you there?

 

AFAIK, the only loco hauled evening service this week is on the Saturday (1st Aug). Its the first year that Swanage have put on more fireworks, so we will doubtless see how things progress. All evening DMU services are calling at Norden P&R this week, car park closing at 23:30.

If you prefer your smoke from a unit, we have put the recently rebuilt bubblecar into service to boost the 108 DMU - this is running the "normal" night time service and will be out on Saturday with the Crompton. 33103 was last weekend's offering, but after some "tinker time" I think 33111 will be out this weekend.

 

Second year for Saturdays in August, Wednesday fireworks have been around for a few years now #-o