Swanage Railway General Discussion

Lets hope the crossing stays open! The councillor who proposed the rejection is widely supported in this view, in Wareham.
Thousands of people have signed the petition to keep the crossing open and there is strong local feeling that the crossing should remain.

It wasn't defeated by a small majority, it was overweeningly rejected by PDC.

Also, the Swanage Railway should be trying to build good relations with the people of Wareham and should not be used by NR as a scapegoat and an excuse for the crossing to shut!

23 years is plenty of time to find a proper solution, because quite honestly, the footbridge proposed was a complete joke.

 

007.....
The crossing is not a public right of way. As things stand at the moment, and I can't see it changing, the crossing will close when the lease expires in 23 years time. Between now and then Dorset County Council will be paying £120K x 23 = £2.76m plus inflation and as well as any costs that might be required for any upgrades of the crossing.
So in 23 years time when the crossing closes the local councils will have to find the pennies for the replacement of the crossing.

 

007.... Swanage is NOT being used by NR as a scapegoat and as an excuse for the crossing to be shut. The ORR don't like the current set up of the crossing as the gate attendants were only supposed to be a stop gap measure until a permanent solution could be found.
Yes 23 years is plenty of time to find a solution but by then NR will have walked away and then the offer by them to pay for the solution would have long gone. Oh and DCC will have payed out £2.76m.
Apart from the DDA compliant footbridge being big, well they all are, I don't understand why it's proposal was a complete joke..

 

Worth while having a chat with the crossing keepers .....200 incidents a month reported of public jumping the gates.....
They were first contracted for six weeks.........and was several years ago now!

Nick

 

The levels of misuse have dropped significantly since the gate keepers were employed.
NR are in regular contact with the keepers on at least a weekly basis...

 

Her's some examples of stupidity at that crossing

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ushing-pram-dices-death-railway-crossing.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8498939.stm

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/470..._crossing_debated_in_House_of_Commons/?ref=rc

David R

 

Errr, I have spoken recently to one of the hater Guards.....still a big big problem with people jumping the gates.......
Also Poole Town Centre l/c is as dangerous with people ignoring the light sand gates. Will do a short video and post in the near future at Poole.



Nick

 

Looking forward to visiting class 50 railtour Saturday

 

T9 30120 will join the fleet for the summer. https://www.facebook.com/swanagerailway/posts/998416873540210

 

Again! It's a lovely loco, why do the Bodmin & Wenford seem to want to constantly lend it to somewhere else?

 

Probably because it's not really suited to their steep climb from Bodmin Parkway on a very regular basis. This was the same reason that 34007 left the railway and then eventually the B&W shareholding in the loco was sold to the MHR.

 

Excellent news hopefully get down to see her working was always on shed times I tried before to get her working.

 

The T9 keeps going to Swanage because it is suitable and is at home there.
Hopefully the NRM will let it live there one day, it might as well. Its well loved and can do all of their trains. Very pleased to see it visit again this summer. It doesn't get much better than the T9 and M7!

Swanage have got a total SR fleet this summer. 31806,34072,30120 AND 30053!

 

Lovely news about the T9. I've consistently failed to get a ride behind it on its recent Swanage visits, it failed before I arrived at the March gala two [?] years ago (though the stand-in Cl.33 was great) and then several attempts to get down there on days it was working last year were scuppered last-minute for various personal reasons. Definitely won't let it escape me this year.

 

As well as 3 x 33 and resident DMU

 

The combined tickets for Swanage Railway and MV Balmoral look like a very good deal. However it says that the return is on a service leaving Swanage at 1750. This doesn't appear on the timetable so is it a Steam service or one with the DMU? And is it possible to get an earlier train from Norden with the same ticket?

Thanks
Adam

 

Does anyone know when the T9 will be running? Will be heading down to ride behind the engine when she's out! Also, will she be facing Norden?

 

Great news! Thanks for posting. With neither 34072 and 31874 ready this summer, it did look a bit tight at Swanage with only 31806, 30053 and 34070 to hold the fort in the busy peak season, so I'm not surprised an extra loco has been brought in and it couldn't have been a better choice. A really superb, graceful engine and one which looks so at home on the Swanage Railway. I went down last November for a run behind her but would be thrilled to have the chance of another one.

 

People don't jump the gates at Wareham. Probably got confused with the odd idiot who walks off the platform end rather than use the footbridge..