Swanage Railway General Discussion

Actually with 5 Bullieds and 3 Maunsell locos don't Swanage have more than the Mid Hants?

David R

 

They just need some nameplates made up.
A***E
C********E

 

You jest, but that’s the only practical purpose I can see for them at the MHR. They already have Thomas!

Either that, or they could be used as some sort of swap deal with the Bluebell, to enable 1456 to stay permanently at the Mid Hants.

 

Here:

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/steam-railway-uk/20180105/282544428685772

Maybe not always the most reliable source, but they directly quote Matt McManus saying it won't return to Swanage until undercover accomodation is available.

 

563 will not return to Swanage as a static locomotive without under cover accommodation.

If it is a working locomotive, it will be allowed to return as it will see regular use and become part of the operational fleet, with all the maintenance that comes with it.

Thats not to say we don't want to build accommodation for it or all of our other in service locomotives and who knows by the time that 563 returns, hopefully we will have covered No.1 and No.2 sidings at Swanage. There are big ideas for covered accommodation on the Swanage Railway and it is certainly correct to say that it is heading straight to the top of the priority list. Over the next 10 years, I think that Swanage will really start to cover some ground in this respect and we need everyones support when it comes to appeals for cash to cover our precious rolling stock.

However in the meantime, No.563 remains at the Forest of Dean safely undercover and we will find out in late Spring if we can go ahead with an overhaul, if its a yes, I hope everyone can get their chequebooks out to help this fascinating locomotive return to steam.

In time I'm certain now that No.563 is on the cards, our Ironclad coach will also come out of the shadows and be proudly restored.

 

Ah yes, good point there, seems my accounting of the number of items a railway has is a bit off today! Oh well... we can all have off days.

That said I suppose that hadn't occurred to me as generally speaking for the longest time the MHR was home to the largest number of southern railway engines besides the Bluebell Railway, especially in the Bulleid category. But times change.

 

It wasn’t so long ago that I heard the Ironclad was up for sale, as it didn’t fit in with the rest of the Railways heritage coach plans. I’m guessing the arrival of 563 has changed all that.

 

Whilst there are no current plans for overhaul, No.563s arrival has certainally changed the plan for disposal of the ironclad.
There are rumblings that we might want to acquire another in time but let’s not run before we can walk.

 

SR based locomotive fleet now consists of the following locomotives.

Bulleid: 34010,34028,34053,34070 and 34072
U: 31806, 31625
N: 31874
M7: 30053
T3: 563
T9: 30120
4MT: 80104

A very southern home fleet has emerged and obviously that has made the railway even more aware of its need to cover these locomotives as much as it possibly can.
31625 has been undercover for nearly 2 years now and it has been remarkable how the deterioration has been brought almost to a stand.
Sheds are big ticket items though so give the Railway some time to get it’s head around how it’s going to achieve these ambitions. Even if you had all the money these projects would still take time to plan and complete.

 

Its a sensible move to have just that I couldn't recall where it was stated ...thanks

 

Exciting times (and lots of fund raising!) ahead then.

It’s certainly come a long way since the days of a diesel shunter and one coach trundling alongside the playing fields.

 

When the Swanage Railway announced they had gained the T3 and were going to overhaul it, I was a bit shocked and I wasn't entirely sure to what extent it was "Guff." I can't say I'm entirely sure the T3 will steam again, but if does I will be very happy that something I thought was impossible is proved to merely be very difficult!

Still, wouldn't it be better to restore at least one of the LSWR Six Wheelers? It would a better fit for the T3, which isn't going to be particularly prototypical with 5 Mark 1's, even if it can haul them!

 

He does not.....

There was an article, at the time we acquired them, that stated the aim to have Annie & Clarabel behind T h o m a s.......

Personally if a coaches were to be swapped. I'd like to see Ironclads on the line - might prompt the family of the owner of the one we 'look after' to get restored........

 

Yes would be nice to see the 6 wheelers restored one day.

However 007’s comments seem to suggest that restoration of the Ironclad would be more likely to happen first.

This makes sense to me. Although a bit more modern, Ironclads would have be in use alongside the T3 during the 1920s and 1930s.

So paint the T3 SR green, and restore Ironclad to SR livery. The railways Maunsell TOs could also be painted SR green to match, and form an appropriate train. Although you’d still be missing a brake coach until one of the Maunsell ones was restored, or an Ironclad brake acquired.

Then if Ironclad TK 773 could be liberated from Horsebridge....... but I’m getting carried away now!

 

Well if that’s the plan for the LBSCR coaches, fair enough. All makes sense now. It’s a shame a lot of the press releases at the time felt the need to try and cover it up and present it as a genuine attempt to create a vintage train.

The Mid Hants Ironclad does seem a bit of a strange situation. There seems to be no plan for it, no work ever done, yet the owner has never been asked to move it on.

 

Its gone/going the same way as the ones at Swanage.

I have no idea who owns it - but it really would be an asset to the railway, sadly it just sits there - along with a Dance Hall Brake, which if we (in the wagon group could) would love to see up & running - but again its not ours!

 

i do find it odd that owners seem prepared to let their vehicles rot away rather than letting someone on the railway restore them

 

Unfortunately there are quite a few of these 'characters' out there and they are often the main contributors to a railway's 'linear scrapyard'. In some cases the host railway has been unable to contact the owner even if they know who owns the vehicle concerned and this leaves the railway's management in a very difficult position.
Ray.

 

I believe 5761 at Swanage is privately owned, but on a 99 year lease to the railway allowing them to restore and operate it.

A sensible solution, shame it doesn’t happen more often.

 

SKP out Herston Works and back at Swanage this afternoon.