Swanage Autumn Steam Gala - 12-14 October 2018

I sort of took their Facebook post of September 4th as confirmation, although it does echo the point I made on the WSR thread about Heritage Lines only using Faceache to update things this days.

The Exchanges: Autumn Steam Gala – 12th – 14th October 2018
SAVE THE DATE AND SHARE THE NEWS: Stanier’s masterpiece is coming to Swanage!

The most powerful express passenger engine running today in the UK is to visit the Swanage Railway.

...
She has now at last truly become a real icon in the world of railway preservation after hauling the Royal Train as part of Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in Wales in June 2002 and then again hauling the Royal Train in 2005 over the famous Settle-Carlisle line with HRH The Prince of Wales on board.

The locomotive burns up to 1 ton of coal every 40 miles of running, evaporates about 45 gallons of water per mile. As much as two tons of coal will be burning at once when the locomotive is working hard on a heavy train.
The locomotive's maximum allowed speed is 75 m.p.h. today although in service days this was a high as 100 miles per hour. The class record was 114mph set by class mate No.6220 and was briefly the fastest locomotive on earth before its record was smashed by LNER A4, Mallard which achieved a world record that still stands today of 126mph.
With Standard 4MT 80078 also visiting, with 30120, 34072, 31806, 80104 and another guest to be announced this is sure to be an unmissable event!

 

Rumpole’s last message was 2 days after the announcement on Facebook, so I ‘ll not be getting the bunting out just yet.

 

Timetable now on one of their Facebook pages. One of these links may work. No loco allocations yet of course.

https://www.facebook.com/swanagerailway/photos/pcb.1802235316491691/1802233549825201/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/swanagerailway/photos/a.465412856840617/1802233549825201/?type=3&theater

 

Today on Facebook a third visitor.

Swanage Railway

6 hrs ·
*The Third Guest for 'The Exchanges' Autumn Steam Gala is coming soon... Guess and Share!*

The Swanage Railway are pleased to announce that we have secured a third visiting locomotive for our up-coming Autumn Steam Gala, 'The Exchanges', between 12th-14th October 2018! We cannot wait to share the news officially; however why not have a guess for yourself on which engine will be appearing in just over three weeks time in Purbeck?

To start you off, we can say that the locomotive had an incredibly varied and lengthy career until her withdrawal under British Railways, she has operated all over the UK in preservation and features the No. '7' somewhere in her number!

 

Be nice if it was 44871, would fit the gala theme and could come down with the Duchess.
You can never have too many Black 5's

 

is 44871 down for any mainline work at the moment?

 

Apparently replacing Mayflower on the West Country FS trips for Steam Dreams.

 

I think it will be 70000 Britannia?

 

I think you may well be right but I'm not sure it could be described as having "an incredibly lengthy career" with BR. 70000 was in service from 1951 to 1965 - 14 years.

Furthermore it doesn't fit the Locomotive Exchanges theme but then again neither does 80078

 

Well if it is the Brit, can it be renamed Thomas Hardy 70034 for the event?

 

I would say its probably a black 5 (44871?)

To be fair 6233 isn't being renumbered for the event so i guess its just gathering the classes (minus 80078)

 

Well done to those who guessed from the hint; the third and final visiting loco is 44871, with thanks to Riley & Son (E) Limited and West Coast Railway Conpany.

 

One the Duchesss had been announced, I was always going to attend. 44871 is the icing on the cake though!

 

As far as we are aware, there is nothing that will prevent the Duchess from making it to Dorset.

Apologies for not responding sooner, I am not around the SR on a day-to-day basis (no longer working there full time), so I am a little bit out of touch on some things.

 

That’s great. Thank you. 6233 looks a treat back in lms crimson.

 

Doesn’t it just! We are very much looking forward to its visit to Swanage.

 

Yes 6233 looked great at the SVR Gala yesterday. Will we see the timetable with locos added soon so we can plan our day which as always will be a mix of haulage and lineside?

 

Duchess not arriving too early then!

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U62746/2018/10/11/advanced

 

I still can’t believe we’re getting a Duchess at Swanage; as a confirmed big red engine fan since I was knee high to a grasshopper, this is definitely an ambition being achieved.