Swanage Railway General Discussion

I have added a few more Swanage galleries to my Smugmug site, mainly these are either galas before I lived here, inbound railtours where I was a steward, or trips down when we were house hunting. So some years are rather thin.
There is also my attempt so far to photograph every item of Swanage stock (failing badly) which includes a gallery of unidentified, sometimes less than pristine items of stock often at Eldons Sidings. If anyone has any details of the identification of the stock in those images I would be most grateful.
https://garypacker.smugmug.com/
https://garypacker.smugmug.com/Swanage-Stock/Identification-Confirmation-Needed-/

 

There is a list at http://srstock.co.uk/ which seems to be an offical website but lacking some details and could do with more photos.

 

Yes I have copies of that, but does not really help with the unidentified ones.

 

Give me a day or so, and I’ll see what I can do for you.

Regards

Nick

 

Latest News Release: https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ne...lp-swanage-railway-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus
The Railway's just-released "Save Our Service" appeal video:

 

5Z43 Gascoigne Wood to Eastleigh Works today. Units 142.014, 142.032 and 142. 089.

Quote from report: ''Driver on a signal check told me they are off to Swanage and into Preservation''.

Is there any truth in this? <BJ>

 

Won’t be for the Mainline as 142s are banned from third Rail networks. And there not much room for them on the line at present anyway. Can’t really see much use for them...

 

Beat me to it.
Was told that they are to be modded to modern standards complete with CET Tanks, a PIS system and the removal of the steps for the Wareham service.
The pesky pacers running through Salisbury.

 

I think this news has been released a bit early. It’s not April 1st until tomorrow.

 

Does anyone believe that we will be going back to the pre-COVID world? There has been a direct correlation between COVID and
badly polluted air zones in Wuhan and the Po Valley. The BPC conurbation is choking on traffic. A few modified Pacers could be part of a cheap(ish) solution

 

I don’t dispute that this would make sense in many ways. Cheaply available mainline registered units that could be used to supplement or one day replace the 117 and bubble car. (Assuming the third rail ban could somehow be circumvented).

I’m just a bit suspicious when stories appear around this date!

 

How complex are they from a maintenance perspective - in particular electronics

 

Although it looks as if they ran over the third rail system today. <BJ>

Eastleigh East Jn pass 15:33
Eastleigh [ESL] 15:35
Eastleigh Works Gbrf 15:42

 

Yes It could be a giant leg pull'however if COVID shutdowns continue through the HR operating season as I said previously,sadly some railways will cease to operate. I do think Swanage is in a good position from what I read of the restructuring proposals and AFAIK we are not burdened with the serious internal conflicts which currently afflict many heritage railways. we also have a little pull i would say in our commitment to an amenity service.

 

There was a dispensation provided for the move.

 

That’s a very short distance at a very low speed. Other Pacers have made that journey to Eastleigh in the past, and exemptions made to allow it to happen on an infrequent basis.

Regularly running from Worgret to Wareham over a mile of mainline, fully loaded with passengers, would be a different story. However if this story is true the Swanage Railway must have planned a way around this, presumably involving the removal of steps that was mentioned.

 

Just out of interest why's there a restriction on Pacers on the 3rd rail?

 

Because we've got more bl@@dy sense down here in the south than to allow them

Tom

 

Clearance issues I believe. Some parts are a bit too close to the third rail, and especially with their bouncy ride there is a danger of it coming into contact.

 

In which case, why are they there?