Swanage Railway General Discussion

We do have provision for working with a Travelling Signalman in our rule book, however as one of the purposes of this week’s running is to get people back into the swing of things, all ‘boxes are open.

 

Well done for avoiding getting too much of the stripped-down CCT in your photo! Hopefully that should be moving somewhere a little less conspicuous for work to continue in the near future.

 

12.00 train out of Swanage didn't look that full. Are these trains making money or loosing money? Rushing back to normality could cost the railway money.

 

Don’t forget the costs are low too. From what I understand, the figures yesterday were satisfactory.

 

I did get an nice image of it though in its current condition for my wagon collection, before you hide it away.

 

Money making or not, the railway is seen to be alive.

Look at the WSR by comparison

 

Not my video - appears to be some non-socially distanced flailing going on.
Also, please note (from about 6 mins in) the new section of track relaid this Winter with concrete sleepers and FB rail [between Cow Pat UWC and just past Dickers UWC]. Where possible the removed Bullhead rail, sleepers and fittings are being stored for future replacement use in/around station areas I believe.
It seems the general weed killing and line side clearance work during the lockdown has been successful. Well done to all involved.

 

Not only non socially distanced a couple also appeared to not be wearing masks.

 

IDIOTS, they need banning for life

 

It Depends..............

If the moves are purely within the confines of Swanage 'Station Limits' then only Swanage Box needs to be manned.
If only one train is required to work up the line then a single traveling signal man can be provided who will ride in the cab and act as the train staff authorising signals to be passed as required and will open each box at a station if shunting is required. Once the signalman has gone up the line from Swanage, no movements are allowed anywhere else. Its the one engine in steam principle.
If we need to do signalman training or competency turns then we might have a signalman at each box despite it not being essential.
If you want to shunt in swanage whilst your train is up the way then you need to man the boxes.
If the line is under engineering possession and its an engineering train then no signalman is required and the line operates under the PICOP.

There is no whole line token as such.
The line is in 4 token sections.

Swanage - Harmans
Harmans - Corfe
Corfe - Norden
Norden - Worgret Junction.

Harmans can be switched out and a long section tablet then provides a Swanage - Corfe section so the line can be worked to Norden with just 2 signalman.
Swanage can also be switched out so you can run from Platform 1 to Corfe Up Platform with just Corfe box manned but no runaround facility at Swanage so usually only used for Evening DMU services when we ran them.

If you want to run from Wareham to Swanage passing trains at Harmans you will currently need all four signalman.

 

Swanage Railway is working on the maximum loading of trains being permissible is 40% of the seats occupied, so the trains will not appear to be anything like full by normal standards.
The detailed business plan has not been published but I assume that it does not depend on 40% being achieved on every train for the service to be financially sustainable.
Social distancing does not have to be maintained on the train (or anywhere else) by members of the same household

 

Thought Di Woodhams was shut

 

Costs and Revenue are being very closely monitored and analysed. If its not paying we will quickly change what we do. Diesel only service at the moment minimises costs as @Rumpole says so break even even on very light loadings. Its very much an exercise in gauging demand and responding accordingly. There are new methods of working to get used to. Steam is being readied but it's more expensive to operate. Higher loadings required to break even but its what the majority of customers want. We are in uncharted waters so its a bit of a 'suck it an see' strategy.

Would be interesting to know whats working / not working on other railways?

Stop Press!
Just heard the T9 failed its last annual boiler exam before its 10yr ticket expires so its looking like that's it for the Greyhound for a while.

 

Looks like over excited teenagers enjoying their first train ride for ages.
They may eventually settle and be good supporters, the railway has good youth work?.
Ideally the guard and driver should have had given warnings or stopped the train, but these are unusual times.
The LU 4TC unit had bars over windows to stop potential tragedies like the train enthusiast who stuck his head out a window at Clapham a few years ago.

 

The wearing of masks probably will be more the norm as today's news about the wearing in shops and the press comments about masks on the mainline.

 

Steam returns to Swanage this weekend!

There will be four departures a day from Swanage station at 10.30, 12.00, 13.30 and 15.00, running as a round trip from Swanage to Norden and return,.

Trains cannot be boarded at Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross or Herston Halt as these stations will be closed.

You can book your tickets here: https://swanagerailway.co.uk/re-opening-services


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I haven’t done that for a while!

Token exchange with the fireman of the U-Class at Corfe today.

U running 5 Swanage - Norden empty stock trains today for crew recertification. Public steam service from Saturday.

Photo: B.Light

 

Nice arse xx

 

I think Barry caught my best side.

Robin

 

Good to see steam services return to Swanage once again. Well done to the railway for making the effort in such difficult times. <BJ>