Swanage Railway General Discussion

It's so quick and easy to reach the railway from the beach. Always a bonus in a sticky situation I've found. <BJ>

 

If you're a member with any access to the designer of the new website, may I make a couple of points?

Firstly, I can't find a link to the webcams at Swanage and Corfe Castle which you used to be able to access under "Explore picturesque Purbeck". Am I missing something? If not, it would be good to reinstate them as I have enjoyed looking at them.
Secondly, it would be good to feature a loco roster. Admittedly, for now, as far as steam locos are concerned it's going to be either 31806 and 34072, but hopefully the fleet will increase again as from next year. I have sometimes had to rely on the Swanage webcam to find out which engine ins running, but that option has now gone.

 

I don't know who's been directly involved in this website, but I'll soon find out and pass on your comments. Any comments from anyone else would also be welcomed.

 

The Swanage Twitter page is (most of the time) a good place to get the days locos that will be working. Although I have seen days where a tweet at 0900 turns out to be a different loco by the 1000 departure, and not always due to a last minute failure. Railcam will of course give you both the Swanage and Corfe webcams on the free membership option.

https://twitter.com/SwanRailway

 

I'm not involved with Swanage, but happened to come across their new webcams page recently, it's now at https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/webcams

 

I'm not involved with Swanage, but happened to come across their new webcams page recently, it's now at https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/webcams[/QUOTE]

I just found the links buried in the words under "stations" in the "Visit" drop-down. Not very obvious! I'll see if that can be improved, when I discover who the responsible person is.

 

Quite an amazing letter (rant!) in the Purbeck Gazette that dropped through my door this morning.
Apart from the numerous inaccuracies I must also have missed the increase in line speed and the high speed accelerating and braking now undertaken as apparently "the journey takes less than 10 minutes".
The magazine can be viewed as a pdf via the link below the letter in question is on page 4 of issue 251 titled "An Environmental Disaster?


https://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/archive.aspx

 

Did they have to transcribe it, as letters in green crayon can't be published?

 

(Edit to remove wrongly-quoted post!)

What a load of armchair-griper tosh!

 

What a t***er!

 

It would appear from what I can trawl from the internet that the author is a "controversial artist" who has lived at Harmans Cross for five years. I've never heard of him before, so what's ruffled his feathers after five years? His list of Facebook friends includes at least four people I know, including my next door neighbour! That letter isn't worth a reply. Wouldn't want him to think that people are going to take any notice of him!

 

Getting in print is probably his main intention. Keeping his name in front of his potential customers.

 

I googled him; I can only assume he's slipping back into the well deserved obscurity he was in 10-15 years ago, which is when most of the links are dated. As for his views, ignorant nonsense would be my starting point...

 

Not at his prices he has a section on Saatchi Art, Black Friday offers include 10% off any original over £1140, maybe outside the range of the average Purbeckian, although maybe those on the other side of the ferry would see it as pocket change.
My wife who knows him vaguely suggested he could always put is bike on the train!
I am no artist but having looked at his stuff I prefer this that my wife did, although she will admit that the dimensions are not quite correct. I cant find a picture of the original but this is a link to her website

https://www.badgerstudioswanage.co.uk/product-page/30053-leaving-swanage-1

 

It's interesting that he finds Harmans Cross station ''an exceptional piece of railway history''. The station was only built in 1989. <BJ>

 

Beat me to it!
When I read the rant only one image came to mind:

 

You can find the cameras on the SR website https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/webcams However the cameras are operated by Railcam and both Corfe and Swanage along with many cameras across the land can be found here. https://railcam.uk/caminfo.php You will need to register, but it is free.

 

Todays news :- https://www.swanageandwarehamvoice....ding-help-swanage-wareham-rail-link/?ref=ebln

 

I notice Swanage Railway is advertising it's social distance Christmas diner trains (which hopefully will bring in more cash).
But by placing a prominant negative letter the editor risks losing ads.
I expect the editor will give the railway a chance to reply in the next edition.
Pollution is bothering a lot of people so needs to be addressed long term and it needs to be stressed carbon emmisions from steam trains is low.
Also the car park at Norden helps reduce road congestion and car pollution.
The Wareham link in 2021 (good news on the extra Government funding) with more people using SWT to get to Swanage, will also reduce car pollution. Also promote hiking, and the bike hire at Norden.

Ideally the with battery developments becoming more cost effective, the DMU diesel (maybe also the 4TC?) at some stage could be converted to battery and part solar power recharging?.

 

257 Squadron has been moved off the loading dock and replaced by U Class. Is this an indication which loco will be pulling the Light Trains?