Swanage Railway General Discussion

Whilst as has been said mainline tours do go to Swanage they are operationally difficult due to the length of train. Most DCE's run in the period (in normal times) that Swanage is operating a two train (40 minute gap) service, normally aligned with school summer holidays. Therefore there is insufficient infrastructure to accommodate a mainline tour and their own services.
At least that is my take from both being on them and watching tours visit.
The Sunday trips with the TC used the bay (Platform 1) as they are short and top and tailed.

 

Beat me to it. Pictured at Ropley on 7th September 2012

 

Ooh, I rather like the look of that...!

 

Without wishing to de-rail the thread, here is a picture of 31625 and 31874 both in BR black and also at Ropley, I think in 1996?

Moguls at Ropley by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Has someone overdone it with the red paint above and below the buffer beam?

 

Thanks. One solution could be to lengthen the platforms at Swanage, but will be a major undertaking, with the new carriage shed project and overhauls of locos and the 4TC taking priority.
I notice there might be a Swanage Belle steam tour from Victoria 9th Sept with the Duchess of Sutherland loco.
https://www.railwaytouring.net/the-swanage-belle-09-09
The Wareham to Corfe DMU service (with some use of 31806?) was due to start May 2020, so I doubt if it will be ready this year and the "replacement bus service" from Wareham?. At least the news letter mentions the possability of an evening DMU service.

 

Thanks. Looks to me like extending the platform would wipe out no. 1 road to no. 1 platform. The Swanage Belle steam link is interesting if only for the confusion it has left. Arr. Swanage 14.15, dep. 16.55 is “over three hours in Swanage”? Also looks diesel-hauled outbound Southampton to Swanage, and back? Potential fire risk across the New Forest?

 

The buffer beam is deeper between the frames but I agree that the red front stretcher on the pony truck looks wrong

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Recent Swanage Belle's (like recent DCE's) have been diesel hauled back to Southampton where the train reverses and returns via Andover. In more distant times (until around 2012) there were of course enough mainline locos available to have one hauling these tours each way.
The RTC website does only mention diesel haulage on the return leg to Southampton for the Belle. New Forest fire risk is of course not unknown and is referenced as a risk on this years DCE's for which RTC hope to have the U leading the Weymouth to Southampton leg.

 

Photo here of 31874 back in 1963/64 on Okehampton shed.

https://www.watercressline.co.uk/archive/The-Works/Locos/30.html

 

Here’s my take on 31874 in war time black.

 

A very laudable project, and one i originally was involved in investigating possibilities of in the early 1980s, however the project which is now in the throes of construction, i would hardly describe this as "secure accommodation". Due to the limited clearance of the site the side nearest the running line will be open to provide safe refuge, so not a "secure " shed at all. Added to which the location is a couple of hundred yards from any populated buildings in open countryside. This surely is tempting fate (e.g. the attention of graffiti artists/vandals/arsonists etc) . No point saying anything about CCTV etc, it will never prevent anything happening to these historical items. It appears that work (and money) has already been spent on this project, and i am afraid it can only be a matter of time before some evil individual creates some trouble there. I fully appreciate that space is at a premium on the railway, but to my mind this is about the worst place to site this insecure facility. Herston has had vandalism problems in the past, (remember the wagon that "escaped" from a trap point protected siding and careered into the blocks at Swanage one night). I appeal to the hierarchy to give more thought to this project before anymore much needed cash is spent. With the greatest respects to all Bish.

 

There has been a lot of developments recently with lower cost mass produced internet security cameras. They can now detect movement and send alerts to people who can then have 2 way online conversations with an intruder, setting off floodlights, sirens or call someone nearby and/or police before any damage is done.
It could be overlooked by a rota of volunteers from their homes.
Will be worth SR and other railways doing some investigation into what systems are available?

 

This is a good idea. If they can catch whoever did all the damage to railways it would help a lot of railways save money. It could also have other benefit like making sure the signalmen pull the right levers on an accident so it could help a lots of ways in getting them off the hook

 

Whilst understanding your concern, where on the railway would you regard as safer than "Herston"? With the exception of the line from the station to Victoria Avenue Bridge (and even that is parkland and mini golf one side) and around Corfe Station the whole line is relatively an area that has housing within a couple of miles but the line itself is in a virtually uninhabited area. Where is the ideal location?
I was not aware the open side was for safe refuge, the original plans I saw referred to ventilation and airflow.

 

Could you please explain in a bit more detail what you mean?

 

As in when you have a camera in the car and prove the other man hit you first for your insurances. Cameras could not be just good for catching vandalisations but also show other things to help out.

 

Yes that was mentioned in the early days of the project. A semi open side was the only way to fit the shed on that site whilst still allowing a safe refuge area.

I’m not sure why the story has changed to ventilation recently. I’m sure that much ventilation isn’t required.

 

Surely if the wall is that close to the track will it not fall foul of the structures must be far enough away from heads out of windows that the ORR want for Heritage Lines?

 

The gwili valley railway is doing well with new sidings and maybe a sheds. They might be able to talk to them to get some help on sheds at herston as they seem to know what they are doing with lots of ideas