Swanage Railway General Discussion

I don't remember the kiosk in the booking hall but perhaps I've not been to Swanage since it opened.
I used the Birds Nest in two very different ways.

• Grabbing something to eat and drink between arriving on one train and going out with the same stock. You wouldn't go further into town when time was short. It may be that the new kiosk is OK for this. I guess it depends on how much variety the new kiosk has compared to the Birds Nest.
  
• Somewhere to sit and relax sipping a drink while waiting for my first train of the day. The new kiosk won't work for that.

 

When was the bird’s nest last open in Swanage, autumn 2019?

 

This doesn’t sound very supportive to me. Especially coming from a supporter of the Railway and an ex volunteer.

 

did it get a result??

 

A couple from the last run on the last day of Driver Taster this spring. Will it return if the coal situation worsens?
I was going to add an image of TSO S4983 parked where the Birds Nest used to be, but at least one person may think I am trying to be controversial.

 

Not really! The one coach that you identified had its scheduled intermediate (a year late, due to the backlog of work caused by the hiatus of COVID), and has returned to traffic in a condition that matches the others. (At least that is what my cursory survey indicates)

On the other subject of the moment - as someone who lived in Swanage, contributed in a number of ways the the railway, and still have connections with a wide number of people in the town I can assure you that the move of the Bird's Nest to its more recent position was seen as an eyesore by many in the town - and its move elsewhere will be seen as a huge aesthetic improvement by many real, actual 'locals'. On top of that, I can quite understand that its economics were not favourable - the staff bill was always quite considerable, and many of its customers were people who had discounted food - which would have further reduced margins.

Please don't be deluded by the false reality of your internet world, or swayed by the rather poor showing of a petition (with only 18 verified comments that I could find) into think that that represent the views of a whole town - still less that it indicates the actual spending habits of visitors to the town and railway!

The reality is that the railway is, by every measure I have, as someone who now lives some way away, doing as well as might be expected at recovering from the financial shock of the past 2 years. Your own response to this, of being critical of absolutely everything that you see, rather displays your own bias - and I wonder at someone with such a morbid fascination at seeing the worst in people who are doing their best feeling they will be welcomed with open arms by the very staff and volunteers they are so often disparaging here.

 

For what its worth

Swanage and Corfe Castle are 'cafe rich' environments and I see little point in trying to compete

BUT at these two locations and Norden I suggest what is wanted is a 'quick cuppa' (or whatever) to take onto the train

The new set up at Swanage meets that requirement perfectly

I look to see what happens in Corfe Castle with interest

 

A couple of pictures for Oliversbest to drool over.

 

Hear, hear.

 

Let’s not show them a photo from today then!

 

If you could let the railway know the date of your next visit it would be appreciated. It will give them the chance to roll out the red carpet. <BJ>

 

Hi all,

First time posting here so hi from me.

Does anybody know where the buffet is going to be at Corfe? I imagine in the loading dock siding next to the cinema coach?

I for one think it is a good idea that both Swanage and Corfe Castle will now be offering refreshments, and I look forward to visiting the resited Birds Nest on my next visit. Here's to a successful future!

Cheers,

PLP

 

Was the Birds Nest previously located in the bay platform at Swanage? I remember me and my Dad visiting the railway when I was 9 or so ( around 2001 and remember having the nicest caramel slice I've ever had there.

Would like the chance to return to the line at some point.

 

Welcome
as it will replace the sadly out of business Tea Truck, guess the old diesel and paraffin locos and goods wagon will be moved to make space?
But the moved "Birds nest" carriage will provide cover when wet.

Although the petition to reinstate the "Birds nest" at Swanage now has over 200 signatures in a week.

 

Do not think the box vans have been there for a while and Beryl was out at Norden last week.

 

33111 viewed from SW Webcam now occupying the squint.

 

The Cake in the tea truck looks very nice

And a working coal merchants on a heritage railway station, what more can you ask for!

 

Heres a challenge Oliversbest, what do you like about what the railway is doing at the moment? If you are a supporter their must be something? Otherwise you may as well stop supporting it.

 

Yes it was in the bay platform for many years. It once had another coach attached to it for additional seating capacity too. It had to be moved when the bay platform got signalled for operational use, as part of project Wareham.

 

To be completely accurate, it had to be removed as a result of the Swanage re-signalling project which (whilst a prerequisite for Wareham service, by providing additional paths) was a separate project which allowed the railway to realise the potential provided by the re-opening of the original Corfe Castle signal box. Prior to the full re-signalling of Swanage, any passenger train using the paths that were created by the crossing point at Corfe had to run into the already occupied single platform and shunt out of the way before the waiting train could leave (non-passenger trains could arrive into the run-round loop) - a significant limiting factor in the usefulness of such paths!

At the time that the Swanage signalling project was approved, Project Wareham was still at the preliminary stage, and had not started the formal project process. Thus, whilst the Swanage signalling was designed to be future-proofed to accommodate Wareham services, that was not the only (or (even prime) factor in its design and implementation.