Swanage Railway General Discussion

Possibly turned to face Swanage, for the upcoming winter warmer event January 7th/8th, and/or for a photo charter?
Normally all tender loco's face London because of restricted watering facilities at Swanage.

 

Thanks for posting the pictures Gladiator, there are still lots of us who do not "Do" FB....

 

Quite right, and don't have any intention of doing so. <BJ>

 

34028 Train of lights 34070 rear on 1715 and 1915 ex Swanage, so 34070 leading ex Norden.
Corfe Castle had frozen signals not to mention a frozen signalman! outside temperature on my car coming home read -4c

 

I feel your cold Andy. It was -8 driving through Pickering yesterday morning at 8am en route to Grosmont for a firing turn that involved thawing out the loco, thawing out the shed and station point work, and finally thawing out the carriage sets in the station. Nothing to do with Swanage I know, but you guys like a Schools Class, so here's a picture anyway.

I'm back at pickering on Monday when it promises to be a tropical 12 degrees by then.

Peter

 

In time for the end of the school term. Hope the daily lights, Explorer and Winter warm up trains have happy passengers and bring in some good cash for the SR

 

It seems updating FB, Intragram and Twitter with photos and news is easier than updating websites or publishing, so social media has more updates, the downside is sorting out the fake or malicious news so Musk's takeover of Twitter allowing dubious "free speech" and the watering down of the Government's internet content bill is a bad direction.
Hopefully the SR website can be updated more?. Swanning Around and the SR Magazine report on limited coverage of what has happened, rather than current updates of projects where the unofficial SR, and various other SR related Facebook pages/groups, currently does well and is moderated and restricted, so there are no fake or malicious news.

 

Websites and Social media have different purposes. The website is the shop window, and in the case of the heritage railway it's to provide information for intending passengers and sell them tickets. Websites are not for personal experiences and today's photos and comments - Facebook is good at that. I can't see what Twitter or Instagram would bring to the party.

 

Twitter brings instant snapshot information and is useful for text based information; Instagram is better for images. Like Facebook, both have their place.

None adequately replace a website, even for blogging type purposes. They all impose a barrier to use for non account holders and get between railway and end user. That’s before any discussion of privacy issues.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

A couple from the first (rather delayed) lights train last evening. Which was Manston's first ever lights train.
Eddystone heating the train and Manston on the rear against the stops and next to the towns Christmas tree.

I said to my wife earlier in the week I hoped I was around when they started the 50. Well I missed "blast off" this morning but when I walked in the lounge with our coffee I could not see many of the houses in Kings Rod West. Sometime later I opened the back door to put some bird food out and to paraphrase the famous line in the movie Apocalypse Now "I love the smell of diesel fumes in the morning".
Think I am correct that the 50 had not been started for some months and it has been very cold here this week of course.
Edit the 50 has just left Swanage LE on what I assume is a test run.

 

Luxury. -6 at Winfrith driving home after my trainee guards turn

 

There talking -16c over here in Canada tomorrow ...and that's in the warm part ....great you fellows volunteer to keep the Swanage Railway going through all weathers ...well done all , I always make a point of visiting when in the Uk ......

 

A different couple of days on the railway really one for the diesel fans.
"Mainline steam operation" with a diesel on the back of the first lunch train run caught me out yesterday having planned to try to get the U in low sun later in the day.
The 50 appeared with Jenny Lewis last evening before the first lights train and today despite the heavy rain I went out to HX to see "the box on the back" having missed 33111 yesterday.
My take, although I stress it is my interpretation only ,is that with the lack of run round at Swanage due to the lights train two full return trips are a better passenger experience than the shuttles between Norden and HX. After all the purpose of a dining train to me is food on the move, not lots of time sitting whilst the loco runs round. It also means you can lock out HX box so no signalman needed. Only the first return leg from Norden being diesel hauled as the diesel is left at Swanage for the second trip. I am sure someone from the railway can tell us the real reason.
Attached a few images from both days of diesels and light train ops.

 

There’s nothing like an EE Type 4 on a cold start up.
In all seriousness there’s nothing like a D400 on a cold start up, they can even put a Deltic to shame on startup. There’s a reason why the 50 Alliance has decided to fit pre heaters to its machines.
Surprised 26 hasn’t had one fitted.

 

As requested.

 

I didn’t request that! I know what they’re like! Guessing 26 hadn’t been started up for a while?

 

That is just the sort of picture that gives the whole preservation movement a bad name. There is nothing to be lauded about such a display in this day and age. Most steam magazine publishers and editors know that it is poor form to print pictures of steam locos emitting excessive black smoke and here is a diesel loco doing far worse. Maybe it can't be helped but shame on you for drawing attention to it like this. Is it any wonder that the use of 20th century diesel locos is likely to be prohibited long before the use of coal burning steam locos. People really need to think about the harm that can be done by publishing such pictures.

Peter

 

As I say Peter, I know what EE power units can be like under cold starts plus throw in they haven’t been started up for a while, unfortunately you will get the results shown in the photo above.
As mentioned I know the 50 alliance has fitted pre heaters to its locomotives as it also helps prevent wear and tear regarding the power units and cold start ups. Knowing that 26’s owner had it based at Kidderminster for a while, I’d be surprised if it hadn’t been modified in the same way.

Whilst not making any excuses for the above photo there are perhaps circumstances we might not be aware of regarding the reasons that 26 was fired up and it’s resultant smoke show.
I do agree it’s not the best of looks though.

 

The East Lancashire Railway used to tow its English Electric locos up to Burrs in the winter and start them up there. Perhaps the Swanage Railway should have towed 50026 somewhere remote and started it there. Unfortunately the damage is now done and a video of the start up is circulating on social media at the very time the railway is begging for money.

 

Surely it's not about where they are started, it's about trying to reduce the pollution on startup and in operation