Swanage Railway General Discussion

Here's my footage of visiting loco no. 4953 Pitchford Hall in action yesterday at Corfe Castle across the whole day. The highlight was the two lunchtime departures from Corfe Castle where the Hall raised the echoes. I hope you enjoy it.

 

I was Driver Ex guard on Friday. Job came to a stop at Corfe as lineside fire reported at Afflington. Grabbed a couple of volunteers with beaters and with pep pipe at the ready on the loco we set off for Afflington. At Afflington (bridge 20) we could see the smoke and braced ourselves for a challenge. Rounding the curve and closer to Woodyhyde (bridge 22) we found a local farmer feeding his bonfire. Nothing to do with us......

 

I reckon they could have done with you at the Japanese Grand Prix where a couple of ‘lineside fires’ were energetically put out with a few hundred quids worth of fire extinguisher…

 

Ah yes I remember it well! A member of the public phoned the office, who then phoned me just as you were leaving Corfe, Guess we will have to file that one as "False alarm with good intent."

 

Thanks for keeping an eye out. Sorry about your sciatica. Looks promising and I'll be on my way to Dorset very shortly.

 

A few random images from the last day of the Ivatt and the Hall's weekend running.
The Harmans Cross image takes me back to my loco spotting days as a child. DMU on a Paddington to Slough or Reading service and a Hall on a semi fast both call at Hayes and Harlington.
Of course the DMU would have had whiskers not a yellow end and the Hall would probably been green and the coaches of course red. But then you cannot have everything on a normal running day.

 

Slow progress, the mining museum and line has it's own thread in the narrow gauge section and its facebook page is being updated, but dont think anything major will happen till the SR gets back on a good financial footing
https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/purbeck-mineral-and-mining-museum.38856/page-4

 

Lovely photos Gladiator.
The DMU brings back memories for me as well, I did my apprenticeship with BR, based at OOC. Travelled up to either Ealing Broadway or Acton Mainline on 117's from Slough from 1973 to 1977; no steam by then I'm afraid.

 

Another 'fly-in-the-ointment' is the bridge across the branch line.
This was damaged some time ago and needs repairing.
This is before any thoughts of extending the museum line can be considered further.

 

How are loadings looking so far this holiday. Any services packed or nearly full??


I think last year at Easter it was up 30% YOY and that stayed around that level the entire year.

 

As mentioned, I spent the day at the railway yesterday. Steam services seemed to be loading fairly well, but not exactly packed. Plenty of room on the late afternoon workings on which I travelled (After takng a few photos). DMU wasn't running empty but didn't look that busy.

Stioll, I for one thoroughly enjoyed myself and want to give a big thank you to the railway for letting 4953 continue to operate given the fire risk (Just think of the chaos on the Cumbrian Coast line last Saturday after Tangmere passed through). There was apparently one fire today which held things up a bit in the afternoon and I gather that the Ivatt caused a fire last week. There is some rain forecast next week, which is a shame for Easter holidaymakers but besides lessening the fire risk may also make a trip on the railway a more attractive proposition than Swanage Beach!

 

We are coming up to the area from Good Friday through to the following Thursday. The website hasn't been updated with the roster for April, anyone know what steam locomotive is due to be in use?

Sent from my M2003J15SC using Tapatalk

 

Nothing on HOPS yet

 

T3

 

It almost certainly will not be the T3 from Good Friday onwards, as she will be heading up to the Mid hants for their gala.

 

Sorry Josh, the reason I posted that was because I saw it in on the SR Facebook page. Cannot see it now......

 

34070 Manston running the rest of the holidays according to the roaster on the website.

First T3 service of the day (10/04/25) was 40 mins late, anyone know of any issues?

Running all 5 mark 1s, Swanage dont seem to use any of their 4 heritage coaches as much as they could. Is there a policy to not use them much does anyone know?

 

I seem to remember it leaving Swanage about 10:04 do you mean it was late on the return from Norden?

 

3 of the 4 heritage coaches currently on site, were in use at the gala. I would suggest that they are probably not used as much during busy periods such as the Easter Holiday because they are lower capacity vehicles than the Mk1 TSO's in the set A.

Both Maunsells and car 14 are curently in set B.

 

Okay thanks. Just seems a shame in one way because they are super nice coaches, but yes the Manunsells have two less tables so 8 less seats per car I think.

Interesting, the T3 was 35/40 mins late at Corfe going to Norden so something happened, prehaps a lineside fire, and yes the first down train from Norden was 40 mins late.
The 12.00 services are running 20/25 mins behind at the moment.


Without sounding boring, its been another working week, and news when the first carriges can use the carriage shed?