Swanage Railway General Discussion

For those that come to the railway by public transport once again, from I believe Bank Holiday Saturday the 30 and 35 Morebus services run in addition to the 40 between Swanage and Wareham and the First Bus is now the X54 (not as the previous 2 years the X50).

 

I would rather not be reminded of that one

 

Eddystone almost fully off the low loader at Norden this afternoon, having left Herston Works earlier.
Yet again I missed the opportunity of photographing a loco going past my house. Only been trying for 10 years so far.

 

Yes, summer dated Morebus 30 Jurassic Breezer and 35 Campsite Connect routes start on Saturday week (24th). Both routes call at Purbeck Park which is about a three minute walk from Swanage Railway's Norden Station.
These routes provide plenty of services from Wareham Station Up side stop [09:44 arriving at Norden at 09:59] https://www.morebus.co.uk/services/WDBC/35?date=2025-05-24&direction=inbound
Last bus leaves Purbeck Park/Norden at 18:04 and arrives Wareham Station Up side stop at 18:19 : https://www.morebus.co.uk/services/WDBC/35?date=2025-05-24&direction=outbound
First Wessex service X54 from Weymouth to/from Wareham is indeed being extended to Swanage [from Sunday 25th I think] every two hours. I haven't seen a timetable yet but it doesn't usually call at Purbeck Park/Norden.

 

I could not find the X54 on the First website, but Bustimes.org shows times below, and as you say no call at Purbeck Park/Norden so you would have to use Norden Farm or Corfe.
Wareham
10:12 12:12 14:12 16:12 18:27
Swanage
10:49 12:49 14:49 16:49 19:04

 

Me neither as I can remember where i was and who I was with too

 

D6515 sports a very subtle H & H headboard shortly before departing L.E. to Eastleigh.

 

ISTR in the pioneering days of all railways there were a few incidents best not recounted in detail

 

On hire to Hanson and Hall for the weekend to move Mk3s between Eastleigh and Reading.

 

The 140th Anniversary train at Swanage before departure and at Quarr Farm Crossing yesterday.
Adjacent to the Swanage running in board can be seen "The Southerner" whose video coverage of the event can be seen here.

 

Good to see about the 140th Anniversary train (although the mining museum is saying the Fayles tramway ran a horse driven plate railway back in 1806)
https://purbeckminingmuseum.org/education/1806-dorsets-first-railway/


Hopefully this new display at Waterloo will bring extra visitors to the railway, from the webpage and Facebook
https://www.swanagerailwaytrust.org...waterloo-station-to-mark-rail-200-anniversary
"Swanage Railway volunteers will be on the concourse at Waterloo Station between Platforms 10 and 11, every day this week from Monday 19 to Friday 23 May 2025. The team will be there between 09:30 and 15:30 with information about Swanage Railway and Purbeck Mining Museum"

 

The Swanage railway facebook page has posted about visitors to the 140 year anniversary.

"Among them was Andrew Goltz, instigator of the Swanage Railway restoration project, which aimed to re-establish a community rail link between Swanage and Wareham, underpinned by heritage tourism services. Asked why the group had chosen Dorset, Goltz explained, “I now live in Poland, but I wanted to be in Swanage on 20 May, exactly 140 years to the day since the first train departed in 1885.”
Why Wareham rather than Swanage? “Some friends had evening commitments and wouldn’t have been able to return in time had we met in Swanage. More importantly, it’s a reminder that the project’s prime objective—reconnecting Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck with Wareham and destinations on the main line—remains to be achieved.”"

The line and DMU is there, the Swanage railway summer yellow timetable has one steam and one diesel train (due to cost of coal), the diesel train could be the heritage DMU running from and to Wareham, if not for the high cost of running to, and access to, Wareham station using a TOC, plus high insurance costs.
The buses probably get a good subsidy which help to get Go ahead (More) and First good profits, which if the SR had access to could make the train link viable alongside the buses. I know there is a long discussion in the Wareham project thread, also if buses are more cost efficient than trains, and if running trains to and from Wareham compromises the heritage train operation, but the hope of a train link which several SR visitors will use (as shown in the 2 trials) is still there. Maybe when GBR is set up there might be a way to get an integrated transport policy where buses and trains complement each other?.
For 2025 anyone travelling from the mainline at Wareham (other than the Swanage Belle railtour in June and September) can get a subsidised bus to Corfe to change and ride on the Swanage Railway. Maybe 2026 a subsidised DMU train again, somehow doubt it?

 

Brutally, I think that the success of the project he initiated in running the heritage railway, combined with the good bus service that Swanage enjoys, has demonstrated that the through public service is not necessary for Swanage as a town.

 

Are you sure 100% that its due to the cost of coal?

 

The SR is linked to the mainline so the objective has been achieved. The fact that it is too expensive to run commuter trains to Wareham is irrelevant.

You need to let the idea of regular trains from Swanage to Wareham lie. It's not going to happen. The trials showed that it is too expensive to run.
Just be content that the line is linked and can be used for incoming charters and maintenance equipment.

 

It's not commuter trains, but SWR day trippers to Corfe, Swanage and the Swanage railway that will benefit from restarting a heritage DMU service, with perhaps a tourism subsidy, in a similar way the buses get a subsidy to run extra summer services.
Under the current rules will not happen

 

Think it was said the summer timetable was one diesel and one steam train, rather than run two steam trains was down to the cost of coal, maybe someone else has more info?.
The diesel trains may be needed to be ready anyway for very dry weather in case of lineside fires

 

It's been debated to death, but I don't think it's an issue of rules so much as fundamental costs and availability of funding. If I were on Dorset council, I would not pay the extra for a rail subsidy over the buses that can cover much more, much longer.

 

The extra summer buses are commercially operated services and receive no additional subsidy.

 

Regardless if it is commuter or day-trippers, it is too expensive to run. Be happy with what you've got and make it the best it can possibly be.