Swanage Railway General Discussion

Well they have been streaming past the house all morning with their trollies and boards since I got up at 08:30, so some do not think so. They may of course feel that is was later in the day. Good to hear for a Monday though which is normally a quieter day even in the school holidays.

 

Might have been a mirage but I'm sure I saw a brief [5-ish minutes?] shower yesterday late morning in north Swanage (Ullwell area).
The air smelt fresh but moisture on the ground dried very quickly - so merely 'dampened the dust' it seems.
Ground surfaces still making a good imitation of concrete!

 

Swanage Railway is sponsoring the local Swanage & Herston Football Club for it's 2026/7 Dorset League season:
https://www.facebook.com/swanagerailway
A bit of family-based publicity covering quite a wide range of locations in Dorset and possibly elsewhere.

 

T

There was some light drizzle just after my wife had moved a table and al the cushions out into the garden for her and her friend. However everywhere still looks like the Serengeti in the dry season.

 

From Facebook.

"Steam Services Update – Next Three Days

Due to the ongoing fire situation in the New Forest and the continued very dry conditions, we have taken the precautionary decision to amend our services for the next three days.

Our U Class No. 31806 will continue to operate, but will be paired with one of our Class 33 diesel locomotives. The Class 33 will take much of the strain, allowing the U Class to work more lightly and helping to further reduce the risk of lineside fires.

Our second steam locomotive will be replaced entirely by our other Class 33.

We want to reassure our visitors and neighbours that the enhanced fire precautions we have introduced this year are working. We have seen a significant reduction in lineside fires compared with previous years, despite experiencing prolonged periods of exceptionally hot and dry weather.

This is testament to the extensive precautions we have put in place and the tremendous work of our operations team and fire marshals, who have worked incredibly hard throughout the season to protect the railway and surrounding countryside.

However, with the exceptionally dry conditions and the serious ongoing situation in the New Forest, we believe it is responsible to go one step further over the next few days.

This decision also helps to reduce any pressure on our dedicated fire marshals and the local Fire & Rescue Service at a time when emergency services are dealing with an increased fire risk across the region.

We appreciate that many visitors come to Swanage Railway specifically to experience steam, and we are sorry for any disappointment this temporary change may cause.

All advertised services will continue to operate, with the amended locomotive arrangements.

The safety of our railway, our neighbours, the surrounding countryside, our volunteers, our staff and our visitors must always come first.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support."

 

An understandable decision as apart from other constraints the firemen are retained and hence have day jobs.
Ironic as today was the first day of a two steam service this summer holiday.

 

Diesel on the back (at least out of Swanage).
Guess we will not to betting any visits from @Big Al until after some long term rain.

 

Save even more coal and leave the steam loco in the bay for footplate visits.

 

Worth noting as well that Swanage Fire Station's Land Rover has been assisting with the large fire off the A31, adding another demand on local resources.

All I know on that subject is that I'm glad I haven't been rostered at Marchwood or Brockenhurst this week!

 

As a former firefighter this reminds me of 1976. For those not yet born, or at a younger age, this was similar hot condition with many wild fires.

 

My main memory of the summer of 1976 was breaking my right arm!

 

Fresh off the internal Swanrail website:

Love trains, engineering, restoring things or working with your hands? This could be the start of an incredible career.

Swanage Railway is looking for the next generation of heritage engineers and craftspeople to join our team through two exciting three-year apprenticeships.

You don't need previous engineering or coachbuilding experience. We're looking for enthusiastic people who are keen to learn, enjoy practical work and want to develop skills that could lead to a lifelong career.

As an apprentice, you won't just be watching from the side lines. You'll get stuck in from the start, working alongside experienced engineers and craftspeople on real projects across our historic railway. Depending on your apprenticeship, you could be helping to maintain and restore steam and diesel locomotives, heritage railway vehicles, carriages and traditional coachwork.

You'll learn specialist skills that are becoming increasingly rare, while studying towards a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification through the Heritage Skills Academy.

Over three years, you'll gain practical experience, specialist training and the confidence to build a career in engineering, restoration and the wider heritage sector.

This is your chance to learn a trade, gain a qualification and help keep Britain's railway heritage alive for the next generation.

Could you be part of the future of Swanage Railway?

 

The link is: 6c8c436d-f8c3-454c-a3a9-00f64fe32040