Swanage Railway General Discussion

From the CEO:

We’re delighted to announce that our old friend GWR Collett 56xx class no. 6695 will be returning to Swanage Railway this week for the final stages of its repair work!

We’re hoping to have the opportunity to run this lovely locomotive at Swanage for a few days before it heads off on hire to another railway for a year.

It’s wonderful to see another locomotive nearing completion, thanks to all the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes.

And as for what happens when it returns from its year away…well, watch this space!

 

And on that note, 6695 has arrived at the railway this morning. Unfortunately I couldn't take a picture as I passed it driving the other way, but it was approaching Norden at about 10:15 this morning.

It was rolling chassis, boiler and lower cab, presumably tanks and upper cab will be coming separately or may have already arrived.

 

Interesting news if 6695 is returning in a year. With 563, 120, 30053, 80104, and 6695. Will there still be a need for the Bulleids? Will 31806 agreement end early?

 

Fairly sure they will still find a use for the Bulleids and the U. Swanage needs more than 5 steam locos in its rotation for the number of locos they need operable throughout the running season, they're not about to kick them out because there is a possibility they are not yet willing to confirm that there might be another mid sized loco joining the fleet

 

There is only so much money in the pot though. If they are signing a deal to run 6695 for X years then that money has to come from somewhere. I really wouldn’t be surprised to see one of the Bulleids go elsewhere. The deal with SLL regarding how many Bulleids the railway uses does tend to change, depending on the railways requirements. The railway has also made it clear in the past that they consider Bulleids too big / uneconomical.

All wild speculation at this point, but 6695 coming back is an interesting development.

 

It's not even confirmed as coming back. It's back for reassembly and possibly a few days running, then it's off for a year at another railway, and then just a 'watch this space'. They're obviously hoping to get it back but it's not publicly definite.
Plus, even if it does come back, only one of the 4 locos listed is currently operable. Swanage needs more than 2 steam locos to run it's service factoring in washouts and other periods of repair. Keeping the Bulleids is going to be more reliable than trying to hire in a loco at about Class 4, of which there aren't very many going spare

 

Both 30053 and 80104 are expected back in service next year. No need to hire anything in. So even without 6695 they will be in a very good position steam loco wise by this time next year.

 

Personally I find it hard to believe the Swanage Railway would ever want to be parted with the SLL and their Bulleids, as they've been a long time staple of the railway, the Bulleids arguably serving as the main flagship/mascot engines for the railway for a good number of years apart from the M7. Sure things have changed since the T3 and now T9 have joined the scene, but that doesn't seem to have changed the railway's policies much.

Indeed I don't know if and when the Swanage Railway ever explicitly stated about the Bulleids being too big/uneconomical for them, the only time I can recall was when Sir Keith Park was restored, and yeah 3 Bulleid would have been a touch too much, so off to the Spa Valley it went. Yet since then have still relied on having 2 of them at the railway at any one time throughout the year, with admittedly one of them going on a couple month loans away, but always returning.

There have been occasions if they REALLY wanted to do be without the Bulleids, they could have, like when they made that long agreement with John Bunch for the 3 moguls (two Us and one N Class respectively), yet proceeded to only keep one operational with barely anything happening on the others. They subsequently restore the T3 and gonna do the same with the T9 now, but again little seems to suggest they don't want the Bulleids around anymore. There's clearly an attraction having them round, and makes some business sense.

 

I don't know who the current owner of 6695 is, I was under the impression that it had been sold some time ago , I'm sure that somebody on here will be able to put me right.
6695 moved to the Swindon and Cricklade Railway and subsequently moved to the Avon Valley Railway so I assume that once reassembled it will return there.
I don't think there are any plans to move any of the bulleids away from the Railway, 34070 is having a overhaul and repaint afaik.

 

It’s owned by 6695 locomotive company, always has been and not been sold. Just let a bit of a nomadic existence since leaving Swanage. Originally went to WSR, then Swindon & Cricklade and then Avon Valley. Now it seems Swanage wants it back.

The position with the SLL Bulleids at Swanage is fairly fluid. They often get transferred away mid ticket to other lines and back again, depending on Swanage Railway requirements.

 

Apart from 563 all other loco's mentioned belong to businesses and they will go where they can earn the biggest buck. Personally I would be disappointed to loose all the Bulleids, as we are the home of SLL and are known as the Bulleid railway.

 

I'm sure Swanage will always have at least one SLL Bullied in operation on the railway. 257 Squadron is also about to go out of ticket so for a bit anyway it will just be Manston running at Swanage, whether when 257 Squadron it returns to Swanage or perhaps goes to another line in need of motive power if Swanage have enough engines remains to be seen.

 

Does it need 5?
My own "loco roster" shows that for 2024/25 and this year there have been 4 and in 2023 only 3. This number disregarding any "hangovers" from a gala for a week or two.
Even this year there was only ever planned to be 3 weeks of a two train steam service, and most of that ended up being lost to fire risk anyway.
2017 for example a year of the standard pre Covid service of two train operation and diners used 30053, 34070, 31806, 80104 (as 80146) and 41312 on hire for 19 days from mid October and 30120 on Santa trains for 7 days.
On the pre Covid 2 steam for most of the summer 5 was probably a good number, not sure it is now to this uninvolved eye.

 

If 257 Squadron is about to go out of ticket, it sounds like 80104 will be replacing it as one of one of the two SLL locos under contract to Swanage.

Then whatever SLL Bulleid is completed next will go to whatever railway wants / has a need for it. Unlikely to be Swanage given the number of smaller locos then will have available.

Then Manaton will probably remain as the only Bulleid at Swanage for the foreseeable future. A big loco to please the crowds, supported by a number of smaller more economical locos for day to day use.