Swanage Carnival and Regatta Week 31/7 - 7/8/2010

In case anyone is interested in this year's festivities at Swanage [just 38 days and counting!]:

31st Jul - Daytime Yellow timetable but intensive late evening service, until 23:00, with both Class 33 haulage and DMU to cope with homegoing crowds from the very popular Evening Fireworks.
1st Aug - Yellow Timetable - Popular afternoon Carnival Procession [Theme: "Fantasies and Fairytales"] including 8 Bands and loads of floats.
4th Aug - Yellow Timetable - The Red Devils Parachute Display Team (20.30) - then Fireworks.
7th Aug - The ever exciting Red Arrows will display at 11:30 and large crowds are expected. Another intensive evening service may well be required depending on daytime crowds staying to see the evening fireworks.
In view of The Red Arrows peforming in the morning this year - it looks like we'll need an intensive morning service too. This is being planned, I believe, with two 6 coach rakes using 3 steam locos [with the DMU on 'emergency standby' operating out of Plat 1.] "just in case"! All we have to pray for is fine weather!
Remaining Evening Fireworks take place on Saturdays 14th, 21st and 28th August but our normal evening DMU service should suffice - with possible slight re-timings.
Look at our timetable page nearer the date if you wish to visit and experience the "Swanage Effect"! http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/n-timetable.htm

 

Cheers Peter for the info, looking at the Railways Peak timetable the Dmu might have to make a few runs before the RED ARROWS?

 

There will be 2 steam trains running on the yellow timetable with 5 coaches. It is often a squeeze and can be fun if you are on the footplate heading for Swanage when the display starts.

 

In my original post I mentioned that the Swanage Railway is believed to be planning two SIX coach rakes using three locos for Saturday 7th August. Normally this should give us plenty of capacity but The Red Arrows are starting at 11:30 which gives us just two trains arriving in time at Swanage. The third scheduled arrival is just after The Red Arrows start.
Also planned for our third path will be a DMU ready and waiting in Platform 1 in case "Thunderbird" duties are needed. However, if the weather is fine and advance publicity appears, I suspect we might well send it out early anyway to ensure it gets as many passengers as possible into Swanage in time.
Should be an interesting WTT to work out!