If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Swanage Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Rumpole, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2011
    Messages:
    902
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-26580008
     
  2. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2008
    Messages:
    3,155
    Likes Received:
    302
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Railway servant
    Location:
    Worcester
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Ah I see, my mistake for misunderstanding you. Apologies.
     
  3. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    May 18, 2011
    Messages:
    6,081
    Likes Received:
    2,217
    Just as well the BBC didn't film the Charter...damned freeloaders.

    My view? well since "trainspotting" came into vogue, it has been a massive free show for anyone interested... I don't mind freeloading myself at times, although I generally try to visit the shop or buffet if I'm not riding the train.
     
  4. Alan Brader

    Alan Brader New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2014
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    22
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Idle so and so
    Location:
    On a platform watching trains
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Very simple question.............

    How does any one know if a photographer is a freeloader or not ?

    I doubt anyone who has commented on this has actually gone out and asked individuals if they have contributed in one way or another.

    I am sure there must be some that purely turn up for their own gratification, and all I am saying is rather than get stressed about them, welcome them as some of them will get their pics in the public domain which under any circumstances is free advertising and being positive towards them may just encourage them to spend a little, or even a little more. Being negative to anyone is only going to discourage them and make them more intent on getting something for nothing.

    I have visited heritage railways and sometimes just sat around and watched the people and the trains, but have always either visited the tea room or put something in a collection box. If I was approached by some jobsworth that more or less demanded I pay something I would politely tell them to go forth and multiply. However a polite chat would have a far different result.
     
  5. geekfindergeneral

    geekfindergeneral Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2011
    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    224
    Occupation:
    Railwayman
    Location:
    London UK
    There are very useful photographers - those who attend commercial photo charters, and the splendid stalwarts who have a working relationship with a railway's marketing team and provide a steady flow of useful pictures, attend events, and circulate their work to the specialist press, usually at no cost. Both groups are and will probably continue to be afforded special access and courtesy.

    There are also some delightful people who potter round the site, buy a cup of tea, take their picture and go. They are usually likeable enough and the catering dept appreciates their business. Volunteers by and large quite like having their efforts appreciated by these chaps. They can often be seen depositing coins in donation boxes. They hurt no-one.

    There are a few, a tiny number, who fall in neither category but whose work is good enough to be art or archive it it's own right, the Dick Riley types of the 21st century. Most volunteers know that history is constantly being written, and recording it is A Good Thing.

    Then there are the parasites...unpleasant obsessives for whom the whole thing is a never ending free show. I always hope, when I see them parading at the line side or jostling round the engine at a water stop, that one day I will get to enjoy one being hit by lightning or run over by a combine harvester.
     
  6. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2005
    Messages:
    4,323
    Likes Received:
    2,397
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Westcountry
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    A sensible post. Freeloading is mean, but as long as such a person is in a public place he is within his legal rights to take photos. There isn't much point in stamping your feet and getting heavy about it. And there is a difference between deliberately setting out to 'chase' a charter without paying for it (obviously mean!), and accidentally coming across one. Once I took a ride on a steam railway, coming back on the last train of the day's public service. While taking a 'bog standard' platform shot of the loco, I noticed the fireman adding extra coal onto the fire and as it was obvious that there was going to be an extra working I drove to an appropriate spot so that I could get a decent lineside shot from a road bridge. I didn't feel any conscience about this as I just took the one shot and had already bought a ticket to ride on the public train earlier.

    Hoping that nobody is offended.

    John
     
  7. guard_jamie

    guard_jamie Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2008
    Messages:
    2,503
    Likes Received:
    27
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Signalman
    Location:
    Herefordshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    After all this, I feel that my original post which inadvertently started all this off should be clarified. For the record, I visited on a public service day. I would have bought a ticket but was informed in conversation that the weekend fell under the reciprocal travel scheme from my home railway and therefore my travel was free - a favour doubtless to be returned by the free travel of any visiting Swanage volunteer to the SVR. Consequently I purchased over £15 worth (the price of a day ticket) of books from the LSWR van at Corfe Castle, as my contribution to the railway. I also bought a cup of tea to supplement my lunch.
     
  8. Rumpole

    Rumpole Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2005
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    761
    Occupation:
    Tea-Maker
    Location:
    34105
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Just a quick update to say that we have changed our Driver Experience freight set again for this year; after quite a bit of work over the last couple of weeks, it is probably the longest freight we have put out for a few years, and also keeps it as mainly 'revenue' wagons as opposed to engineers vehicles etc.

    Photo courtesy of Andrew PM Wright.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. cymroglan

    cymroglan Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2009
    Messages:
    563
    Likes Received:
    72
    Sorry to be a nuisance, but suddenly got a day off tomorrow (Tuesday ) and was wondering what's likely to be out this week? Thanks.
     
  10. 007

    007 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2012
    Messages:
    418
    Likes Received:
    872
    34028
     
  11. cymroglan

    cymroglan Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2009
    Messages:
    563
    Likes Received:
    72
    Cheers! Is it dmu or loco on the diesel turn?
     
  12. Rumpole

    Rumpole Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2005
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    761
    Occupation:
    Tea-Maker
    Location:
    34105
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    33111 on the diesel diagram tomorrow, and will be class 33 hauled (alternating between 33111 and 33202) for the rest of this week.

    It will also be the same situation at the early May bank holiday; 33's in place of the DMU.
     
  13. cymroglan

    cymroglan Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2009
    Messages:
    563
    Likes Received:
    72
    Well that is terrific news! I'll be an even more regular visitor now! I had one of the 33s recently at the LSWR event. That brought back happy memories of 33s from Gillingham (Dorset) to Waterloo back in the day....
     
  14. 007

    007 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2012
    Messages:
    418
    Likes Received:
    872
    All

    The new Swanage Railway website is up at www.swanagerailway.co.uk Looks really good, also works on your smartphone or tablet. Hopefully the App will get a bit better!

    Also be sure to like the Swanage Railway on Facebook, a very active Facebook account gives almost daily photo updates, I really like it.

    www.facebook.com/swanagerailway

    Be sure to like!

    34028 and 30053 running this bank holiday.
     
  15. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Sorry but it's poor. Less info than before, The Purbeck Line has been dropped from all advertising so visitors drive to Swanage then take the train back from whence they came. Some of the pages look like they have been translated from Polish to English by an Albanian.
     
  16. 007

    007 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2012
    Messages:
    418
    Likes Received:
    872
    It looks much better than the old one. The old one was aimed squarely at the enthusiast, this one is aiming at the majority tourist market.
    I'm sure the enthusiast bit is being developed, the new one has only been live 2 days.

    The Purbeck Line was dropped as a branding element years ago, but I hear it may make a reappearance in the future for the Wareham service.

    You obviously haven't been at the railway this last few weeks, I reckon 90% of trade used the car park at Norden this bank holiday weekend.
     
  17. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Was stripping out 1381 at Corfe today.

    The old site was not aimed at the enthusiast.

    You only have to scroll back through these pages to read enthusiasts asking what is happening loco roster, carriages and general day to day stuff at the railway. So it was patently clear the enthusiast was not catered for on the old site and still fails to do so.

    Furthermore, 90% loadings from a car park that holds 350 max is poor loadings in anyone's book.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2014
  18. 007

    007 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2012
    Messages:
    418
    Likes Received:
    872
    Give it a chance! Only been up 2 or 3 days. Nice to see a Swanage volunteer slagging it off :/
     
  19. 007

    007 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2012
    Messages:
    418
    Likes Received:
    872
    350 cars does not mean 350 people, unless everyone came in their own car with no one else. Think!

    I think you need to remember just how busy the place is and support the railway on a public forum, especially as a volunteer. I'm on here to promote the railway in a good light, I'm shocked to read a volunteer slagging off the railway so publicly.
     
  20. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    If the new site has been developed by a volunteer then I will allow the shortcomings. However, someone with little knowledge of the railway and it's brand has been paid to produce something that is poor.

    As a volunteer since 1984 I have every bloody right to slag off people or organisations that are enjoying the fruits of my labours.
     

Share This Page