Bahamas to Swanage: 22/09/22

RTC have put on their website a new date for The Swanage Belle, running on 22nd September

 

Those who know me will be very surprised to learn that I have booked on this. But its on the basis that I need some sort of steam mileage this year even if it will have a DL on the back.

Swanage Railway have told me that their timetable will be unchanged but I dont see how that can be as the RTC train arrives at 1345 and there is a Swanage departure at 1330. Also there is a Swanage departure at 1630 followed by the RTC train at 1640

Anyone know how this will work?

 

Looking at the timings of the charter and Swanage's services on RTT, my guess is the charter will pass the 1330 from Swanage at Harmans Cross, though it looks like it'll have to stop and await the 1330. As for the return, I'm guessing that the charter can pass the 1630 from Swanage at Norden. The 1630 gets there at 1652 and doesn't depart until 1705, the charter due to pass Norden at 1657. I don't know the line so this is just guessing from google maps and the timings.

 

Not sure if the loop at Norden is long enough but those at Hartman’s Cross and Corfe Castle should be. The 1345 arrival looks optimistic

 

And in coach G so I will be able to tell if the DL is working. looks like may also get some Bulleid mileage on the 1500 ex Swanage.

 

You are assuming that A will be at the front, which is of course not always the case. Diesel may be next to dining.
2018 Belle on same Wareham timing was due in Swanage at 1400 (ran late), which would align with crossing the 1330 at HX
Not sure on the return, a 16:40 departure with a 17.11 Worgret time looks "sporty" to me. 20 minutes to Norden would only leave 11 minutes to Worget
47802 on the 2109 Belle with No 9 on the rear took 11 mins 38 from Norden to Worgret (so tight).

I will have to watch proceedings from the webcam and the lounge window being stuck at home with pneumonia (still better than being in Poole Hospital)

 

Norden loop is not controlled by a signal box so can be ignored for those purposes as there can't be two trains in the same token section.
Corfe Castle can, I think, contain a 10 coach train plus loco within the signalled section and is used to pass rail tours.
Harmans Cross is also signal box controlled and at least one rail tour has passed a Swanage train which had 'paused' there for a longer than schedule station stop.

 

Surely providing one train is not overlong for one side of the loop the length of the other one is irrelevant

 

Even with the single train (Blue) timetable in operation there looks like some disruption to scheduled times to allow the tour in with its published timings.
Incoming: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64284/2022-09-22/detailed
Return: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64285/2022-09-22/detailed
The 13:30 from Swanage looks like it will have to be held about 5 minutes at Harmans Cross - assuming the tour is on time.
Longer delays will occur on the 16:30 as it will have to wait for the 16:40 tour to clear Harmans Cross before the HX signal man can give a release to the man at Swanage. Expect the 16:30 to leave around 16:50 I suspect.
Also, with the tour train occupying the main platform, a couple of Swanage-bound trains will have to use the Bay platform. As no run-rounds are possible the loco normally comes off at the Inner Home and stables in a siding. A diesel shunter comes out to couple onto, and bring in, the 14:10 and 15:40 departures from Norden. The train loco then couples on to the rake for it's departure at normal time.
Unfortunately, the rail tour loco is on shed being readied for the return and the trains in the Bay platform are too long to allow this loco to take water at Swanage. Normally, for these occasions a tank wagon is stabled at Norden sidings, filled with water and available for a 'quick splash and dash' to top up the tender if necessary.

 

RTT times show 16:40 departure from Swanage, 17:11 passing Worgret Junction and a 17:16 arrival at Wareham with a four minute wait before departure. Perhaps 'Sport Mode' will not be needed this time.
Hope the pills are working successfully on the pneumonia. Get well soon.
At least the 'invading' undergrowth at Swanage has been cut back now to enable your uninterrupted view on the webcam.

 

Apologies for poorly phrased response. I agree about passing at Corfe and Harmans.
The prohibition of two trains at the un-signalled Norden area still applies. One token, one train.
In any event, I hope you enjoy the trip and that the weather in Swanage is clement. Met Office currently forecasting 5% chance of rain, cloudy and 18 degrees but windy-ish.

 

Bahamas through Clapham Junction on time, 47 on the back today.

 

Any idea which way round the stock is?

 

Couldn't tell for sure in afraid. Tried watching back my footage but the letters are a blur. What I could tell is that the coach called Jessica was at the front.

 

So dining at the front.

 

11 on and DL pushing like mad from Woking

 

Judging purely from RTT timings it seems to have lost a few minutes between West Byfleet and Woking [following an SWR train?] and had a longer pick-up stop leading to a 5 minute late departure. An 'heroic' 11 minute water stop was planned at Winchfield - but Blues & Two Tones are no more - so left 14 minutes late. A 19 minute late departure from Basingstoke was gradually clawed back it seems so that, by Totton it was 'only' 3 down. A longer water stop at Beaulieu Road lost all of that and more so by Wareham it was 16 late. Swanage's single train service had to be juggled again from it's already juggled timings but this still meant the tour didn't arrive until 14:11 - 26 minutes late. Unfortunately eating in to the time available for visitors to explore Swanage.

Incidentally, it certainly looks like the dining section is behind "Bahamas". TSO Coach H is currently situated outside Swanage signal box so is near the front leading to Southampton (on the rear after changing direction at Southampton to return via Millbrook, Romsey, Andover, etc.). 45596 "Bahamas" now attached to the stock waiting at the blocks ready to be 'tail-end-charlie' to Southampton. Light smoke being emitted as the fire is built up steadily for the scheduled 16:40 departure.
The delayed 15:40 from Norden should arrive shortly in the Bay Platform and be ready to follow the rail tour, once it has cleared Harman Cross, with a 'juggled' 20 minute delay to it's scheduled departure for Norden.
16:41 update - rail tour departs - 1 late.

 

The rear 2 coaches were empty and not needed but some passengers migrated to them. Taking 2 extra coaches ensured that
the DL had to work on the starts especially as we struggled for time throughout but a lovely unchecked spin down the bank as Control let us run. The late arrival at Swanage meant the 1500 train with 34028 left 21 late but well loaded as was the previous very late arrival. I think the Swanage Railway would have done well today. We aren’t returning on the charter

 

According to the Corfe Castle webcam, the rail tour stopped at Corfe - instead of exchanging tokens on the move as scheduled.
This has added another 1 - 2 minutes to the 1 minute late departure from Swanage.
Let's hope the WCRC diesel is up to pulling back time as necessary and can gain the main line at Worgret Junction within it's slot.