Swanage Railway General Discussion

The upgrade of the signalling is due to be commissioned on Monday 7th April. The Furzebrook branch is in the process of being leased by NR to Dorset County Council who will then be sub leasing it to Swanage on a long term lease. The two boxes that will be controlling the movements on the branch with be Basingstoke and Corfe ASC. The boundary between the two being approx the Frome river bridge. So we will have access to the rest of the branch upto the Frome river bridge. So when movements are made to/from Swanage then Corfe and Basingstoke ACS's will be in "communications"

 

Corfe Castle is the SR's interchange box with the national network, and is in direct communication with Network Rail's Basingstoke ASC. All signals and pointwork at the junction is controlled by NR Basingstoke, and SR has no input into this, or indication within Corfe 'box.

Once on the branch though, three track circuits give indications of line occupancy in the section governed by NR signals (on the approach to the junction in the Up direction is an approach treadle, then two NR-controlled signals; effectively the junction Up Distant and Up Home). The closest track circuit to the junction also has an audible reminder which operates in Corfe 'box, indicating that a movement is on the branch.

The section from Worgret Junction to Norden as a whole will be operated on the No Signalman Key Token (NSKT) basis, with token machines on the platforms at Wareham, and in Norden Gates crossing keeper's hut. Corfe Castle signalman is effectively in charge of the section, and the member of staff obtaining the token (either the Driver at Wareham, or the Driver or Crossing Keeper at Norden Gates) can only do so on Corfe Signalman giving a release on the token machine. Obtaining a token from the machines at Wareham also activates a 'slot' on the signal in the Down direction at Worgret Junction (I can't remember the signal number at this stage), which enables the signal to be cleared for the branch.

I hope this is of some assistance, and interest!

 

Just to update with a last-minute change of plan; it will be 6695 this weekend rather than 80104.

6695 currently faces Swanage.

 

Duplicate post - mods please delete.

 

Thanks for updating, sorry to be a pain.. Just wondering what end the milk tanker is? Thanks

 

Was on the Wareham end the last time I looked...

 

Thanks for correction, Nick, and sincere apologies for inadvertently mis-leading anyone regarding 80104's direction of facing.
Can only put it down to a 'Senior Moment'!

 

Another change of plan? <BJ>

''Sunday 2nd February 2014
Today's services
Locomotive details
30053''

 

And there are those who think that it is dead easy to publish loco rosters well in advance........

 

Misinformation I'm afraid; the M7 was the original plan at the beginning of the month, but after that failed it was planned to be 80104, then after Friday's minor issue with 80104 it has ended up 6695. As Steve says, the joy of trying to publish loco rosters!

 

Not sure what the website says for this weekend, but 6695 is planned to be in traffic both days, subject to the usual caveats. 30053 had a test run on Thursday after work on the eccentrics, but isn't in use this weekend as its off on its travels next week.

 

Do we know what's rostered for this weekend and is the milk tank wagon still being used. Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/b...-swanage-is-brought-back-to-life-8555024.html

 

6695 for all of half-term week is the current plan, any change to that I'll update. The milk tank is now off the service set; as we have strengthened the set to 5 coaches for half-term, if we left the milk tanker on we wouldn't be able to run round at Swanage.

 

Its interesting to note but actually not at all mentioned ANYWHERE.... the Swanage Railway was the 2nd most popular Heritage Railway in the UK in 2013.
With a tad under 211,000 passengers in 2013, it beat the SVR and WSR to 2nd place behind the NYMR. A tremendous effort!

 

That's a fantastic effort and not to decry it but what about the Torbay & Dartmouth and FR? I'm sure that their traffic figures are usually well into the 200,000+. It would be good to see a full list of heritage railway passenger numbers.

 

Do those passenger loadings include through traffic or just those originating from SR stations?

 

'Fraid not. Please see: http://www.svrlive.com/Pages/default.aspx : SVR had over 211,000 (although haven't seen exact figure anywhere) so Swanage appears to have been 3rd - but only beaten from 2nd place by less than 1,000 it seems. Who knows what will happen this year!

 

210,984 passengers "... originating from SR stations ".