Swanage Railway General Discussion

Depends if it's a material consideration

 

I was right on the point of booking the Pines Experience, but the egregious use of discs rather than lamps put me right off the idea ...

Tom

 

70824 definitely has the Motor Generator and Compressor in place…

 

And those would be so obvious all the time you're on the train.

 

Fair point. The use of discs on the Southern (and its predecessors) was a distinct feature - as was the use of lamps by the S&D in the Bournemouth area. A pity to convey an historically inaccurate impression, surely?
Also, while I don't wish to criticise the 563 gang, the mounting of discs on that loco is sometimes bizarre. The 'Special Train' disc should only be carried over the LH buffer (in direction of travel) unless that was already occupied by a route disc (rarely, if ever, in Old Drum's era). The coding for a heavy lifter train going to an accident was 2 Special discs, one over each buffer.
Pat

 

Discs were used on the S&D, albeit rarely - in some of my books on the S&D I have a picture or two of a Bulleid light pacific on a service train heading South with discs instead of the usual lamps. From memory I think the pictures were taken near Radstock but I'll have to see if I can dig it out. Regardless, it did happen, albeit occasionally so technically Swanage have a precedent, though granted it isn't a common or well known one.

Cheers,

PLP

 

Presumably the lamps on the S&D were also carried in the "class of train" positions rather than the "route" positions used for discs?

 

Yes, but the code was different

 

For many years on the SDJtR, the Midland were 'in charge' of motive power and the Southern sorted carriages.
Might this explain the use of lamps on S&DJtR trains [SDJtR/LMS based locos] and that borrowing locos from Bournemouth Shed meant that they were generally sent off depot with discs wherever they were destined.

 

IIR there were only two train descriptions on the SDJR, passenger or freight.

 

Correct.

 

Swanage Railway is no longer accepting cash from 25th March 2024 according to a banner on the home page.

Presumably this is to avoid the costs of cash collection not to mention reduce the workload cashing up at the end of the day etc.

 

Sad but understandable. My sailing club did this in 2021. Not having cash on the premises reduces insurance premiums.

 

Had to read that twice, the second time without an "eek"!

Tom

 

Always remember not having enough cash to buy something at Sheffield Park and feeling rather embarassed - I think on the up platform - so it was helpfully suggested the Bluebell ticket office there could help.

So over I went and there were no problems: used my credit card to get some cash. Aways felt kindly towards the Bluebell in general and Sheffield Park in particular since.

 

I wonder if this means cash donations for example PhillMeUp at Corfe Castle Station Booking Office and the CC Museum drop box will disappear too.

Suddenly realised also there is the magazine stand at Norden which is a cash transaction.

 

I'm not really up to speed with the Swanage Railway and can't find the loco roster anywhere on their website.

Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

I fully appreciate that such details change, but I could at least have an idea of when to come down, and then ring the day before I drive down (assuming there is a number to ring?), leaving home quite early.

Of the locos I particularly want to photo and travel behind, 31806 is top of the list - all I can find at the moment is that loco is working over the Victorian Weekend and I'd much rather visit when it is working all/a good number of services and hauling BR era stock.

And yes, I know, my steam loco (and bird!) focus is way too narrow for most people, but that is the way I have been for many decades and I have to accept the ups and downs that come with it.

Bryan

 

No loco roster is published.
Normally in non event times from my own historic roster it seems a loco will work for around 10 days, or more sometimes, (I note 31806 for example worked from April 4th through to the 26th last year).
So if it is in service on the webcam fair chance it will be the next day once the season is underway and as you say phone call is best. Even Twitter may be wrong as (when I could see it without needing to sign up) as sometimes I would read one thing and see a different loco out of the window as it left on a train.
So far it has only worked Saturday and Sunday of last weekend since Autumn half term.
Should sound good up Tenterden Bank mind you.

 

One big problem with dealing with cash is keeping an adequate supply of change. Money supplied to the public over the counter and from machines is usually in £10 and £20 notes which means even £5 notes need to be kept as change by the retailer.

Going to a bank and getting change is not easy either. Even if you are lucky enough to have a nearby branch there is no guarantee that they will supply this or even accept coins being paid in at a particular branch.

Then there is the matter of bank charges for such transactions...

 

My local chippy only deals in cash and doesn’t seem to have a problem. He reckons it is a cheaper option than having the internet, a card reader and paying the fees.