Swanage Railway General Discussion

Whenever I look at photos on this thread, all I see are Bulleids - I thought they would steam on anything?

It's become a fact of life for the sector that the market is so small that to a large extent you have to take whatever is in the country. The figure frequently quoted for usage of heritage coal is about 30-35,000 tons per year, of which about 25,000 is for heritage railways - however, that I think was a pre-covid figure and may be somewhat lower now. I don't know enough about the shipping industry to know how that compares with typical amounts imported, but I suspect it is likely that there are comparatively few shipments per year - so what we have now is likely to remain the norm for a number of months, but might then change.

My most recent experience (last weekend) at the Bluebell we had a coal where we struggled all day. I think because it had a high ash content that clogged the fire; we ended up getting four barrows from the smokebox after a duty of only 44 miles. But a year ago we had some absolute rocket fuel that was lovely, except that you only had to look at the stuff and you'd emit clouds of black smoke. I tink the reality of being a fireman today is that you have to be able to adapt to what you find on the end of your shovel; you simply can't fire by numbers. Every trip becomes a bit of an experiment.

Tom

 

With it being as warm or warmer outside than indoors (after our boiler electrics failed on Wednesday, the same day much of Swanage lost their landlines, SSE to blame?) thought I would get yet more T3 images. Luckily for the wife she is in Cyprus where it turned out it was one degree warmer outdoors than in our lounge this morning after the fan heater had been on for about 45 minutes. .
Loco looked rather poorly on the shed about 10:30 and the first two services were 33 hauled.
T3 appeared for the 14:00 service seen at Quarr Crossing and some recent lineside clearance actually gave me an image I have not achieved before of the loco bursting out of Victoria Avenue Bridge.
This took about 2 hours and returned home to find the cat in the parking area looking like she wanted to give me a complete page in her book like @Victor has in his wife's.

 

The lastest images of the T3 appear to show a considerable amount of steam emerging from around the cylinders. Is this the result of a problem with the loco or as a result of it's design? [BJ]

 

Purely because it was warmer outside than in a house where the boiler has failed a couple of the T3 from yesterday. (Plus now my wife has broken her arm all my plans for upcoming galas & events have gone out of the window, so a last chance before her return from Cyprus).

 

Hope you get your boiler fixed and your wife's arm is better soon, frustrating!

Is that the last remaining Wessex dining carriage in the picture, hope some railway buys it before the bodywork gets worse!. The carriage shed will be a good thing to keeping the stock in good condition, but won't take all the carriages.

 

I think it is M81410 a BR Mk1 BG, what I refer to as the Christmas decorations coach.

 

Thanks, found it in srstock.co.uk under parcel van, presumably down to a private owner to upkeep rather than SR?

 

I wonder if M81410 was painted 'Blood & Custard' livery as it had originally been intended to host a generator I believe for the Wessex Belle. However, LPG rather than electric cooking was chosen eventually. As such it was never really part of the Belle rake apart from possibly acting as the Guards Brake perhaps.
There is one Belle coach remaining at Swanage and that is RU 1937 whose kitchen facilities are still used from time to time, I think, when scones, etc. are needed.

 

What happened to the Bar Car? Has that gone as well?

 

Think it went to LSL

 

The bar car (4055) and the brake coach (21205) are both still on the railway

 

That's good news Dan. I put a lot of work into that vehicle at the time. Thought it was earmarked for LSL though.....

 

Out of the 5 coach dinning set two sitting ones have left for LSL but the other 3 remain. I’m guessing they will stay with the railway as that means they can, when needed couple the kitchen or bar car to the general coaching stock which is more economic.

the railway should in 2026 get an extra TC set coach fully ready plus Prehaps the extra bulleid car

 

So the other evening my Dad rang and said his carer had not turned up to give him his dinner, could I go and do it. Actually they had but someone had taken him out in the afternoon and they were not back. It had been misty most of the day and I thought should I take my camera, but the floodlight at the shed is never on so did not bother.
Of course it was on unusually, so had to go home and get the camera for an image of the T3 in the mist.

 

We hear “the second year of the Wareham service made a loss” but has anyone seen an actual report on the financials? Is this not something that, in overview at least, should be in the public domain?

 

Lovely photo, very atmospheric

 

I should imagine that there are some commercially sensitive issues regarding our contractual relationship with West Coast

 

A few years ago there was a Government grant "to introduce a trial passenger train service between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage. That trial train service is set to start during the first half of 2016 and run on 140 selected days over two years."
https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ne...ew-signalling-scheme-for-main-line-connection
So the grant got used on the DMU and should have paid for the 2 trials, but seems did not forecast delays and operation costs. Although there are many who hope the SR will publish a full report, and still be able to sort these problems to restore a heritage DMU service for those travelling to the SR from the mainline. There is a Project Wareham thread for more discussion.

 

Not much chance to get out at the moment but I did grab this on the way back from delivering my Dad's shopping to him a couple of days ago.

 

It may be an optical illusion but that blue structure looks quite close to the track, certainly an area of limited clearance. Is it temporary?