Swanage Railway 'Somerset and Dorset Weekend' - 17/18 November

The Swanage Railway is pleased to announce that it will hold an additional special event, the 'Somerset & Dorset Weekend', over the weekend of 17/18 November 2018. Featuring the last chance to ride behind ex-LMS 'Black Five' No.44871 during its current visit to the Swanage Railway (courtesy of Riley & Son (E) Limited), the event will evoke some of the spirit of the famous Somerset & Dorset Railway, that fabled cross-country rail route between Bath and Bournemouth.

Joining 44871 in operating the Swanage Railway's intensive two-train timetable will be recently returned to traffic ex-SR 'Battle of Britain' pacific No.34072 '257 Squadron', and ex-BR 4MT No.80104, both examples of classes synonymous with the Somerset & Dorset line. Normal fares apply over the weekend. Further details and the timetable with locomotive allocations are available from the Swanage Railway website at https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/detail/somerset-dorset-weekend

 

Excellent looking event. Another chance to have some haulage (and get deafened) behind the Black 5 plus a Spamcan. Very glad I never got around to booking a hotel in Loughborough that weekend. No chance of a little snow to add to the proceedings I suspect though.
Pity for some that it is during Purbeck's main "isolation period" of roadworks, no ferry, No 50 every 2 hours plus an SWR strike on the Saturday

 

If they stick to the timescale stated on their signs, then hopefully the roadworks at the bottom of Langton should be gone by then. The number of times the lights have failed, these have been far more of a problem than the other set of roadworks!

 

Darn it, I’ve put my down for weekend overtime that week.

 

Also worth noting if you are coming by public transport that the 50 Bus temporary timetable (as missed by me and discovered when my Dad travelled on it yesterday) does not go to Bournemouth Station only to Westover Road. So you would need to allow extra time to get another bus and change
https://bustimes.org/services/swe_43-50-b-y10?date=2018-11-17
https://bustimes.org/services/swe_43-50-b-y10?date=2018-11-18

 

Pity T9 30120 is not taking part. In July 1958 following a general overhaul it was loaned to the S&D for a week piloting expresses between Evercreech Jct and Bath. Ivo Peters published a photo of it piloting 34092 over Masbury and on shed at Bath Green Park

 

Understand that 30120 was a loco that actually worked the line, but for a smaller event like this we had to draw the line somewhere on locos to be used, as much as anything to keep the costs down the ensure the proposal was accepted. It was felt that 44871, 34072 and 80104 were all examples of classes that sprang to mind more readily when thinking about the S&D than 30120.

 

Anyone know if Corfe Castle is open to the public that weekend, my 10 year old grandson has shown an interest in the castle, I could make it a double whammy.

 

I believe it is open from 10-4 at this time of year.

 

Yes that's correct, it's 10-4 for the castle and the cafe. The visitor centre is open from 10-3. <BJ>

 

Wouldn't bother going to the Castle, they still havent sorted the (big) holes in the roof and its going to be rather moist.

 

Double glazing goes in next week apparently.

Joking aside, forecast looking much improved for next weekend. I appreciate its early yet, but even stretching to sunny intervals on Saturday, and we know what the Purbeck micro-climate is like.

 

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For information, I have now got permission from the Operations Manager to turn 80104 on Saturday morning, so for this weekend’s ‘S&D Weekend’ the locos will face as follows:-

80104 - facing London
34072, 44871 - facing Swanage

Hopefully not having everything facing the same way opens up a few more photographic possibilities. The weather is looking dry and sunny for the weekend, and the Autumn colours are looking superb; how about a trip out to Purbeck this weekend?

 

I went yesterday. It was grey and damp. At one point could scarcely see the castle from Corfe station! Not keen to brave the traffic down there again, and anyway I'm working Sunday morning, but I hope the weekend goes well!

 

Oh I don't know the traffic down your neck of the woods takes some beating on a weekend.

 

I too couldn't make it this weekend due to other commitments, but I'm sure the event will go well and I'm, looking forward to seeing some photos. It was bound to be lovely weather as UK Railtours ran a trip to Grain and Dungeness today. I am not a superstitious person, but it is quite bizarre that whenever John Farrow, either in his present guise as Mr UK Railtours or his previous incarnation as Hertfordshire Railtours, runs a trip to either the freight only branches of Kent or the Sussex coastal branches, the sun ALWAYS shines in the south of England! It's utterly extraordinary, I know, but I have plenty of photographic evidence to back this claim up.

 

My footage of Saturday's 'Somerset and Dorset Weekend' footage including 44871, 34072 '257 Squadron' and 80104. Enjoy.