RTC Swanage Belle 2026

Confirmed timings taken from RTC website for May 20 trip.
Leaves earlier than previous years, and arrives later, only the Brentford pick up being different.
2 hours 3 mins seems a "sporty" target for a turnround based on previous trips.

Confirmed timings shown
Station Outward Return
London Victoria 08:21 22:09
Brentford 09:16 21:41
Staines 09:35 21:21
Woking 10:06 20:34
Basingstoke 10:56 19:46
Swanage 14:32 16:35
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Interestingly, the times are still not on RTT - quite late for a (relatively) non-celebrity loco.

 

https://live.rail-record.co.uk/train.php/?c=U84328&d=2026-05-20

 

Now on RTT. Been a while since I last did the West London Extension, and might also help explain the hour less at Swanage.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...0/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=WR

 

Also interesting that the stock stands in p7 at Victoria for nearly an hour, tying up a platform there on a weekday morning, albeit a little before the peak.

 

Same times at Staines and Woking as before, seems to lose the extra time west of Basingstoke.

 

34028 Eddystone charges over Chelsea Bridge at the start of The Swanage Belle this morning
Also complimented 2hrs later by 34046 Braunton

 

This morning at Woking. Perhaps it's me, but the 34028 cab-side number looks as if it is applied in bold!

 

My film from today (including the Saphos 'Golden Arrow').

 

The water stop(?) at Fleet seems to have run over a bit. At least one delayed service train, that should have stopped at both Fleet and Farnborough, has been routed onto Fast Up, so has now gone through both stations.

Edit: Although Eddy is now moving.

I wonder if they were able to offload passengers from the service train at Winchfield, so that they could join the next service, which was just behind and did not have to change lines

 

More water was needed than the time allowed. Suspect it was the last chance to fill up before Southall. However, it must have been the slowest approach to Victoria from Clapham Junction I've yet experienced! Very narrowly caught my booked train north from Kings Cross, thank goodness.

Otherwise, a good day out, with a little bit of required track in the guise of the main line link to the Swanage Railway, and some more miles behind 34028. Thanks to all who continue to make these things possible.

 

Back on Swanage metals the Belle heads away from Harmans Cross having passed 257 Squadron in the station.

 

New tour for 34028 Eddystone

Waterloo-Swanage & return from Fareham-Waterloo
https://www.railwaytouring.net/bb-17-10-26

 

Something different and only a few more mile distance on the back for 34028 than a DCE.
A fish and chip day on the SR so hopefully the tour will be on time or the chips may be cold.

 

Provisional timings give four hours to Bournemouth which looks to be on the direct route from Waterloo. And four hours back, but via Fareham to get the train to reverse and put 34028 at the front end.

Plus an 07.00 Waterloo start.

Not a trip to bring me out of my SR main line steam retirement.

But I'll miss the chance of seaside fish and chips at Swanage.

Bryan

 

I can't see any reasonably straightforward alternative to that Al. But there could be one I've missed of course.

Bryan

 

Some trips reverse at Southampton to run via Romsey and Laverstock. That is a bit shorter but not much.