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Swanage Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Rumpole, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    So handsome were Mr Adams' designs, the T3 would even look great in 'photographic grey' IMO .... just, not for too long! :)
     
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  2. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    Been practising your Royal wave Alex have you, :) One's own coach, for one's own use , :D
     
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  3. Mogul

    Mogul Member

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    I think SR still have an Ironclad in store. As far as I know there are still a few of these dotted around the country but none in passenger operational condition. WIBN if a rake of these could be got together one day. Corridor bogie stock so practical to use and pre grouping. Great project for a lottery grant.

    Would make a great 'between the wars' rake to run with T9 and T3.

    Or better still a new build Drummond 700 Black Motor;)



    Apologies for blatant WIBN post. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2021
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  4. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Yes still enough Ironclads dotted around to make a decent rake of them. I believe the Swanage Railway were planning to get rid of their one, but changed their minds once they were gifted the T3.

    No need to apologise for WIBN, most of us don’t have a problem with it!
     
  5. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    Because we did not get a hard copy of the Purbeck Gazette last month until today I forgot to look if there were any letters responding to the Railway should be turned into a cycle track a couple of months back.
    Two were published in the January issue page 4, although there is a supporting letter in the February issue (page 4 again) suggesting a shared railway and cycle way to Wareham, I assume similar to the AVR. Apparently plenty of room and will not cost much, when paid for by Dorset Council and a little Central Government funding, both of whom have so much spare money at the moment! I also wonder what NR would think of the part from Worgret Junction to Norden station?

    https://www.purbeckgazette.co.uk/archive.aspx
     
  6. 007

    007 Member

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    Not sure if it has been mentioned on here before but 563 will be appearing first in the darker LSWR royal green first. Probably will stay like that for 5 years or until mid term. The group would then like to put it into olive green with a Drummond chimney for the final 5 years. Obviously all dreams at the moment!
     
  7. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

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    Will run in its proper livery (black mixed traffic) with Bulleid multiple blastpipe, Portas gas producing boiler and David Wardale waving his magic wand over the valve gear
     
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  8. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    I guess it was the historical connection between T9s and Cornwall was the reason for its move to Bodmin. The classic location for photographing T9s in their final years in BR service was Little Petherick Bridge, between Wadebridge and Padstow.

    However, from an operational point of view, I quite agree. Swanage is a much better proposition. It's certainly not a flat line, but the T9 can comfortably manage the usual five coach load - and it certainly looks at home in Dorset - T9s did work in that area. What is more, in my visits to Swanage when the T9 has been working, I've never heard anything other than positive comments about it. It's a superb machine and even though it will be a while before it steams again, it will be worth the wait

    What is also exciting about the announcement is that it allows the Swanage Railway to offer a cameo of motive power through its operational history. Although usually called a Drummond engine, it has been far more "Uriefied" (to coin a word) than the M7 which - please correct me if I'm wrong - appears to be largely in Drummond condition. With the T3 representing the Adams era and Maunsell, Bulleid and BR standard locos in the fleet, that's a pretty comprehensive line-up. The only omission is an Ivatt 2MT. Pity My Woodham decided to cut up 41248 and 41303....
     
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  9. Andy Moody

    Andy Moody Member

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    Woodhams like all other scrapyards had to cut up all locomotives as part of the condition of sale. Had they not won a contract for breaking up thousands of wagons ALL of the steam locomotives would have been lost.
    There were two occasions where there was a break in condemned wagons arriving at Barry, so 3817 and 76080 were cut up the first time around 1973 and 92085 and 4156 in 1981, 35025 was next in line but thankfully more wagons started to arrive.
     
  10. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    Let's not even think about that suggestion. I live within half a mile of the AVR. I find the thought of the Swanage Railway sharing it's route with a busy cycleway horrendous. Sorry if others don't agree. <BJ>
     
  11. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    The AVR is on a former double track line though - and makes a lot of money from catering to the cyclists.
     
  12. Mogul

    Mogul Member

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    Because we use droplight windows, the ORR have recently looked more closely at 'structure gauge' and 'loading gauge' for heritage railways following that incident where someone literally lost their head on the national network. This review has not resulted in the clearances getting any smaller! The ORR and HSE also have reasonably strong views about 'continuous lineside position of safety' which to you and I means a path for track workers down both sides extending the minimum width required. Between this, the expense of widening embankments, moving or culverting drainage ditches, moving lineside structures, slewing track, laying a new path fit for bicycles, overcoming the numerous over and under bridges on the route that would also need widening or paralleling.......

    A route might look wide but I can assure when all things are considered its not as wide as you think. I don't know how wide the average bi-directional cycle track is supposed to be but I don't think this is something we will need to be worried about any time soon. Any feasibility study will result in them running away from the idea after the first meeting!
    In addition to what @John Petley said I believe that a donor funded the return to steam on the condition it was based at Bodmin. Almost certainly his reasons were to do with the local connection.

    The loco was badly damaged in the attack having taken several hits including one that went through the boiler. As another poster says the bullet hole in the cab roof has been preserved. By some coincidence one of the Swanage Firemen is related to the driver at the time that was badly wounded. Possibly by the same bullet!
     
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  13. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    The U returned from Norden this afternoon. Luckily happened to see the ensemble going through Corfe on the webcam.
    A poor shot across the skate park from one of the bedroom windows ( 33111 leading and 08436 on the rear) and a couple from Gilbert Road. IMG_5551.JPG IMG_5553.JPG IMG_0611.JPG
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2021
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  14. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

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    Replacement boiler was being craned on at Norden pad when I drove by yesterday lunchtime


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  15. ruddingtonrsh56

    ruddingtonrsh56 Member

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    I'm curious as to why they moved the whole chassis to Norden to perform the boiler swap - is there just not the room / facilities to do that at Swanage?
     
  16. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

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    Truthfully I don’t know the actual reason, but I do know that Norden offers easier road access and parking for the truck and crane, as it misses out having to negotiate Corfe and Swanage. Norden has a wide, flat, concrete pad so the crane get get right alongside unlike Swanage shed. The goods shed road at Swanage is more accessible than the shed but still not realistic as it would rely on using the bus parking next door for access.
    And lastly, by and large Norden is out of the public gaze (unless you happen to be driving over the level crossing at the right time!)


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  17. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Also the Cranes are at Norden parked opposite the station, but I am not sure if these were used.
     
  18. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Much more room at Norden to park a lorry and road crane (if necessary). Better access and much more room to safely swing a boiler around in the air without hitting anything.
     
  19. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Would they need a road crane? They certainly don't need a lorry.
     
  20. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Maybe not, possibly one of the rail cranes was used. I don’t know. Just saying there is room for a road crane if it were necessary for some reason.

    If a lorry is not needed, then how did the boiler get there?
     

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