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Swanage Railway | Spring Steam Gala | 27th-29th March 2026

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by Ben Jenden, Jan 11, 2026.

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  1. beavis

    beavis New Member

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    Different.... IMG_20260328_160443484_HDR~3.jpg
     
    beavis, Mar 28, 2026 at 10:22 PM
    #61
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  2. Alex Productions

    Alex Productions Member

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    Brilliant day at the Swanage Railway today. So many friendly chatty people about which was a blessing. Everything ran almost to time, personally highlight for me was a run back from River Frome to Norden when the Buckets took control of the train. That sound was incredible! Enjoyed every second of that, didn't have a chance to thank the crews as the Buckets where out of the platform at Norden so if that was you. Thank you very much!
     

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    Alex Productions, Mar 28, 2026 at 10:30 PM
    #62
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  3. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    First train south. I gather yesterday with 563 was a concern about lineside fires.
     

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    Big Al, Mar 29, 2026 at 9:34 AM
    #63
  4. beavis

    beavis New Member

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    Harmans Cross IMG_20260328_175319173_HDR.jpg
     
    beavis, Mar 29, 2026 at 10:45 AM
    #64
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  5. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Well-Known Member Friend

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    Having worked multiple trains over the gala from the freight to the Express, the buckets from Frome bridge were brilliant. If you closed your eyes it could have been a King doing 80 mph.
    A special moment for me was having Peter Smith of S&D fame on the footplate of the last up Frome bridge today.
    I used to work with Peter Guy so now have had both drivers on the front of my train that drove the last up and down Pines Express
     
    Daddsie71b, Mar 29, 2026 at 7:24 PM
    #65
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  6. David Mylchreest

    David Mylchreest New Member

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    David Mylchreest, Mar 29, 2026 at 8:17 PM
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  7. Chailey Stowe

    Chailey Stowe New Member

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    Here is my account from a mostly sunny, but very windy, Saturday if anyone is interested!

     
    Chailey Stowe, Mar 30, 2026 at 9:05 AM
    #67
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  8. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    Well, in spite of my lack of enthusiasm for either headboards or "Austerities", I decided to go to Swanage on Saturday, which was by far the best day of the three days of the gala weather-wise, in spite of the strong winds to which other posters have alluded. A pretty good day with a mixture of both travelling on and photographing the trains. Thank you, Swanage Railway. A look at @Chailey Stowe's video above highlights how the sun was going in and out for much of the day. Thankfully (I must have been standing quite close to him at the time), the sun broke through shortly before the critical moment when 6880's second southbound train headed across Corfe Common. Also did well with both 563 and 31806 later in the day at Quarr Farm. (It's a long walk from Harman's Cross now you can't park nearby!)

    As a former Dorking lad, I particularly appreciated the PMV(??) marshalled at the head of the rake of coaches 31806 was hauling on the 16.00 ex-Swanage - A "mogul" hauling a van and three coaches would have been a typical sight in my childhood days living on a road which backed on to the Redhill-Guildford line.
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2026 at 2:09 PM
    John Petley, Mar 30, 2026 at 10:39 AM
    #68
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  9. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Well-Known Member Friend

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    It was a Southern 12 ton box van John. Glad you enjoyed your day with us
     
    Daddsie71b, Mar 30, 2026 at 12:02 PM
    #69
  10. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Went to the gala on Sunday primarily for the J94 visitors but also to ensure I had a run behind the two flat tops and, of course, the T3.

    An early ticket office conversation partly reassured me about whether the T3 was running. It seems that every time there is a heath fire within five miles of the SR the rumour mill tries to point the finger, often unfairly. In this case the Saturday fire was deeply suspicious and unrelated. (A few locals need to make a note that there are some crazy people in Purbeck.)

    It was a great day and the late start by the first train out of Swanage was clawed back fairly quickly. I have to say that given the generally cramped space at all stations especially Swanage itself, the operating team seem to have got loco shuffling off to a fine art.

    The double header tanks put on a spirited performance and once the crew with the T3 had sorted out how to get the wheels to turn rather than spin with about 175 tons on the drawbar, it was a good climb on the 13:00 from Swanage.

    All in all, a great day and thanks to everyone for making it happen.

    P1160008.JPG
     
    Big Al, Mar 30, 2026 at 1:26 PM
    #70
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