Swanage Railway General Discussion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-29633017

 

Another step forward for the railway; plain-lining Motala will certainly save a lot of faff for through services, as anyone who has been on a charter to Swanage in recent times will be able to testify! The first charter to work through since Motala was plain-lined, albeit only clipped and padlocked at that stage, last Saturday got to Worgret Junction some 13 minutes early, despite a 5mph ESR after a bridge bash.

 

Yes I've always felt that a Hampshire DEMU is one thing missing from the Swanage Railway. Maybe one day!

As said though, a huge amount has been achieved since the 1970s. Bare trackbed and both Swanage and Corfe Castle stations under threat of being demolished and built over, to a fully rebuilt railway on the verge of reinstating services to
Wareham. Well done all involved!

 

Are you relaying with the concrete BH Sleepers in the BBC photos?
Just beware of the Screwed Concrete sleepers the screws are very likely to shear off in the housing.

Have you just acquired these from a dealer?

 

ITV's take on the story:-

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2014-10-15/work-to-connect-swanage-railway-to-the-main-line/

As for your question Bryan, I couldn't answer that one; I'll check with our P-Way supremo though and see if I can get an answer for you.

 

Hello,
Manage to make a short video of 1501 at Corfe Castle this afternoon.



https://www.flickr.com/photos/25830408@N08/15364655550/


Nick

GWR 813

 

We did have some on the NYMR and these are now gradually being eliminated, priority being given to curved sites first then the straights.
Even on straights we found numerous examples with sheared screws that only became evident when lifting out with chains.

 

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/new...ree-mile-line-for-trial-wareham-train-service

 

(This was in another thread but more appropriate here to save hijacking the other thread):

Oooh, what's that plan?

Tom (Just curious as a Salisbury resident!)

 

http://www.swanagerailwaytrust.org.uk/index.php/appeals/27-water-tower-project

 

I assume the small one to the east of the station on the stone base, rather than the big one adjacent to the London ends of the platform?

I must admit, the pragmatist in me would be pleased to see it go to a good home and be used for its original purpose, but the romantic likes seeing a little reminder of the LSWR every day at home!

Tom

 

The plan of the project team is to install the ex-Salisbury water tower just at the Country end of the Northbrook Road bridge (alongside the Goods Shed road), on a concrete base that was put in last year. This would supply water, extracted from a spring at the back of Swanage shed (which originally supplied Swanage shed by means of a steam-driven pump, driven from the steam heat pipe of the resident loco) and through a suitable treatment plant, to an appropriate style water crane, rendering the GWR water tower (ex-Barry Docks, incidentally) redundant.

There are a couple of options for the GWR tower; the main one that has been mentioned is as a watering facility elsewhere on the line. Personally, I just like testing my head for heights on it; there are only a limited number of people on the railway who don't mind climbing into it and cleaning it out!

 

I personally would like to see it installed on a gas works railway not a Southern branch line :0

 

Do you guys have a suitable water crane yet?

Matt

 

Can anyone say what loco (steam) is out this weekend? Thanks in advance.

 

Yes

It's Santa Specials starting this weekend.
30053 on Santa Train
31806 on Diner
6695 steam heat, station pilot and spare

The Santas and Diners must be pre booked.

'Public' services are diesel worked with 33012 & 33111 top & tail a dual heat set. £3.50 return fare

 

Having scanned through the thread, I can't see an answer to this question, so...

I understand that the initial SR into Wareham services will be into the mainline up platform, and then shunted into the sidings at the London end of Wareham station, returning to the mainline down platform for the service back onto the SR

Are there any plans to migrate to the bay platform?
Having looked at it last week, there is obviously some Big Railway infrastructure that would need to be moved, but whilst heavily overgrown there appears to be room for a run around (not that it would be needed if DMU only) in addition to a running line.

I'm less sure about space on the platform to segregate SWT & SR passengers though.

 

I also hope that the bay would be reinstated, just as a siding. If not needed for operational reasons, (which it would be sometimes) it could house a buffet coach at the stops, and make a useful refuge.
I'm not sure why passengers need segregating, some of them would be using both SWT and SR. People change trains cross platform, all over Britain., often with several TOC's involved. Train inspectors can check tickets on board.

 

As Wareham has just been remodelled and resignalled there presumably was no case for reinstating the bay, and even if they need a run-round in future it may be easier to use the sidings to the east.

Chris

 

Is there any news with the plan to build a carriage shed?