Manston running???

You've obviously not come across the NYMR, then! You rarely know which loco you have for the day until you sign on. Loco duties are generally only posted up the day before and even these might change by the evening when the locos come back on shed. Like the NYMR, Swanage runs a 7 day/week service for much of the year and planning ahead is Utopia. Locos come back on shed with broken springs, blowing glands, etc. and with 7 day running there is no midweek down time to carry out the required minor repairs and have a reasonable certainty that the loco will be available for its next booked turn at the weekend.

 

That will be the most impressive "home fleet" at Swanage to date, and 34053 may not be too far off either if funds permit.

Seems like a number of us would appreciate some idea of which loco will be working the trains over the weekend. I tried ringing the railway yesterday, but no-one was able to tell me. If you are able to let us know, that would be great.

THanks

 

As of last night, the M7 was on shed over the pit and Manston was on the turntable.
This coming weekend will also see the first public service (117 DMU) use the newly reinstated Bay platform at Swanage (Sunday 12:53 arrival and 15:50 departure)

 

So it was a good bet that it would be the M7on the srvice train, which it was. I wanted one last look at it as 30053 - i.e. before it is repainted, and what a beautiful sunny day it was. Well worth the trip, so thanks for the info. Looking forward to a visit later in the year for a run behind Manston.

 

tomorrow manston is running the dining service for the mothers day special and the m7 is on the days normal service did anyone from off here come down to the coal dock today?

 

No, but I had a good look from the viewing area on the other side. Does the removal of cladding around Manston's firebox on the fireman's side indicate a stay problem?

 

No, it did not suggest a stay problem. But, both of the pipe unions that were visible from the viewing area; atomiser and sander pipes; had been leaking. The boiler was washed out last week, and the leaking unions attended to. The cladding was left off until the steam test was completed.

 

Thanks for the information. Good to hear it was only a minor problem. I had a very enjoyable day on the railway and it was pleasing to see so many visitors about.

 

Also thanks for the gen. Knowing it is the M7 and manston means that Swanage will get six extra visitors tomorrow. The rly should really consider publishing a loco roster even if it is the night before as per the Valley. It will get a few extra visitors (or perhaps a few less when we know it is a GW tank on green coaches!)

 

Really? You don't know what you are missing.......... \/

 

Of all Great Western engines 66XX are probably my favs along with 72xx and 15xx (after all Kings are over- weight, over-height and over-rated!). The 66xx just doesn't fit into the perfect BR (S) branch that is the Swanage but I am looking forward to seeing it at the South Devon. Top day today by the way!

 

No it doesn't but sadly not many M7's made it to Barry...

 

What about the Weymouth branch or North Cornwall they both had GWR tanks. ](*,)

 

Yep but not a 66XX. I do look forward to 1638 on Weymouth Quay in BR black on a rake of green MK1s! For the record I wasn't knocking Swanage as it is a lovely railway but I would rather visit on day's like today when appropriate engines are out (but can''t you get something better than that DMU - a 33 and 4TC or a 3H would be far better!)

 

Do you mean 1369? I don't think the 16xx's made it to Weymouth, though the 56xx/66xx's actually did on Severn Tunnel freight turns but mainly at night. The Group does actually have a photo of a 56xx on Weymouth Shed.

With regard the DMU's, don't go there it is a bit of a sore point (ask the SR management about that). We do actually have a 4TC which is away being restored and will (hopefully) one day return to pair up with a 33/1 in it's proper 'home' county. I do hope that we can, one day, become the home of preserved Southern push-pull having both steam and diesel powered versions.

 

Yep of course I did...it had been a long day.... all those panniers are the same except the ones with outside cylinders..duh!

Looking forward to 33111 and the 4TC and 6695 on 20 wagons at the South Devon gala!

 

only twenty how about some more... :-#

 

This thread seems to have changed from discussing Manston to saying what good machines the 66xx class are, but not on the Swanage Railway.

I would like to say a few things in defence of 6695 at Swanage. I went down to have a run behind it a couple of years ago. Viewed from my rather non-technical perspective, it seems like an ideal engine for the line, well able to cope with five coaches, and I suspect, considerably lighter on coal than a Bulleid.

No question that if a couple of M7's, a Black Motor, a few more "Mickey Mouse" tanks or a few 82xxx tanks had ended up in Barry, 6695 would probably not have ended up in Swanage, but a green-painted loco in BR livery hauling a rake of green-painted Mk I's actaully looks quite nice, and Joe Public isn't going to be too upset that it spent most of its working life in South Wales. It won't ever be Swanage's "Flagship", but it wil certainly earn its keep.

Although the Swanage Branch is LSWR/SR, it's not that far away from ex-GWR lines - a rather analagous situation o the Severn Valley, which is GWR but not far away from the former LMS network. I haven't heard many people moan about the LMS engines on the SVR - when 48773 was retired, there were no end of tributes to it.

One final point is that the owning group have let it visit some former GWR Lines - admittedly the WSR visit was primarily for engineering purposes, but if people would rather see it on "home territory" than on the Swanage Branch they have had their opportunity. If I visit Swanage again later this year and 6695 is working, I for one wil not be unhappy.

 

me too, im looking forward to it coming home!

 

You're not the only one, a good strong engine, steams like a witch and can handle anything we throw at it (and some!).