If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Project Wareham

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by David R, Jul 31, 2015.

  1. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2007
    Messages:
    2,849
    Likes Received:
    2,362
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Researcher/writer and composer of classical music
    Location:
    Between LBSCR 221 and LBSCR 227
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Today is the day! I shall look forward to seeing some pictures of the trains both on here and on the Swanage Railway website. Here's to hoping it all goes smoothly.
     
  2. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Just watched it leave Corfe. No fanfare, not many people about, no one up on East Hill with me. Bit under whelming really.
     
  3. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    255
    Likes Received:
    169
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Swanage had a fair crowd and an impromptu round if applause broke out as it left

    Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk
     
  4. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    255
    Likes Received:
    169
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk
     
    Daddsie71b and John Petley like this.
  5. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2013
    Messages:
    770
    Likes Received:
    638
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    34091
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The West coast stock for the whole season
     
    sycamore likes this.
  6. 6024KEI

    6024KEI Member

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    860
    Likes Received:
    472
    Location:
    Bath
    So having watched some of today via railcam, it appears that the normal steam service is going out from Swanage with a class 33 diesel on the tail that is then hauling the train back. I can see that running top and tail rather than running round at each end today makes sense whilst its the first day to minimise any delays etc , but is that the ongoing intention?
     
  7. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2011
    Messages:
    902
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Top n Tail today as the Swanage - Norden service is formed of 6 coaches. Can only run round 5 at Swanage
     
    6024KEI likes this.
  8. daddsie

    daddsie Guest

    First down service
     

    Attached Files:

  9. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2009
    Messages:
    1,732
    Likes Received:
    593
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Project Manager
    Location:
    Wales
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Haven't really kept up-to-date with this news. I assume that there is no potential for a full extension to Wareham with a run round loop etc. for steam hauled services
     
  10. Hirn

    Hirn Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    Messages:
    462
    Likes Received:
    295
    Gender:
    Male
    I think its not quite impossible but probably the signalling would be very difficult due to the expense.

    Does anybody know anything of the breakdown of what the signalling at Wareham cost amid the other costs of the
    reconnecting there for passengers without using the ground frame? My guess if of the order of at least a quarter or
    or a third of it - 650,000 to a million pounds. This would be at least a set of points with their detection and the
    signal heads at Worgret Junction in both directions and to run wrong road into the down platform.
    And there would be the interfacing between the signal box on the Swanage Railway and Network Rails: signalling centre :
    one would hope that this is modular but it must at least have been individually checked, tested and approved.
    Is there an up to date diagram of what was finally installed?

    As Network rails working estimates were lately reckoning either the ends of a pair of switch blades or a signal head as a" signalling unit"
    each one both to the tune at about 240,000 pounds a go, it could well wrack up alarmingly. (Apparently recent quotes for signalling
    schemes have been much higher)

    However there may have been built in provision for what what would be needed and if so that would appear to be very welcome.
    There is some capacity to be released I think were the level crossing removed by making it easier to use some of the sidings.
    But there are evidently local delicacies over the level crossing.
    Using the down bay as Platform 3 with its own loop, a trap siding and a water column would be obviously just the ticket
    and there appears to be nothing built in the way of it. However it would mean at least two point ends and two signals interlocked...............
     
  11. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2007
    Messages:
    2,849
    Likes Received:
    2,362
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Researcher/writer and composer of classical music
    Location:
    Between LBSCR 221 and LBSCR 227
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Not at the moment. My copy of the latest Steam Beano arrived today and it includes a lengthy article about Swanage. There will be no opportunities to run round until the foot crossing the London side of Wareham station is decommissioned. According to the article, the sidings which lie beyond it "will eventually be used to form a five-coach run-round loop clear of the main line." The long-term aspiration is definitely to use steam but again, to quote the General Manager, who was interviewed for the article. "It's likely that steam to Wareham will be fairly limited."

    Having been an armchair Swanage member for almost 20 years and a follower of the development of the line for even longer, quite honestly, I'm excited that Wareham trains are finally running - regardless of motive power. Having said that, a green 33 with the correct "98" headcode looks great (as in Herston Halt's pictures above) and I'm keen to fit in a ride at some point this summer. Yes, a U or an N would be better still, but one step at a time!

    (if any of the above is inaccurate, please don't shoot the messenger :))
     
    SpudUk likes this.
  12. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    255
    Likes Received:
    169
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Glad you like the photos. I believe there is grant funding in place specifically to main line certify the N-class and five Mk1s. I guess there's no reason why this couldn't T&T with the home based 33 until the crossing is sorted.

    Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk
     
  13. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2011
    Messages:
    902
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The above details re the foot crossing are correct.
    When the crossing has been closed, and the signalling to access to the sidings has been commissioned, Swanage train could either run round in the platform at Wareham (unlikely due to frequency of SWT services but not impossible) or access the sidings. This would more than likely be top n tailed until a new set of points installed at the Poole end of the sidings to complete a run round loop).
     
  14. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2011
    Messages:
    902
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Freedom of the Line ticket for £20 gives unlimited travel, breaks of journey for the whole day for all stations between Swanage and Wareham.......Yes a Day rover ticket for £20....
     
    Kinghambranch likes this.
  15. Zoomeg

    Zoomeg New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2010
    Messages:
    129
    Likes Received:
    23
    Definitely going to take a trip down soon, which SR diesel locos are NR certified other than 33012? also where is the stock / WCR loco stabled after each day?

    and can we ride steam up to Norden as part of the £15 day return?
     
  16. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2011
    Messages:
    902
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Zoom,
    Only 33012 is mainline certificated, stock probably stabled in Platform 1 or in No1 siding.
    A day return is £15 and you can break your journey but for an extra £5 you can purchase a Freedom of the line rover ticket = valid all day and for as many trips, break of trips on all services as you wish....a bargin @ £20 me thinks
     
  17. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Messages:
    6,078
    Likes Received:
    4,891
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swanage
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Of course with all the on-going debate about what may or may not be acceptable to replace the foot crossing at Wareham none of this may be in my lifetime. I am unaware of any other foot crossings where the local council pay to have someone sitting in a cabin to monitor the crossing, apparently according to one local paper even on a bank holiday weekend when the line was closed for engineering work.
     
  18. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2011
    Messages:
    902
    Likes Received:
    268
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Its a long story but the basics of the story are:
    1. Not a public footpath.
    2. Crossing is leased to the council with 22 years left on the lease.
    3. As part of lease its the council that has to pick up the tab for any upgrades, safety modifications etc etc
    4. All things being equal (don't hold your breath) work to start end of this or beginning of next year.
    5. When bridge is built crossing will close.

    With regards to the local rag.....the passenger service was not running due to engineering works.
    As part of the gate keepers contract they are there every day apart from Xmas Day and Boxing Day.
     
  19. Henry the Green Engine

    Henry the Green Engine New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    58
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Hants
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Most odd that the first train left silently. One would have expected mass hooting from both of the diesels, at least as far as the loco shed. The advance publicity would have alerted locals to the event so, they would have understood the reason for the noise. The spontaneous applause broke out because they felt that something different should happen and, they were right. After 45 years, a very underwhelming departure which is now captured on video, to puzzle people for years to come. The first train can only happen once so the moment is lost, forever.

    Still, a great achievement all the same.
     
  20. seawright

    seawright New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2012
    Messages:
    169
    Likes Received:
    26
    Is there any chance that the Wareham-Swanage service train will be fitted with a GPS tracker similar to that used by Real Time Trains during the recent diesel gala?
     

Share This Page