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.

Swanage Autumn Steam Gala - 12-14 October 2018

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by Rumpole, Jul 3, 2018.

  1. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2006
    Messages:
    6,122
    Likes Received:
    1,655
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Railway Technician
    Location:
    8C / 5D / 27C / 71B
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    A gala should be an enhancement to what is your main every day timetable. For Swanage that is the 40 minute timetable – be it Yellow for 2x steam or Green for 1x steam / 1x diesel. There is the Purple also but as steam is not currently going to Wareham I’d discount it for this purpose. So that leaves 3x options in my mind of what can be achieved -:

    1. An alterations of the 45-minute 2-train timetable with a 3rd shuttle set added in. This was used up until the River Frome section was opened, and is a proven timetable. Have the shuttle set go over the Road, then whilst that is away have the Goods set run a round trip in the spare path created by the shuttle’s “disappearance”. I think this was used at the 4277 gala, but I had to miss that event so can’t confirm (though I also think it's used for the Winter Warmer).
    2. Fix the Strictly Bulleid timetable, with 3x sets all going to River Frome and the Goods shuttling about between Swanage and Corfe. Instead of the 40 mins enforced at SB though, make it 45 mins to give you that little bit of recovery when things don’t go to plan. Also means you can have the Station Pilot turn, which was fun to operate (& watch) for those there.
    3. Use the diesel gala timetable, where the older 3x train timetable mentioned above is run, and a 4th set is used Corfe to Wareham (though obviously turning around at River Frome). Swap your shuttle set on the normal Swanage – Norden service for your Goods set = Job Done.
    It was worth trying this new timetable of crossing at Corfe with 2x main sets, whilst running Corfe – Swanage shuttles, but it just didn’t work. There wasn’t enough time to allow for any delays. Like a 1-minute station stop, but then a wheelchair user appears. Not their fault, but this increases your stop to 3or4 minutes (and then again when they want to get off) and suddenly you’re fighting to catch up nearly 10 minutes. See what's come up with in 2019, but plenty of food for thought
     
    Daddsie71b likes this.
  2. Martin

    Martin New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2007
    Messages:
    65
    Likes Received:
    42
    It's not easy to see an obvious solution given the position of passing loops and the lengthy Corfe - River Frome - Corfe section. The suggestion to add 10 minutes to each cycle seems appealing, but in practice it would make the gaps between trains at Norden too great. The punter who's turned up for the gala at Norden, but hasn't studied the timetable in advance, is going to be a bit miffed at paying £30 for a ticket only to find that the next Swanage train is over an hour away.

    From my time there on Friday, it seemed as though there was gradual slippage here and there, rather than specific things causing delay. For instance, although the first Norden train arrived there on time, it seemed to take a long time to run round, and as a result left 5 minutes late - even at that early stage, things were going astray. In the early afternoon, there were delays at Corfe when the T9 didn't stop far enough down the platform to give the 80xxx tank enough space to get out of the sidings and attach to the back. Getting all the doors closed for it to move up took time, and again, crucial minutes have gone. When there is then no "catch-up" time, all the little incidents such as this add up, and everything just slips more and more.

    It's a tricky one - having nine locos in steam was great, but I ended up leaving earlier than planned as I was wary of getting further delayed (correctly as it turns out, from reading some of the discussion).
     
  3. David likes trains

    David likes trains Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2014
    Messages:
    804
    Likes Received:
    3,317
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Colchester
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    If I remember rightly from my visit on Sunday, things were not running to schedule from almost the very start. I got on the U Class and Duchess top and tail 1008 departure from Norden, which left on time. When we arrived in Corfe Castle the 'local' C set with T9 one end and Black 5 at the other was in the other platform, according to the timetable it should have left before we arrived, indeed before our booked departure time from Norden. So we were waiting some time at Corfe for 80078 to arrive to pass us. That pattern repeated throughout the day, with the trains that had been 'over the road' having a longer wait that planned at Corfe before they could continue on to Swanage.

    I often wonder about families who rock up at the railway for a day out without knowing there's a gala on. I know spoke to one at the Bluebell's branch line weekend this year, was explaining the timetable to them and how they'd need to change trains at Horstead Keynes to continue on for a full round trip. I'm sure it must of happened somewhere at sometime, that somebody has turned up for a steam train ride on a diesel gala weekend!
     
  4. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2005
    Messages:
    1,653
    Likes Received:
    2,564
    Occupation:
    UK & Ireland Heritage Railways Webmaster
    Location:
    Ruabon, Wrexham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Just wanted to add my appreciation of a great day out at Swanage on Sat 13 Oct.:) Despite the timetable rapidly going to pot (We were on the 10:39 departure from Swanage which finally got away around 11ish) there was plenty to see and do, so we did not mind the delays. I hope those who were there also took the time to visit the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum (An interesting project and I look forward to seeing their narrow gauge railway in operation at some future date).

    Not wanting to join in the timetable bashing, but the lack of information was noticeable, particularly so at around 17:00(ish) when we were waiting at Norden on the return train from river Frome to Swanage. I assumed we were waiting for a train to arrive from Swanage before we would be given the road and after a lengthy wait a train from Swanage arrived. I expected our train to then depart, but no, the spare engine coupled on to the back of the newly arrived train and we then watched it depart back towards Swanage, :confused: leaving us to follow 15/20 mins later. An announcement that the next departure to Swanage will be leaving from platform 2 (or whatever it is) would at least have given anyone who did not want to wait, the opportunity to change trains. :(

    But despite the chaos, we enjoyed our day and would highly recommend a visit to Swanage. :cool:
     
  5. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    2,237
    Likes Received:
    918
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    When there’s a train at River Frome is Norden to Corfe Castle locked out.
     
  6. HerstonHalt

    HerstonHalt Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    255
    Likes Received:
    169
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    No.

    Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk
     
  7. Penmere

    Penmere Guest


    I'm sorry your offended, but if you have a problem with what I type, You realise there's a block button don't you.
    Hope this helps.
     

Share This Page