Swanage branch to be electrified

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... s-cut.html

Do they know something we don't? Read the last line.

 

Damn it, we've been found out...!

 

one day early for this post...should have waited....

 

Preservation does need somewhere for all of those 3rd rail electric units rusting in sidings all over the country to run on.
The Swanage branch would be ideal for this use. The Bluebell obviously doesn't want any electrification. All of the Swanage steam fleet could transfer to the Mid-Hants. to make way for the electric units.

O.K. - only kidding. April 1st approaches & i'm in joking mode. Please see other wind-up post regarding Iraqi 8F repatriation in the steam loco section.
Bob.

 

yeah but i still dont understand where we put the electric motor in the m7 yet alone the sound and smoke unit \/

 

The other thing is where does the DCC chip fit in ?
Also, quite a lot of people wish to see it Push Pull fitted so we'd better get a Westinghouse pump from somewhere [Poland ?].

 

The motor goes in the driving trailer of the push-pull set, leaves room in the M7 for the smoke/sound unit.....................

 

The other thing which annoys me is journalists always think/assume that line closures were part of the Beeching cuts. Swanage was definitely POST Beeching and, if my memory serves me correctly, Beeching actually had Swanage down for future electrification...........oh maybe that's what they meant to write!

 

One of these years someone is going to genuinely publish some major news on the 1st April, and no-one will believe it.

 

Perhaps they already have... :-k

 

Maybe Galatea's going to steam this afternoon? 8-[

 

The good news is that the event many thought was an April fool has now actually happened - the Purbeck Pioneer charter from London Victoria arrived in Swanage at 2pm today.

 

The April Fool special was repeated successfully today as well !! Congratulations to John Farrow at UKRailtours =D>
Hundreds of happy passengers and sighs of relief from some of our staff \/
We are now puzzling how to slot in two PastTime railtours, involving Tangmere on 2nd and 4th May, with our peak service [40 minute interval !] - but that's another story :-k

Back on thread .... We operate under the Light Railway Order legislation which specifically prohibits us from installing 3rd rail or overhead electrification. If we ever transfer to the Transport & Works Order arrangements that might be just because we want to operate at faster speeds,
Or possibly ......... [-(

 

Hmm. With all this increased activity the Swanage is going to need bigger turntable before too long. Not much room at Swanage itself. I know - the one at Ropley could be installed at Herston Works. Okay, the locos would have to be put on a low loader to get them there but....

Joking aside, how practical is it to uncouple, for example, a Bullied pacific from its tender to turn on the (50' ?) 'table at Swanage? I'm thinking that an 08 would be needed to shuffle things around. Has this been done by the Swanage Railway? Would the loco have to be 'cold' or in steam?

 

We do split locos to turn them, Manston has been apart quite a bit lately for some of the photo charters. The loco is often in steam, you just need to make sure that the brake pipe is sealed and it can then get to the table unaided. There is a legend that Tangmere had "quick-fit" hose connections installed between tender and loco to facilitate such a turn. It's certainly not as slick as the Minehead version, but getting a larger table in would require much remodelling of the historic loco servicing area.

 

Does that mean 4th rail is an option?

 

what about underground electricity

 

Thanks Sigsnguard. I presume that the usual loco/tender connections are a bit more substantial than those between other rolling stock - and of course there are the pipe runs for water, tender lighting (at least on a Bullied) etc.

The site for a 60-70 ft turntable would be a challenge although, if used for visiting mainline locos, it actual location along the line could be anywhere. It's a pity there's not enough room at Worgret (or one day in the future, Wareham) although, of course, this subject isn't anywhere on the SR's radar. I certainly wouldn't be thinking of disturbing the set-piece cameo at Swanage shed.

Anyway, sorry to take this thread a bit off track.

 

At the moment Swanage is quite happy with DieselElectric traction \/
We have thoughts about longer turntables [of which there are one or two left in GB and quite a few 'big uns' in different parts of Europe] from time to time. The two biggest problems are finance and location of course :-k