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 Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Rumpole, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2009
    Messages:
    1,624
    Likes Received:
    534
    Location:
    Swanage
    Special fares includes travel on the 'feeder service' - especially useful if one prefers to park one's car at Norden rather than Swanage with all 60103's trips starting/finishing at Swanage - and also permits access to specific viewing areas.
     
  2. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2009
    Messages:
    1,624
    Likes Received:
    534
    Location:
    Swanage
    The visit of 60103 in 1994 created unprecedented passenger figures on the Railway. You must have been lucky to find it " ... was pretty much just a normal service day ... " as many, many days were sellouts and I was fortunate enough to drive FS on some of them.
    I suspect the current 'hire/steaming' fees charges are some order of magnitude bigger than 1994.
    I hope people do not take silly risks. There are a reasonable number of countryside sites available for non-lineside shots using telephoto lenses.
     
  3. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2009
    Messages:
    1,624
    Likes Received:
    534
    Location:
    Swanage
    Special fares includes travel on the 'feeder service' - especially useful if one prefers to park one's car at Norden rather than Swanage with all 60103's trips starting/finishing at Swanage - and also permits access to specific viewing areas.
    Whether the special fares prove to be too much remains to be seen I guess.
     
  4. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,103
    Likes Received:
    57,430
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    To be fair though, those costs would be incurred at other railways hosting FS - I know at the Bluebell, the ticket price included travel on all other trains during the day etc. allowing a feeder service from East Grinstead for those coming from that end of the line. Tickets were £35 for adults, £17.50 for children. Swanage tickets are AFAICS £40 with no child discount. As you say, will be interesting to see whether it sells out - fair play to Swanage if it does.

    Tom
     
    2392 and Bean-counter 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
    Prices for the visit of 4488 UoS.A. at the NYMR end of March early April
    Adults £35.00, Children £17.50 and Family £72.00 (2 Adult + 2 Children, 1-15 years)
    So £5 extra for a celebrity loco doesn't seem to be so bad, especially for us 'rich' Southerners :):);)
     
    Rumpole likes this.
  6. gricerdon

    gricerdon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2018
    Messages:
    1,572
    Likes Received:
    726
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Gricer and Grandad
    Location:
    Wallers Ash
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Rich Southerners? Speak for yourself! We will go anyway but as much for 30120 and 34072 as 60103. Also to support our favourite line.
     
    Sunnieboy and Daddsie71b like this.
  7. Shaggy

    Shaggy Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2009
    Messages:
    2,501
    Likes Received:
    2,370
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    72B
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Even at that price, I'm sure I'll be there purely because my son has wanted to travel on the Flying Moneypit for as long as I can remember and it didn't help when I had the "pleasure" as part of my duties in 2017 (as well as on Swanage back in '94).
     
  8. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2006
    Messages:
    5,294
    Likes Received:
    3,596
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    You do get to go a good bit further behind the engine on the NYMR, though, and it is made to bark rather more loudly as it goes from Grosmont to Goathland or Levisham to Goathland.
     
    Davo and Greenway like this.
  9. WishIHadAName

    WishIHadAName New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2013
    Messages:
    194
    Likes Received:
    163
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Why not look at it for what it really is, a fund raising event where if you give £40 to the railway you get a ride behind Flying Scotsman. Your money then helps the railway out and helps it survive.
     
  10. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,729
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Because if that’s all it is, it deserves to fail. Swanage are charging £40 for Flying Scotsman trips, which if I was paying would seriously need to justify the fare.

    If they can make it work, they have my congratulations. But it is a commercial venture, not an appeal.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  11. 45076

    45076 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2011
    Messages:
    478
    Likes Received:
    313
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    34004
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    It is not aimed at enthusiasts. There are many affluent people in Dorset/Hampshire and I`m sure they will have no difficulty filling the trains.
     
  12. WishIHadAName

    WishIHadAName New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2013
    Messages:
    194
    Likes Received:
    163
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It is a commercial venture Im sure but where do all the profits go? Back into the railway?
     
  13. 2392

    2392 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2010
    Messages:
    1,902
    Likes Received:
    1,148
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Felling on Tyne
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Certainly seems to be a lot of jealousy and sour grapes, going around over the visit of Flying Scotsman. As a member of the aforementioned NYMR they "cashed in" on 'Scotsman's visit back in 2016 and had quite a hefty cash windfall, as fellow member Bean-counter/Steven would testify. Thing that makes me laugh/smile at that event was when "Mr Master Shot" was so busy with his state of the art camera, he edged nearer and nearer to the edge of Platform 2 at Grosmont and promptly stepped off, thankfully no harm was done as 'Scotsman was stationary, other than to Mr Master Shots' pride!

    I say why not "cash in" and use any profit to finance over and above other projects, that aren't necessarily as fashionable as say restoring 563 the LSWR 4-4-0 they inherited from the NRM.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2019
    D8568, Sunnieboy, Steve and 1 other person like this.
  14. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The NYMR certainly did cash in on the visit of Scotsman. I've forgotten the exact figure but it was a lot. They have continued to put on similar events since, using Royal Scot and Tornado and this year Union of South Africa. However, these are aimed more at the corporate market with pre-booked seats rather than Joe Public or the enthusiast. That approach seems to work.
     
    2392 likes this.
  15. 2392

    2392 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2010
    Messages:
    1,902
    Likes Received:
    1,148
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Felling on Tyne
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Certainly a way of generating extra cash at a low point. At the start of the season, which for most lines is around Mid-March/Easter. So good for Swanage following suit and an example for others including the "big league outfits" out there to follow, if they get the chance. Any profits being used to help with the bank balance, workshops [for all stock not just the locos], trackwork etc.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2019
    Ian Milne likes this.
  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,103
    Likes Received:
    57,430
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    On the Bluebell, some of the income from FS is being put towards permanent volunteer accommodation.

    Tom
     
    CH 19, 2392 and Greenway like this.
  17. 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
    Project Wareham still needs funds, so I assume it will go in that direction.

    Its just a pity that they do not have any mainline registered passenger carrying stock. Top and tailing with the U into Wareham would be a money spinner, hang on, that's for next year ;)
     
  18. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    On what basis do you say that it would be a money spinner to do this? It only becomes a money spinner when the additional income exceeds the additional expenditure by a substantial amount and the additional expenditure will be quite significant if you add in everything needed to do it.
     
  19. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,729
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Indeed, and I wish them luck. My comment was aimed at those suggesting it was just a form of donation to the railway.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  20. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,729
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Absolutely. And so any losses should (God forbid) they arise.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     

Share This Page