Swanage Railway General Discussion

34053 and 31806 return next week Latest edition of "Swanning Arround" https://www.srstaff.co.uk/swanningaround/swanningsep2519.pdf

 

Hopefully both the railcar operation to Wareham will be in opatuon in 2020 and tours will co exist?
The Mayflower is on the way to Swanage.
Notice it had a support coach will 31806 need one if it goes mainline?

 

Looking back at last November with the Swanage very enjoyable S&D weekend any chance of something similar this November? Maybe a Bulleid weekend with the two train service time table? 53 and 72 crossing at Harmans.

 

Would be difficult to see it not needing one although some have been shared. For example 60009 and 61994 I believe shared one and the WCRC must rotate around their fleet of loocs. Of course you would also need a mainline support crew with all the appropriate NR requirements passed as well.

 

31806 has been mainline registered primarily just to run into Wareham. There may be other trips around the local area with the 5 mainline registered coaches. However it won’t be on the same scale as WCRC tours, so would a support coach really be needed? Just stock the existing brake van up with some tools and supplies, and it’ll probably always have the 33 on the back to tow it back to Swanage if necessary.

 

This is a quote from the Mogul website "We also intend to run 31806 on the mainline again in 2020 and to this end, the engine has to be in the best mechanical condition possible. It may well run a mainline tour or test run in 2019 but we will have to wait and see how things pan out with the reassembly."

 

31806 has had a pretty major overhaul of the bottom end recently. However doesn’t it only have a year or two left on the boiler certificate?

Perhaps there is a plan to fast track the boiler overhaul? Possibly using 31625s boiler?

 

Railtours to Swanage currently have diesel haulage back to So'ton then steam via Romsey because the Swanage turntable is too small to turn the locos that bring the railtours in. What locos could it accommodate? Might two small ones double-heading work? Or is that a non-starter?

 

The largest engine it can accommodate is a 76 standard, so even something like a pair of Black 5’s would be a non-starter including turning at Swanage.

 

From
http://swanagemoguls.com/aboutthelocos/u-class-31806-bio/
"It’s Boiler ticket expires in 2021" so could be used in 2020 on the mainline if a operator licence can be sorted?
Guess the main Wareham service will be the railcars, but to have 31806 and a 33 sometimes, even to go beyond Wareham.
2 issues could be steam one way to Wareham and diesel back to Swanage? And do the 5 Swanage based mk1 coaches have full door locking or will others have to be rented?

 

Even so in 2 years time 31806 will have an expired boiler ticket but presumably still be in otherwise good order. A boiler swap could be be a way to get it back in traffic quickly.

I don’t think the 5 Mk1s have door locking yet but I believe it will be fitted.

 

After the time its taken to get the boiler from the N class done, they might as wall transfer the equipment on to the N, The boiler on 31806, has I believed not had any major plate work since its last major in Br days, so either must have been in very good order , so very likily to need attention, the boiler off 31625, has its own issues, but might be in better condition but neither boiler will be a quick job, and 31874's tender already has the mainline equipment fitted .
As regards possible work on the main line, as I see it the best option is a circular tour out via Southampton and Eastleigh to Salisbury then to Yeovil service the loco, then down to Weymouth, tender first, run round back to wareham then run round, or have the 33 couple on and drag the tour to Swanage, but to make it pay, will need more than 5 MK1s, nearer to 8 assuming a mogul can manage 8 on the climb to Southampton

 

There's also a bit of a climb between Yeovil and Dorchester to consider. <BJ>

 

Not to mention the climb out of Weymouth to Dorchester.

 

The U I believe is a 4P/3F power classification. I do not see NR allowing it to haul 8 up Parkstone, Evershot or Upwey Banks. No idea what a max load was in steam days but I am sure it was not 8 for those climbs. (I think Upwey may have been 8 for a MN)
Running round at Weymouth I understand is very difficult if not impossible these days and I do not believe you can run round at Wareham.
Also where are all the passengers going to come from a such a train? Sure some of the enthusiast community may travel down, but it will not offer dining or first, unless you look at hiring in WCRC stock (which you would need to do if you go over the 5 Swanage coaches) so the market in Dorset and Hampshire will I suggest be small. If you have to hire the stock, there two ECS moves with crews plus you will be hiring crews for the tour the price suddenly becomes very high I suggest. Even with 5 on I suggest you would need a diesel on the back for the reversals and perhaps NR "confidence"

 

If the running is only to Wareham, then probably not. The NYMR don't attach a 'support coach' for the Whitby runs.

 

Why not a series of Swanage to Salisbury trains via Southampton and Eastleigh. One in the morning and one in the afternoon.

No serious inclines to contend with apart from Parkstone bank. <BJ>

 

It seems to me that because of the bank, Bournemouth to Salisbury might make more sense, or why not do The Salisbury 6? (Salisbury/Southampton returning via Chandlers Ford & being turned with the diesel on the triangle at Tunnel Junction)

 

Carl Watson Photo 5th September

 

The DMU lower cost service for 2020 is looking more positive.

I notice on the LU 4TC and the 117 photos extra plates on the doors, with presumably electromagnets, have been added for central locking.
To add them to SR's existing Mk1s for a 31806 mainline steam tour is possible, but may be expensive, and payback may not be after several full tours, but with the growing interest in steam tours may be worthwhile (even hiring in suitable coaches to get started). Will need funds upfront, a good accountant and marketting agent to confirm the financial risk?