Swanage Railway General Discussion

Air BNB?

 

60103 Flying Scotsman is now at Swanage for a 3 week seaside holiday - after beginning the centenary celebrations with a weekend at Kings Cross! Seen here on Thursday 20th on static display and an opportunity for local schoolchildren to get up close to this world famous locomotive. And some of their questions were quite challenging for the loco crew!

 

34028 Eddystone was the service locomotive on Thursday 20th - seen alongside 60103 Flying Scotsman at Swanage

 

34028 Eddystone preparing to leave Swanage with a 'Royal Wessex' service on Thursday 20th - providing a feeder service for those visiting Flying Scotsman in Swanage.

 

and the award for the prettier locomotive goes to....................

 

Flying Scotsman

 

But I'd rather be rostered Eddystone

 

If engines could talk…

 

Personally I don't think I'd describe either as "pretty". They're too big for that. But if we're comparing aesthetics, the German-style smoke deflectors are perhaps a minus point for the A3 and the Riddles-style high running plate is perhaps a minus for the Bulleid.

 

Good to see so many well-wishers at Swanage this morning to watch Scotsman depart.

Hopefully lots of publicity and cash for the railway. <BJ>

 

check out the Spa Valley Railway Catering results! Any comparison to SR??

 

In the SR magazine p4 the treasurer says there is more to be done to improve catering retail.
I see the Devon Belle Pullman observation car with catering on the Flying Scotsman train has sold out this weekend, which should raise some good funds, there is also a Mk1 buffet car on the train, which I presume is also selling food and drink for those not in the Devon Belle, I am sure I brought some drinks and snacks from a buffet back in 2019 when I travelled on the Flying Scotsman train?

The Christmas lunch trains are not cheap, but selling well. Maybe more could be run?

The SR have run Lunch and some evening catering trains this summer. I see from the Spa Valley thread they have Fish and Chip, Ploughman’s Lunch and Real Ale Trains which the SR does not currently do, but could in 2023?

 

Interesting that Spa Valley, Bluebell and KESR all operate seemingly good and fairly intensive dining trains of varying sorts and all although not that far apart seem well patronised which would suggest as long as you,re nearish to a few larger towns there is the market there.

 

Visited yesterday (Sat 22nd)

We did the 1400 service train which my wife and her friends enjoyed

Lovely day which probably helped but Swanage was bustling.

Flying Scotsman was late in both directions, problems with a brake valve it seems but we were kept informed

All in a good day out

 

The Swanage Railway has a high profile event with the visit of the recently overhauled Flying Scotsman, but has a challenging time ahead. In the Summer magazine Robert Patterson talked about a new General Manager/CEO (high profile "fat controller", but not a PC term anymore, but the title CEO somehow does not sound right for a railway?).
The post was advertised but was anyone appointed?.
https://www.srstaff.co.uk/vacancies/CEO22/

 

Here's my footage of Flying Scotsman's first day of running along the Swanage Railway yesterday. I hope you enjoy the video.

 

Cannot speak for Spa or the KESR but my viewing of the Bluebell trains (pre Covid) and the dining trains here at Swanage is that the client base is at the older end of the age spectrum.
That is probably a combination of a higher level of disposable income and or a retiree base close by.
All 3 you mentioned are in the more, at least until recently, "affluent South" so maybe the economic climate will perhaps have less impact on the client base for these services than other more regular HR offerings.

 

Forbidden 403.
And unless you are a working volunteer, that is how it should be!

 

DcB/Andy
This is the public VACANCIES page on SRStaff, but I am afraid it doesn't have the CEO position on it!
https://www.srstaff.co.uk/vacancies/index.php