Swanage Steam Gala 2013

Just a quick note at this stage to put a date in your diaries for this year's Swanage gala, on 6-8 September.

Currently planned to be in operation are the home fleet of 30053 (first gala appearance in its new guise), 34028 (last gala appearance in this 'ticket'), 34070, 6695 and 80104. Contracts are also currently being finalised for one visiting locomotive, which will mark the first appearance of this class at Swanage in preservation; more information to follow.

The timetable is planned to be a three train timetable, with three trains ever 1.5 hours from each end. Due to the uneven length of single line sections the timetable is slightly unbalanced, with gaps of 28 minutes, 17 minutes and then 45 minutes between trains, but it does mean that there's not really too long to wait for something to happen. There will also be an early morning freight train, and then freights running through the evening with the last freight arrival at Swanage planned to be 21:57; a rare opportunity to see a steam hauled freight 'after dark'.

After last year's experiment we have listened to feedback and we will not be operating 'over the road' at Norden until we have a longer run, and can more justify the time spent up there; however this just means that there will be more going on in the 5.5 miles between Swanage and Norden!

More news to follow in due course.

 

Sounds good... already looking forward to it

 

What will be the new guise of 30053?

John

 

BR lined black.

 

Really? How very original...

 

Fits the general BR southern theme at Swanage rather well as they run mainly Mk1s and dont have as much stock which matches a southern engine! Shes been in southern black livery for a few years and will be nice to see her lined out in black looking smart in a fresh coat of paint!

 

But also very popular, to the extent that the group has received sponsorship for certain aspects of the repaint. It will be a form of the livery that has not been carried before in preservation, and will match the period that '53 was based at Bournemouth shed for, when it actually worked the Swanage branch.

 

Nice and authentic. Dates clash with wedding anniversary - shall look for romantic (preferably not too wildly expensive!) hotel in Swanage, and hope to be allowed out.

John

 

This would also be the guise in which it worked the push-pull trains of converted Maunsell stock along the branch, and there is a project to recreate this sight. I'm open to correction here, but I certainly don't remember seeing a photo of an M7 in any type of Southern Railway livery hauling a two-car push-pull set

 

It certainly wouldn't have been with Maunsell Push Pull stock in Southern livery; the Maunsell sets only being converted in the early 1960's.

As has been said, it is authentic for the period the railway is attempting to portray, and it is the livery the owners want the loco to be in at present. The previous Southern livery was a rush job for Eastleigh 100, and the opportunity has been taken this time round to do a proper job with the loco; it will certainly look impressive when it comes out of Herston, the team have done a cracking job.

 

The Wessex Belle Bistro runs Fri / Sat nights, and is highly recommended by those who have sampled it

 

Here is 30053 in her "new guise": Timeline Photos | Facebook

Looks great.

 

31806 from the MHR is visiting for the event..

 

Anything anywhere to confirm this at all?

 

Fantastic! I'm sure it will be a popular visitor. 31806 has certainly been doing the rounds this last year, and seems to have gone down well wherever it has ventured. I shall look forward to seeing it away from its MHR home again.

 

I can't confirm or deny 31806 at this stage, but what I can say is the visitor lined up has visited Swanage before...on 6 September 1955. How about seeing it in the same place 58 years on...?

 

It can now be confirmed that visiting for this event will be U class No.31806, for which naturally we are grateful to the Mid Hants Railway. For anyone who has seen the photo in this month's Steam Days magazine of an M7 piloting a U away from Swanage, that sight will definitely feature over the course of the weekend.

I am sure 31806 will be a welcome visitor, and look just right over the weekend.

 

Sounds good to me. Let's hope the weather gods smile on you.

 

Brilliant - I shall be there, even if it costs two tickets for the Wessex Belle Bistro as well as a suitably posh hotel room (normally happy to stay in a youth hostel on my gricing trips) to get my better half to come! The offering was already attractive, but seeing as N class 31874 is hors de combat at present this is the nearest I'll get to those happy memories of the Withered Arm.

John

 

Would be cool if they could get 34046 Brauton as it will be around the area because its running the Dorset coast express also when will the working timetable be ready?