The Royal Wessex - April 27th

The Times have subsequently been changed. Revised times will be posted shortly.

David

 

There are still seats left in Standard Class for this and I've just found out that I could do it.
Will the revised times be up any time soon so I can see if it's more interesting?

I'd also be interested to see where the diesel is attached / detached for the Swanage - Southampton section.
It's just a pity they won't use 33012 from the Swanage railway for that. I'm sure it could manage it perfectly happily operationally.

 

Revised times now at t0427b.htm

 

I'm looking forward to my first trip behind a Merchant Navy, although when the first set of times were posted i was a bit worried about trying to get home after the tour, the revised times give me more opportunities to get home at a decent hour!

 

35027 ran on Swanage Railway 2000 - 2002.

D6515 won't be able to do the Swanage - Southampton leg of Friday's tour because DBS no longer have a mechanism for acceptance of private owner locos. 70000 was the last one they took on. Unless someone knows otherwise!
D6515 is approved by GBRf and WCR.

 

Surely every steam loco is a "private owner loco" as far as DBS is concerned since unlike WCRC they do not have a steam fleet of their own. Does that mean they can only operate the ones which are already registered? If so where does that leave steam locos such as 34046 that have not yet entered main line service?

 

D6515 is a diesel. Perhaps that's the problem....

 

Apparently some passengers wish to alight at Corfe Castle so this might delay 35028's scheduled arrival in Swanage (13:53) by a couple of minutes.

 

This applies to diesels, not steam.

 

buzby2 do you know what loco's are rostered for the Services on Friday? I'm on the railtour and am hoping to see 34028 in steam.

 

34028 has been kept back especially to run on Friday along with 35028. It should be quite a sight for the two '28s to pass at Harman's Cross - anyone got a helicopter?
Eddystone should then run through to 10th May.

 

Following on from twr12's details you'll have time for a round trip behind 34028 during the tour layover. Eddystone is scheduled to haul the 14:45 from Swanage to Norden arriving back at Swanage at 15:55. Your tour is not due to depart Swanage until 17:00.
For photographers on here - They'll both be boiler first when 34028 and its train, waiting at Corfe Castle Up platform, crosses with 35028's arrival around 13:35 at the Down Platform.

 

Well done Swanage Railway for having the savvy to ensure that 34028 would be allocated to work on the day of 35028's visit. I look forward to seeing the spectacle.

Cheers,

Paul

 

Thank you both (twr12 & buzby2) for the info. Much appreciated.

 

There's a piece on the BBC website about Clan Line's "return" trip to the Swanage. BBC News - 'Banned' Clan Line steam locomotive's return trip A bit of a daft article but it's all good exposure. It was in the top 10 most read stories on the BBC website when I found it.

All the best for the trip today, here's hoping for a good one!

 

I like this bit: ".....and withdrawn by British Railways a year after its failed trip to the seaside...."

But that story on the BBC website should ensure a very good crowd of onlookers, rather crowded local roads and hopefully a good extra stream of revenue for the Swanage Railway.

PS. Now it's going for a trip to the seaside, does this mean that the loco crew will be taking their buckets and spades with them as well? Knotted handkies on their heads and feet up in a deckchair on the beach.

Actually. The knotted handkie on the head for a 35028 driver would not be unique.

The much missed late Gordon Porter's trademark was a knotted handkie on his head. And he was at the controls of 35028 that night in December 1966 when he got her up to 103 mph approaching Fleet on the up "Club Train", 19.14 ex Southampton. One of the most heavily debated Merchant Navy runs ever, as it got very close to, or maybe actually touched, 3,000 ihp. I missed that night, must have been locked in and tied to my desk at college, but did get a good run when Gordon worked the other half of that turn, (it was a high mileage turn and was split over two weeks a month apart to even out pay for the crews). 35007 on 12. Sigs to 20 approaching Winchester Junction and 70 mph over Roundwood. 93 around Hook after a sigs stop near Basingstoke. Then 94 at Pirbight Junction before a sigs stop at Woking! Circa 70 minutes net Southampton to Waterloo. On a 97 minute schedule which took account of the electrification engineering works! The late Tommy Moult was the fireman on both runs. Another great guy from the days of steam.