The Swanage Railway Trust

Our Train Services

From Boxing Day, we offer our basic 1-train steam service until Mon 2 January, after which we close down until ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ returns on 11 February. In response to customers’ demands, there will be improved services in 2006. Notably in the high summer the first train of the day will depart Swanage at 09:00 and return from Norden at 09:25. This train will also run on Market Day Tuesdays outside the peak season from 30 May to 5 Sep.

There will be an augmented evening diesel-train service, with shorter intervals than in 2005 and a later last train, allowing more time for drinking! (I can see our Volunteer Drivers and Signalmen going on strike for more pay for longer hours!!) There will be lots of Special Events, too numerous for me to list here, so pop along to the Station, the TIC or a local pub and pick up a 2006 Timetable and pin it up to your Future Attractions Notice Board at home. Or visit our website at www.swanagerailway.co.uk for details of our train times, Special Events, Dining Trains and The Compleat Driver Experience.

Open Days, 19-20 November 2005

Our recent Open Days attracted the crowds and I include a photo by Andrew PM Wright of two visitors in Swanage Signal Box with Signalman Tony North explaining how it works.

2005 – SR 120 Anniversary Year

The Swanage Railway was opened on 20 May 1885, and we celebrated our 120th Anniversary with a weekend of special events in May 2005. We look back briefly at that great weekend with another photo by Andrew Wright of some Swanage Railway campaigners from the 1970s - Moyra Cross (left), Margaret Clark (centre) and Pamela Emms (right). Behind them is the visiting ‘Beattie Well Tank Engine’ that helped celebrate that event, a member of the class of engines used on the line when it opened.

Work in the Close-Down.

In our annual 5-week closed-down period we get on with essential maintenance and new projects. These will include the installation of new signals at Corfe Castle and track relaying between Harman’s Cross and Herston. Even when there are no timetabled passenger trains running, works trains and stock movements are likely to take place at any time.

Coffee Mornings

Fancy a cuppa in the town centre while out shopping? By courtesy of John Love, the proprietor of Alfie’s, we have been able to arrange a series of monthly Saturday coffee mornings at his Institute Road restaurant from 10.00 to 12.00, starting on 28 Jan. Stalls selling bric-a-brac, books, homemade cakes etc will also feature - all proceeds to the Swanage Railway Trust. Offers of cakes, bric-a-brac and those unwanted Christmas presents will be gratefully accepted by Ruth Newton (42785) or Mike Stollery (421492).

Purbeck Railway Circle

Our next meeting is on Friday 13 January, when Nick Lera of Locomotion Pictures will give a video and slide show entitled ‘Railways at Home and Abroad’, featuring Asian Steam Highlights and Steam in Dorset and Hampshire. For more than 30 years Nick has filmed steam locomotives hard at work on railways around the world. Long after the Iron Horse had breathed its last in the Western World, Nick specialised in tracking down the survivors across five continents. He has captured the unique atmosphere of steam in regular service carrying people and their goods through bustling city centres, up high mountain passes, across remote deserts and through tropical jungles, often in areas of outstanding natural beauty. The results are considered by many to be the finest motion-picture records of steam trains available.

Now a freelance producer, Nick started out in TV News and worked all over the world; when history was in the making Nick was there. Then the producers of the BBC 'Great Railway Journeys of The World' employed him on their highly rated programmes in Southern Africa and Peru. We meet in the Catholic Church Hall, Rempstone Road, Swanage, at 7.00 for 7.30 pm and all are welcome, so come along and beat the winter blues with a dose of sunny steam!

Michael Walshaw, Secretary PRC, Station House, Swanage, BH19 1HB, phone 01929 421913.

Finally, a Happy New Year to all readers from the staff at The Swanage Railway. If you are interested in helping us in any way, for example in doing some invigorating maintenance tasks, contact Volunteer Liaison Officer Mike Whitwam on 01202 430894, write to him at SRT, Station House, Swanage, BH19 1HB or leave a note for him at Swanage Station Booking Office.

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Photographs

All photographs on this page by and copyright Andrew P.M. Wright,
Swanage Railway official photographer