The Swanage Railway Trust

Your Help is Needed!

It is vital that the railway gets as much exposure as possible in order to bring in as many passengers as possible. Everyone can help by helping to distribute leaflets (or posters) to places where they see a gap in our current distribution. PLEASE SEE EITHER DAVE GREEN, MYSELF OR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLICITY UNIT TO COLLECT A SUPPLY OF LEAFLETS IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP.

Funding of Projects

There are many projects listed in the Strategic Plan that are ready to proceed if enough funds were available. For this reason the raising of general funds by the SRT is vital to the activities of SRCL as the restricted funds that have been raised for specific purposes cannot be used for these more general projects.

To help with this fundraising volunteers are needed to sell Draw tickets on the platform at Swanage. If you are able to help out at Swanage, or in any other way, with this work please contact Liz Sellen (01929 475202) or Mike Stollery (01929 421492) in first instance.

Staff Barbeque

Debbie Wilkins (a volunteer in the shop) is organising this event for all staff, both paid and volunteer on Sunday 24th July at 7pm
Venue – The Picnic area at Swanage Station
Cost – £2.50 meal and soft drink
Alcohol will not be served, please bring your own.
Tickets will be available from the Birds Nest or Debbie in the Shop.
Please support this event.
 

Notes from the Board Meeting on April 2nd

Health and Safety

The new Rules and Regulations were passed and will come into effect from 1st October. Full details of distribution will be published later.

We now have a Special Waste License from the Environment Agency. Special Waste must only be disposed of to an authorised contractor. Malcolm Munro will publish a list to confirm items covered. Could all staff please follow guidance on this matter from your manager.

Financial Report

It was reported that cash flow is still of concern. Everyone’s efforts are still required to maximise revenue and contain costs if we are to return a profit from the company this year.

The change of lease for Swanage Station from SRCL to SRT was discussed.

Response to GM’s Report

There was a general and wide ranging discussion on future direction of the railway. It was decided that the best forum for this to continue was at a less formal meeting of the Directors which will be arranged for August.

The following priorities for development were put forward:

• To clarify continued areas of confusion regarding areas of responsibility.
• Continuing to empower managers to take responsibility for strategic planning of activities and staffing within their area of responsibility.
• Further development of financial procedures to enable better planning and financing of work.
• The full implementation of a Safety Management System and its ongoing development.
• The encouragement of more volunteers to allow for the maintenance and future development of services.
• Developing ways of using employees more efficiently – to the advantage of both the Railway and members of staff.

Other business

Terry Otter was confirmed as Telecom to replace Frank Roberts who has decided to pass this responsibility on to concentrate on other areas.

There will be another meeting of the DCC Cabinet at which Furzebrook will be discussed on 16th July.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be held at 9 30am on 30th July 2005.
 

Around the Railway

Marketing

Fare income for June looks like coming in around £8k short of budget, which I set lower than the actual income last June because of the two Thomas weekends last June. When you take the Thomas effect out of last June’s figures then we show a reasonable increase over last year.

The Santa leaflet is nearing completion and should be with the printers within the next seven days. Copies should then be available by the middle of July.

The Publicity Unit of Liz Sellen and Dave Wellman continues to roam the countryside attending shows and fetes spreading the gospel of Swanage Railway. In order for them to attend more events a special lightweight tent which will give them much needed shelter has been ordered and delivery is imminent. This will greatly increase the number of events that they will be able to attend and further increase our prospective business. Results from most of the events the unit has attended this year so far have been very encouraging.

Retail

The number of shop counter volunteers now stands at 20. The weekly hours worked by staff are as follows:- One person 14 hours, one person 10½ hours, three persons 7 hours, fifteen persons 3½ hours.

Operations

I have received several complaints from local residents about smoke; a notice has been issued informing crews that they should not be making up their fires in Swanage. This obviously does not apply to lighting up or before the first train; all Firemen should know what is acceptable and what is not. A copy of the Ringleman chart is on the notice board.

Infrastructure

Signal and Telegraph

The extra 8 tablets for the Electric Tablets machines have now been made and will be engraved shortly. A quote for casting new tokens for the Electric Key Token machines has been obtained from a foundry at Sturminster Marshal

There has been a major problem with the Outer Home signal at Swanage during the last month. Due to the failure of various components on two separate occasions it was decided to replace the whole Westinghouse Electric Signal Machine with the spare we had in store.

Telecom

The refurbishment of the installation at Herston Works was completed, and we hope that, with its new Swanage number, it will be more convenient to use for all concerned.

Two new phones have been installed at Norden. Corfe 58 at the Park and Ride office complete with external bell, and Corfe 52 on the down end of the platform adjacent to the Loco. This brings the number of working lines on the system up to 63.

Civil Engineering

New steel handrails have been made up for Bridge 26a to replace the rotted timber post and wire examples that exist here at present. These are currently in Herston Works awaiting transport to site.

Re-pointing to the stonework abutments and wing walls to Bridge 17 are ongoing.

Permanent Way

Work over the past month as follows:

• Fishplate lubrication completed.
• Ash Wagon unloaded.
• Fencing at Woodyhyde completed.
• Contract weedkilling revisited.
• Sidings at Swanage, Harmans Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden sprayed by knapsack, including signal wire runs.
• Scrap rail cut at Eldons.
• Weekly inspections carried out.

Crane engines have now been changed. Crane engine now running and awaits resistors and dynamo. Fraser White is assisting with the electrics.

Lifting tackle has been inspected – the Atlas was also inspected and is now running.

T. Trood has now fitted stretcher bars to one set of points for Motala. Proposed to take out set at Wareham end of Herston and plain line in order to make the other pair of traps for Motala.

Tom and Norman are working on the down shelter at Corfe.
 

Vacancies

Contact the named person (via Station House) for more information:

• Station Manager for Herston – to look after the maintenance of Herston Halt and assist with the management of Herston Bank. Contact Frank Roberts.
• First Aid Officer – to monitor training of staff as appropriate and ensure the routine examination and restocking of First Aid Boxes across the railway. Contact Malcolm Munro.
• Reservations Staff – to answer passenger enquiries and take bookings for parties and dining passengers. Contact Martin Trott.
• Draw Ticket Sellers – to sell Draw Tickets on Swanage Station to fund winter projects. Contact Liz Sellen or Mike Stollery.

SRT Open Forum

An Open Forum is held before the monthly meeting of SRT Directors (CoM) in the Rectory Classroom – the next meeting is on 30th July 2005. It will take place at the new time of 2pm.
 

Nick Brown
General Manager
Swanage Station
Tel: 01929 425800 extn 24 or 07901 852198
Email: nick.brown@71b.co.uk

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Photographs

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