The Swanage Railway Trust

On Train Catering

No Report.
 

Station Buffets

Firstly, thank you to all the staff who gave their time and support during my recent bereavement (especially the Birds Nest staff).

Birds Nest Buffet

As you may be aware the Birds Nest Buffet has opened as an extension to the day on Wednesday and Saturday evenings serving a limited food service to the holiday public and working staff. This was a pilot scheme that has proved to be a worthwhile service. The Birds Nest staff decided to work the evening roster as volunteers, extra to their working day. I thank them for that and in doing so would like to repeat the same next season but with some financial incentive.

If you remember the Norden Nest started off in a small way and has gradually grown over the past few years to become a very useful money spinner. In fact we reached a daily target figure of over £400 recently. I would like to think we could do the same with the evening opening of Swanage.
 

Norden Nest

Three park benches are now in place as is the remembrance plaque to Alan Maynard. Thank you to all the donations. Customer numbers have greatly increased. This is causing some concern with regard to entrance/exit points and a project is proposed to deal with this problem.

Penny Jones
Station Buffets Manager.
 

Retail

Shop opening times are 9.30am to 5.30pm daily up to and including 28.08.06, then 10.00am to 5.00pm daily. It may prove difficult to open the shop daily during September because of a shortage of volunteers and some staff taking holidays.

Ralph Smith
Shop Manager
 

Operations

We have had few problems this year with lineside fires, despite the hot weather unfortunately this changed on 10th August with a serious fire at Corfe Castle. A small lineside fire was fanned by a strong wind and spread to an adjacent field, which had been harvested; two fields were burnt with seven fire engines called to put it out.

On Saturday 12th 6412 failed on shed in the morning when the ashpan hopper door fell off, 33 108 worked the 10:30 and 11:50 trains, 6412 being repaired in time for the 13:10 departure.

On Saturday 19th the driver of the 16:30 ex Norden service reported a near miss with a car at Pondarosa crossing, the police were informed and advised the car driver of their error.

Two disciplinary matters have arisen in the last month, the first involved a Driver speeding and the second incident involved a SPAD at Corfe Castle – both Drivers have been suspended.

Steve Dyer
Operations Manager
 

Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon

Locomotives

• 80078 – Bogie re-assembled. On filling boiler, 5 super heater elements had failed. SLE arranged repairs and loco was steamed and test runs carried out to check bogie axleboxes. No defects found, loco currently undergoing annual insurance boiler inspection.
• 6695 – Routine maintenance and repairs.
• 6412 – Settled down to be reliable performer during August.
• 80104 - Routine maintenance and use ongoing.
• 30053 - Boiler work continues at Gambles, Portland.
• D6515 – Withdrawn on 1st September for bodywork repairs and repaint. SRCL work funded by 71A Loco Group as contracted repairs.
• 33108 – Available for traffic.
• 08436 – Available for traffic
• D3591 – Little progress due to ALL staff being occupied with running loco fleet!
• 108 DMU – In traffic.
• 117 DMBS – Occasional use to strengthen 108 to 3 car unit.

Carriages

• 4842 – Bogies with life expired tyres replaced with overhauled bogies.
• Now that the peak season is over we will fit the Campbell lighting system to two more TSOs.

Wagons

• 1248 PMV – Body rebuild ongoing by C & W volunteers.

James Cox
LCW Manager
 

Infrastructure

.

Frank Roberts
Infrastructure Manager
 

Permanent Way and Civil Engineering

w/c 24th July

• Lift, jack and pack in main line by turntable, under Br. 31 and in siding.
• Jack and pack worst dipped joints Swanage to Herston.
• Remove worn gate at Cats Eye Crossing.
• Jack and pack changed sleepers Swanage to Herston.

w/c 31st July

• Jack and pack panel by containers at Swanage using grit from
• Norden (track waterlogged by spoil dumped from signal box)
• Strimming and clearing ditch and gully Motala to Ivans.
• Sprayed S&T installations Wilderness to Quarr.
• Install limited clearance signs Corfe to viaduct.

w/c 7th August

• Changed sleepers Herston area.
• Jack and pack p&c at Herston.
• Empty Ash Wagon in No. 1 siding at HX.

w/c 14th August

• Gather tools.
• Jack and pack, slue Quarr to HX, then HX to Woodyhyde.
• Spraying cess and signal wire run Quarr to HX.
• Continue cutting at Catseye.

w/c 21st August

• Jack and pack Swanage nose (main to siding) and install long screws.
• Mend fences South Instow to HX
• Jack and pack Skew Arch p&c.
• Weekly regular line inspections and monitoring of Pondarosa slip.
• Assisted Dennis on bridge work – the timber is deteriorating on Sandy Lane bridge and may soon require a speed restriction.

Planned work

• Change sleepers at Dickers Crossing and in the Nursery Bridge area.
• Pondarosa slip.
• Change sleepers at Afflington.
• Stream clearance at Br. 26 may be done if time allows.
• It is becoming obvious that weight/volume of traffic is causing track wear that will need ballast and tamping to go some way to correct. Also vegetation control will require more expenditure next year.
• Ultrasonic on Corfe pointwork: At present not planned. The main damage was to S&TY work with very minor damage to point blade. S&T had to naufacture new stretcher for FPL. Will investigate contacts for ultrasonic with James.

Tony Andrews
PW Manager
 

Signal & Telegraph and Telecom

General

The current maintenance schedule is up to date.

The S&T equipment has worked extremely well during the August high season.

All the Tablet and Electric Token machines received their 6 monthly service this month.

Inspections

Following the Annual S&T inspections, the Repairs and Replacement schedule has been produced which totals 309 items which need attention. The breakdown of sites is :- Norden 18, Corfe 54, Harmans Cross 87, Herston 8 and Swanage 70. The tasks can range from tying in loose cables, replacing opaque signals lens to replacing cracked 4ft point drive concrete stools for example. The work will be implemented during the next 12 months as time and resources allow.

The Level Crossing inspections have commenced with approximately half completed on the running line. The remainder should be completed within the next 2 weeks. The risk assessment of all crossings will then follow which will then result in a report being produced.

Equipment

Progress is being made sorting out the S&T equipment on the Herston Bank store with serviceable equipment being placed inside the containers.

The two S&T containers at Herston have recently been painted thanks to the Infrastructure Support Group.

Norden ABCL Crossing

A recent site meeting has finalized a scheme for the crossing which will enable the costings to be completed shortly. Further design work and investigation is required on the Woodpecker Loop proposals.

Faults

None.

Dave Cobb
S&T Manager

Internal Telephone System & Cable Network

In general the internal system seems to be performing well with no significant fault reports. This has allowed us to get on with the much needed carpentry work to keep Herston Exchange standing and water tight through the coming winter. A large section of the floor and the end wall have been replaced which should extend the building’s life a little, but there is a worrying bulge on the side wall which needs investigating, and signs of rot developing in several other places. The good news is that all the repairs so far have been done with reclaimed timber – at zero cost!

There was a fault report last week that one of the telephones at Ponderosa crossing was not working. On investigation it was discovered that the transmitter (microphone) had been disconnected – which could only have happened by someone tampering with it.

It has been decided that the Concentrator that we started to install in Harmans Cross Signal box would be best suited in the new Corfe Castle signal box, when built, as it has the correct circuitry for the crossing telephones. This unit has been disconnected and will be changed over with another, which is presently being overhauled jointly by S&T and ourselves.

A fault on the Harmans Cross down treadle circuit has been located and repaired, and also the cables to the redundant treadle at Herston have been recovered so that it can be removed.

Business Communications Manager & BT Lines

The initial glitch with Tony Andrews’s new e-mail has been sorted out, and he is now happily using it. A reminder that his address is tony.andrews@corfestation.f2s.com .

A reminder of Dave Cobb’s address is

davecobb@corfestation.f2s.com

After looking into some issues regarding voicemail messages, we have discovered that it is possible for each user to have two voicemail messages, which can be manually switched e.g. when in or out of the office. Reservations, the GM and Dave Green are trying this out.

Terry Otter
Telecom Manager
 

Stations

Swanage

Station Platform: Guards Bell near shop – Button sticking, cover cleaned now working better.

Rubbish in the Bay Platform under Swanage Nest and Belle – The Sygnets have now cleared the rubbish. My thanks goes out to them for there hard work.

I am now working on way to stop the rubbish going on to the track under the Swanage Nest.

Porters Room: A new temporary lead has been put in for the Microwave, a new soap dispenser has been put in the Porters Toilet, New inside workings put in the Porters Toilet.

Station Toilets: new inside workings put in the two of the ladies toilets. The cost of fixing these toilets so far this week is just over £100.

Herston

We have had a quiet month mainly focusing on watering, weeding and keeping the Halt tidy. We are well pleased with the Swanage in Bloom award of Joint runner up (together with Swanage). Some maintenance of the hut will be undertaken in Sep.

Harman’s Cross

Work has continued on completing the gateway between the down platform and the adjacent organic farm, which it is hoped over time will attract more people to the station and hopefully use the train service.

Remedial work is being carried out on "Annabel", our ex LSWR grounded coach body, to ensure she stays water tight this winter.

An exploratory examination of our station platform lamp posts has taken place with a view to correcting some manufacturing imperfections and also repainting into correct SR/BR green.

As always a lot of work is carried over the summer on the gardens, grass areas and embankments by our loyal station team. Changes to the composting arrangements have taken place at the request of the PW department.

Visits by two inspectors from the HRA have now taken place as part of our entry into the station of the year award. We now await the outcome.

Corfe Castle

Hot water now installed in staff toilet. Rebuild of the Swanage end of the canopy now complete. Programme of refurbishment of the picnic tables, including strengthening their structure, is midway through. Work about to start on site on gate access from ‘up’ side of crossing, for P.Way.

Norden

Platform: up end of station platform, loose slab on sloping part.

Picnic seats on platform: Very rough, ideally should be replaced with something sturdier. Also need water proofing before winter.

Water Tap: At rear of staff rest room. Does not easily connect to the hose pipes, so water wagon cannot be filled. Being fixed by John Rowley, should be finished before the end of the month.

Replacement Permissive Path: Plan drawn by Brian Langdown, copies to Frank Roberts & Peter Sills. Project Form needs to be filled in so that construction may commence. Should be finished by Xmas and start of wet season as funding is in place. This should also include fencing around the site.

Grass cutting behind platform: Done again this month. Thankless task which should be easier when the path is done and the area is flatter

Norden Buffet: New seats. Rear feet are sinking into the ground, just in front of the “sleeper wall” This is part of the trench which was dug to place the sleepers in, the infill is settling.

Frank Roberts.

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Photographs

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