One of the Swanage Railway’s long standing problems has been the lack of covered accommodation for coaches, which are exposed to the weather all year round with consequent increase in the rate of corrosion and deterioration of paintwork. Review of the entire formation revealed that there was just enough space to build a two road shed for eight coaches on the Swanage side of Herston Halt. The first stage of the project, which includes the excavation of the site and laying of track, has cost £80,000 and has been funded by the Trust from a legacy, previous appeals and from the 2009 operational surplus. We now need £150,000 for the foundations and the structure of the building itself.

Work on the site commenced immediately after the winter shutdown which saw the relaying of the adjacent line between Herston Halt and the Victoria Avenue. Track removed from the running line here will be re-used in the shed. A significant amount of earth has been removed and used to stabilise embankments. A retaining wall made from steel piles and concrete sleepers has been erected.  A planning requirement for the building to blend in to the landscape will be satisfied by finishing it with green cladding. As you can see from the pictures taken on 16^th June, work is at an advanced stage and we anticipate track being laid by the time you read this in early July. How quickly we can move to the next stage is up to you!