Swanage Railway

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Swanage station is decorated with railway memorabilia.

Swanage station

A train on the Swanage Railway viewed from Corfe Castle

The Swanage Railway is a six mile-long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line (Norden Park & Ride - Corfe Castle - Harmans Cross - Herston - Swanage), and is now connected to the mainline at Wareham along a stretch of the branch line that remained open to freight.

1 History
2 Aims of Swanage Railway
3 Norden - Wareham restoration
4 Locomotives
5 Stations
6 Southern Catering Project Group
7 Reading
8 External links
- 8.1 Official Swanage Railway links
- 8.2 Other Swanage Railway links

[edit] History

The branch was built in 1885 and operated by the London and South Western Railway Company and latterly by the Southern Region of British Railways. It was in the 1950s that the Branchline Committee identified this branch line as a candidate for closure, such a plan was in reality over-optimistic for a busy branch line such as this. It was met with a great deal of opposition and was then shelved. This line was not mentioned in the Reshaping of British Railways or Beeching Axe report of 1963. It is possible that it was omitted either due to political considerations or the fact that the existing roads in the area were unable to take the additional traffic caused by the lines closure.

It was in May 1967, that the Network for Development Plans were issued by Barbara Castle, the then Labour Minister of Transport following a study. Where lines were at the remunerative end of the scale, such as the main trunk routes and some secondary lines, these would be developed. But those that failed to meet the financial criterion, but served a social need were to be retained and subsidised under the 1968 Transport Act. The problem would be for lines that were not in the abovementioned categories could be candidates for closure as they did not form part of the basic railway network. The Swanage line was one of those that fell into this category. It was a line that may well have carried considerable traffic, and perhaps made a small profit, but it did not meet the Government's social, economic and commercial criteria for retention.

It was in the later part of 1967 that BR issued a notice that the Swanage line was to be closed by September 1968. But due in part to the level of opposition to the closure and also by the fact that BR had underestimated the logistical problems in providing a replacement bus service in the summer months, due to the summer traffic, the line remained open. Indeed the line was still open in 1969. The opposition from the various pressure groups was so vociferous that a public enquiry was called for. Subsequently a Department of the Environment Inspector, after hearing the evidence, that a replacement bus service would be unable to handle the traffic, in the summer months, the Inspector ruled that the line should remain open. His decision was later overturned by the Secretary of State for the Environment. Up to this time it is possible that the line may have been in receipt of a subsidy under the terms of the 1968 Transport Act whilst all the issues concerning the pending closure of the line was discussed.

So the line was closed in 1972. The track was removed during the summer of 1972; protests ensued and an agreement led to half a mile of track being left in situ past the Furzebrook sidings. The track from Furzebrook to the main line junction at Worgret remained in freight use, for the ball clay and the oilfield at Wytch Farm. After some debate with the local authorities the track was acquired from BR in 1975 by a group of local enthusiasts who formed a charity with the aim of relaying and reopening the railway both as a public transport link to Wareham, and as a museum of steam and railway technology.

In 1976 a short line opened, the length of King George's playing fields. This was extended first to Herston Halt and then to Harman's Cross in 1988. Neither Herston nor Harman's Cross had been stations previously. In 1995 the railway reopened from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Norden Park and Ride, another post BR station. The opening of Corfe Castle was delayed until Norden was ready as Dorset County Council had concerns about the effects of traffic on Corfe's narrow main street (the A351 Wareham to Swanage road).

On January 3, 2002 the track was joined with the Furzebrook freight line and the Purbeck branch line was once again complete, thirty years to the day after it was closed. On September 8 a brand new Virgin Trains Class 220 "Voyager" diesel multiple unit, no. 220018, became the first mainline train to use the new track when it made a special journey for a ceremony where it was named Dorset Voyager and began its first passenger journey. Click here to read the illustrated Press Release on this historic journey.

[edit] Aims of Swanage Railway

The restoration of the rail link between Swanage and Wareham and the re-establishment of a daily service to connect with main line trains.
The creation of a comprehensive historical record of steam railways and steam technology in Southern England.

[edit] Norden - Wareham restoration

There are currently no regular timetabled trains to Wareham due to Network Rail not considering the establishment of such services as a high priority. As of 2003 Network Rail believed no such connection would be made in "the foreseeable future". Click here for Press Statement regarding Network Rail's decision on Norden-Wareham Service

Steam loco 80078 pulls into Corfe Castle station. The castle is visible in the background

[edit] Locomotives

Steam Locomotives
- BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT No. 80078. Undergoing cylinder and motion repairs.
- BR 2-6-4T Class 4MT No. 80104. In regular service.
- GWR 0-6-2T 5600 Class no. 6695. Returned to traffic in 2005 and is in operational condition.
- LSWR 0-4-4T Class M7 no. 30053. Undergoing the finishing jobs to its boiler overhaul and is due to be finished in 2007.
- SR 4-6-2 "West Country" Class no. 34028 "Eddystone" - Now on 1 year loan to The Bluebell Railway following recent repairs to a slipped tyre at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
- SR 4-6-2 "Battle of Britain" Class No. 34070 "Manston". Undergoing a major overhaul thats going well, boiler is currently undergoing restoration at Crewe and the new tender frames and locomotive chassis are almost finished and is due to be finished in 2007.
- SR 4-6-2 "Battle of Britain" ClassNo. 34072 "257 Squadron". Withdrawn in 2002 and currently awaiting a ten yearly Overhaul which includes major firebox work and a new tender. Expected to be complete in 2008.

Diesel Locomotives
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 No. D3591. Currently not in working order and undergoing a major power unit repair, usually used as the Norden shunter.
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 No. 08436. Used regularly as the Swanage shunter.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 20 no. D8188. In traffic on diesel services following a three year overhaul.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 33 "Crompton" No. D6515 (33012) "Stan Symes" undergoing bodywork overhaul and a repaint into BR green in the goods shed at Swanage. Completion shouldn't be to much longer.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 33 "Crompton" No. D6552 (33034). Stored out of use at Norden awaiting a major restoration, it is unknown when work will start on it.
- BR Bo Bo Class 33 "Crompton" No. 33108. Out of service awaiting repairs to a damaged bufferbeam.
Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Class 108 unit 51933+56504. Operational on diesel multiple unit services.
- BR Class 117 unit 51346+59516+51388. Undergoing minor repairs for return to operational condition with the class 108 set.