Photo Report of Spring Holiday Weekends at Swanage

Report and photographs by K & P Morgan - May 1998

The Spring sunshine certainly brought out the crowds at Swanage in April and May, with Easter Sunday being the busiest single day on record for the railway. Here we see a gleaming 110 ton 'Battle of Britain' class locomotive No. 34072 257 Squadron in Golden Arrow livery one week after celebrating its 50th birthday on Friday, April 24th 1998. (See a separate full news item for details).

These photographs were taken over the Bank Holiday weekend of 2nd/3rd/4th May 1998, which was also very busy with the two-train timetable in operation with trains hauled by Battle of Britain Class No. 34072 257 Squadron and BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4 Tank No. 80104. With trains running in each direction at 35 minute intervals there was plenty to see and do, despite the variable weather.

2nd May also saw the start of the season's improved Wessex Belle Dining Train, which now has its own dedicated web page with full details of menus and special events.

This young visitor to BR Standard class 4 Tank No 80104 at Swanage clearly enjoyed herself on the footplate as much as the regular crew. Posing for her proud parents to take a photograph in the evening sunshine, it was a perfect end to their day out on the railway.

Here we see No. 80104 leaving Swanage for Norden during the busy schedule, and at the end of the steam timetable entering the turntable and loco shed area for coaling and cleaning.

In addition to the day's steam services, an evening Diesel service also operated over the weekend as part of the peak (Red) timetable schedule, and here we see one of the railway's two DMU's, the class 108, being given the green flag at Swanage for the 18:05 service to Norden.

This view of 257 Squadron between Harman's Cross and Corfe Castle gives a flavour of what can be expected of the Swanage Railway's Golden Arrow Pullman driving and firing footplate experience courses. Launched on 15th January 1998 the footplate experience allows anyone to 'have a go' at firing and driving this pristine steam locomotive. See the Golden Arrow Driving Experience dedicated news page for further details.

The increase in the number of visitors to the railway and the success of the Park and Ride scheme with the expanded car park and improved access has meant that the platform at Norden needs to be widened. Here we can see the station building with the fenced off freshly dug ground behind it.

The weekends have also presented an opportunity to see the progress being made on the preparation of the trackbed and embankments on the link towards Wareham from Norden. Here we see the evidence of the clearance work which has been carried out, but don't forget that April this year was the wettest April on record, and the persistent rain delayed the opening of the expanded car park at Norden.

This report can only give a brief flavour of current activities on the railway, so why not come down to Swanage without delay and see for yourself. You're sure not to be disappointed.