A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE - CORFE CASTLE STATION NOW HAS A PEDESTRIAN FOOTBRIDGE THANKS TO DEDICATED SWANAGE RAILWAY VOLUNTEERS. - 19th SEPTEMBER 2006
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Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 21st September 2006
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
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The delicate craning operation only took a few minutes - the difficult and complicated project to bring an historic footbridge to Corfe Castle station had taken several years!

It was a truly sweet moment to be enjoyed as the wrought iron bridge span weighing just under 9 tons fitted perfectly on its cast iron pillars.

To see the full set of 160 photos taken by Andrew P.M. Wright on 19th September 2006 showing the historic installation of Corfe Castle's new footbridge, please scroll down to the bottom of this page or follow these links.
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Corfe Castle station now has a footbridge linking the 'up' and 'down' platforms for the first time in the 121 year history of the picture postcard station under the dramatic ruins of the Medieval castle.

Swanage Railway driver and crane operator Ron Roberts showed his craning skills on the evening of Tuesday, 19 September, 2006, after the last train from Norden had departed Corfe Castle station bound for Harman's Cross, Herston and Swanage.

The small crowd of onlookers - mainly railway volunteers, including the small gang that had painted the bridge - watched the delicate craning operation including Bob Richards.

Now a signalman for Network Rail at Wareham - where he has been based since January, 1972 - Bob was the last BR signalman at Corfe Castle station, having joined the staff as a junior porter in April, 1962, at the tender age of 16.

It was on the dark, cold night of New Year's Day, 1972 - a Saturday - that Bob signalled the very last BR train through Corfe Castle from Swanage to Wareham.

Bob explained: "The bridge looks lovely - it fits into the station scene perfectly. You would think that it had always been there."

The bridge project has been a real labour of love for civil engineer Phillip Wycliffe-Jones and his team of volunteers.

The bridge was built in 1893 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.

With cast iron columns and a wrought iron span, the bridge spent its life at Merton Park in London, near Wimbledon on the West Croydon line.

But the advent of Croydon Tramway scheme spelt the end for the charming bridge which is distinctive for its lattice work.

That was until the Swanage Railway stepped in and acquired the bridge for use at the Swanage end of Corfe Castle station's platforms.

Since the 'down' platform was brought into use with the commissioning of the signal box and associated signals on Saturday, February 26th, 2005, passengers have been crossing from the 'up' to the 'down' platform via a board crossing at the Wareham end of the station.

From the start of the new season next year, passengers will be able to use the bridge and admire stunning views from its lengthened span which has been extended by the manufacture and installation of a new centre section built to look exactly like the rest of the Victorian structure.

Equipped with specially made smoke deflectors above the 'up' and 'down' lines, the bridge is due to have its ornate staircases - shortened from 23 to 16 steps for health and safety reasons - installed in the next couple of weeks.

As well as saving the bridge, Swanage Railway volunteers have also saved some of the original solid oak floorboards from the cross span - boards that will be refitted to the structure.

The diesel locomotive hauling the crane and dolphin flat wagon carrying the bridge span was early 1960s-built push-pull fitted Class 33 No 108 which used to haul London trains between Swanage, Corfe Castle and Wareham between the summer of 1967 and the end of through train working in the autumn of 1969.

The driver of the Class 33 - painted in its 1967 blue and yellow Bournemouth line livery - was Swanage Railway operations manager Steve Dyer.

Also assisting with the delicate craning operation was Swanage Railway infrastructure manager Frank Roberts.

He said: "The main span of the footbridge was lifted into place successfully in front of an audience of around 50 people with Ron Roberts skilfully lifting the span and dropping it into place with almost no need for fine movement. Philip and his team then secured the first bolts. "This is an important milestone in a long project which will benefit so many people. It is reassuring to note that almost everyone present remarked that it seems to fit in well with the surrounding area. Congratulations to all who have supported the project so far - thank you," he added.

Swanage Railway Trust chairman Bill Trite said: "Congratulations to everyone involved with this project, from its beginning until the successful installation of the span. In the light of day, it's clear that the footbridge fits in perfectly with the station, it gives it visual continuity and it is of an ideal design for its Victorian setting. A superb job," he added.

Swanage Railway Trust director Phil Thrower observed: "It never ceases to amaze me what we can as a railway achieve within the modest resources that we have.

"I am involved with the reinstatement of a similar structure to that at Corfe elsewhere and the issues that we are having there only serves to further raise the achievements at Corfe. It truly is an example of ingenuity and teamwork and is a credit to everyone involved.

"My thanks to everyone who has contributed. When the work is complete, I feel sure that we will all soon adapt to the new arrangements as if they'd always been there. The footbridge certainly marks another milestone in the SR's development," he added.

To see the full set of 160 photos taken by Andrew P.M. Wright on 19th September 2006 showing the historic installation of Corfe Castle's new footbridge, please follow these links. Due to the large number of photos we have split them over 5 pages.

Page 1 of 5
To visit the second page of photos please click here
To visit the third page of photos please click here
To visit the fourth page of photos please click here
To visit the fifth page of photos please click here