SWANAGE RAILWAY LAUNCHES A TASTY NEW TRAIN SERVICE - THE FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIALS!
4th May 2007

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 6th May 2007
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph and subsequently use the Back button on your browser to return to this page.

The Swanage Railway has launched a tasty new train service - the 'Friday Night Specials' - which offer the chance to enjoy a mouth-watering fish and chip meal with your favourite drink as you travel through the Purbeck countryside.

Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied nearly 30 photos of the launch of the Swanage Railway's Friday night 'Fish & Chips' special train on 4th May, 2007. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the complete set of photos.

With unlimited evening travel costing no more than £4 - excluding the price of the meal - the first day of the new service was on Friday, 4th May, 2007.

The motive power being 1960-built Class 33 diesel-electric locomotive D6515 'Stan Symes' which used to run on the Swanage branch in its BR days between 1963 and 1966.

With the train running to the evening DMU timetable, the Class 33 driver was John Denison of Corfe Castle with the second man being Billy Johnson of Swanage. The guard for the evening was Andy Dunster of Swanage.

It was a chance for the public to enjoy a pleasant fish and chips meal as they travelled through the Purbeck countryside between Swanage, Herston, Harman's Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden park and ride as the sun set after a gloriously fine day.

Thanks to the inclusion of an on-train buffet car in the five coach set between 6pm and 10.30pm, there were hot and cold drinks, bar facilities, snack meals and pasties available throughout the evening.

With passengers ordering their fish and chips from the on-train buffet, or the Bird's Nest Buffet on Swanage station, anytime during the day up to 6.30pm, their meals were delivered to them in their seats - presented in neat white paper bags and with red paper serviettes - on the 7.10pm train from Swanage.

Adult portions of fish and chips are £6 and child portions £3.

The 'Friday Night Specials' run on 25th May; 13th and 20th July; 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st August as well as the 7th, 8th, 14th, 21st and 28th September 2007.

Other evening trains also run on Friday and Saturdays until 29th September, 2007, and daily between 14th July and 8th September, 2007.

Please scroll down the page for more of Andrew's photos of this special service.

For more details of the evening services including the Friday Night Specials please visit our dedicated page by clicking here.