THE TRAIN NOW ARRIVING ... HAS BEEN WAITED FOR SINCE 1972! - 10th May 2007
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News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 19th May 2007
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright unless otherwise acknowledged.
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.

Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied nearly 150 photos of the historic first use on 10th May, 2007, of the Swanage Railway's new permanent link with Network Rail at Motala, between Norden and Wareham. We have split the photos over several pages.

Andrew's photos are predominantly in chronological order, and show the day's activities in detail. Please follow the links at the foot of this page for the complete set of photos.

Andrew P.M. Wright writes:

In the hushed and softly lit hi-tech atmosphere of the computerised Bournemouth area signalling centre, there is an air of quiet, professional and measured expectation as the first train from the national railway network to run down to the Swanage Railway since the summer of 1972 - via a permanent connection - is about to appear.

It is Thursday, 10th May, 2007, and the time is 2.20pm. Outside, the weather is leaden, grey and damp with spits and spots of rain in the wind; not very auspicious weather for the red letter day that several generations of dedicated Swanage Railway supporters and volunteers have been working towards for 35 years.

Suddenly, signalman Steve Anstey says: "There she is!" Looking up at the large screen on the wall - and on the computer screens of the Siemens signalling system - I see the historic train as it runs between Christchurch and Pokesdown stations heading for Bournemouth. It is carrying the code is 0Z98 - 0 standing for light engine and 98 being the old BR route code for the Swanage branch in the diesel days from 1966 to 1972.

Going outside on to the platform, I position myself on the steps of the footbridge under the large and graceful cast iron canopy over Bournemouth station which was built to look like a upper class winter gardens in order to appease the gentlefolk of the seaside town and allow the railway to cut through their borough back in the 1880s.

Suddenly, a computerised announcement echoes around the station: "Passengers are asked to stand well clear of the platform edge. This train is not stopping at this station." The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the adrenalin begins to pump. I stand ready with camera in hand to capture something that I have been looking forward to since I joined the Swanage Railway as a 17 year old student back in July, 1982.

There are only a few passengers about on the station but several South West Trains station staff suddenly have cameras in their hands. They also know that history is about to made.

Then, suddenly, the train rumbles out of the dark portal of the bridge that carries the Holdenhurst Road and runs through the station on, unusually, the 'up' line. The train, composed of four main line diesel locomotives, is dwarfed by the newly restored station canopy - looking for all the world like a model train set. The sound of the electro-diesels echoed under the glass station canopy. This train is bound for Swanage - something that is hard to believe. After all the hard graft over so many, many years, it is finally happening.

Leading is BR Class 73 electro-diesel No. 73 208 'Perseverance', owned by GB Rail Freight. Behind that is BR Class 47 diesel No. 47 635, owned by Seco Rail, and behind the Class 47 is BR Class 52 diesel No. D1015 'Western Champion' owned by the Diesel Traction Group and based on the Severn Valley Railway. Taking up the rear, on the London end, is BR Class 73 electro-diesel No. 73 136 'Kirstin' owned by the Class 73 Locomotive Preservation Group.

The train had started its journey at the Old Oak Common locomotive in depot in London with the two Class 73s and the Class 52 'Western Champion' picking up the Class 47 from Eastleigh depot in Hampshire.

Running past the site of the Bournemouth Central motive power depot from the days of steam - which is now a car park - on the west side of the station, the entourage is switched on to the 'down' line for its two mile journey to the Bournemouth traincare depot which stands close to the site of the Bournemouth West station which was closed by BR in 1965 and demolished in 1970, ironically its one hundredth year.

Running through the rain, the historic train reaches Branksome station at 2.54pm before it reverses into the Bournemouth traincare depot, run by South West Trains, to pick up four-coach 4VEP electric unit No.3417 'Gordon Pettitt' which is being kindly loaned to the Swanage Railway for its three-day diesel gala and beer festival weekend. Staff at the depot turn out to watch the unusual spectacle and witness and special piece of Dorset railway history.

After the shunting operation is complete - with the 1967-built Southern Region 4-VEP being placed between the Class 47 and the Class 52 Western - the ensemble left the depot at 4.30pm; passing through Branksome at 4.34pm, Poole at 4.42pm and Hamworthy at 4.47pm.

Meanwhile, at Wareham station, spectators begin to arrive to witness a very special piece of history - and a first since 1972. By now, it is raining and Alan Greatbatch of Network Rail and Swanage Railway operations manager Steve Dyer arrived at Wareham signal box in preparation for the train's arrival.

Remarkably, the rostered signalman in Wareham signal box on the 2pm to 10pm shift that day was Bob Richards from Corfe Castle. Bob was the last BR signalman at Corfe Castle who had the honour of signalling out the last BR train from that station on the dark and chilly night on Saturday, January 1st, 1972. From Monday, January 3rd, 1972, Bob started work as a signalman at Wareham.

Bob had started his career at Corfe Castle station as a porter in April, 1962, at the tender age of 16. Later, in 1964, he moved to Swanage as a porter shunter before later moving back to Corfe Castle as a porter/signalman - later becoming a signalman at that station for the remaining years of its existence.

In Wareham signal box, Bob has been watching the progress of the special working from Bournemouth on the TRUST computerised train reporting system. At the Bournemouth traincare depot, the train's code has changed from 0Z98 to 5Z98 - 5 meaning an ECS or empty carriage stock working.

Bob gives Alan Greatbatch the signalling staff for the Worgret Junction to Motala section of the former Swanage branch. That staff used to cover the section of line from Worgret Junction to Furzebrook and the former clay sidings and BP Wytch Farm gas terminal until the installation of the permanent connection between Network Rail and the Swanage Railway at Motala.

After picking up the staff, Alan and Steve Dyer make their way from the signal box at Wareham and cross the tracks as they make their way to the 'down' platform as the four diesel locomotives and the 4-VEP are held on the eastern approach to Wareham station to allow a Wareham to Bournemouth stopping train to depart from Wareham's 'down' platform.

Alan and Steve wait under the station canopy as the train runs into the station at 5.02pm. There is no time to waste as the 'down' fast passenger train from Poole is on its way so Alan and Steve hop aboard the leading Class 73 and the entourage accelerates out of the station into the driving rain and up the 1 in 200 gradient to Worgret Junction.

With Alan operating the groundframe at Worgret Junction - which lost its signalbox in 1976 - the train runs on to the Network Rail stub of the Swanage branch before Alan returns the points to their normal state so the ensemble is locked into the former freight line to Furzebrook which saw its last gas train run in the summer of 2005.

With two Class 73 electro-diesels as each end providing the power, the train runs down the 1 in 80 gradient to the River Frome before climbing two miles at 1 in 78 to Furzebrook which is reached at 5.21pm. Despite the rain, there are people watching from the brick overbridge that overlooks the former ball clay sidings and BP Wytch Farm gas rail terminal as the train passes by and heads down the half mile straight - at 1 in 220 - to Motala and the start of the Swanage Railway.

Swanage Railway general manager Nick Brown is waiting in the shunter's cabin at Motala and the gates have been opened. As the train, with its bright headlight, is spotted slowly making its way through the gloom at the beginning of the half mile straight, Nick makes his way over the boundary and up to the stop mark for the train. This is history indeed and hardy spectators are watching from the nearby footpath crossing from Blue Pool as the skies get darker.

The train slowly approaches and comes to a halt at the designated stop point. Nick climbs into the cab of the leading Class 73 to welcome Alan Greatbatch. The pair, each armed with their respective staffs to unlock the groundframe and move the points at Motala, walk from the train to the groundframe - the rain still pouring.

With staffs inserted into the groundframe lever locks and twisted, the system is unlocked and the blades of the two catchpoints are moved to set the road. Nick waves a green flag and history is about to take place - the first train from the national railway network to run to Swanage, via a permanent connection, since the summer of 1972 and the tracklifting trains.

The ensemble gently moved forward across the boundary from Network Rail to the Swanage Railway. What a sight. With the train well clear of the catchpoints, the points are set back to their original position - no train can run from the Swanage Railway on to Network Rail and vice-versa. There is just time for an historic photograph of Nick Brown and Alan Greatbatch with their respective staffs at the groundframe before Nick boards the train for the onward journey to Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross, Herston Halt and Swanage.

Alan Greatbatch is driven back to Wareham signal box to deliver the Network Rail staff into the safe custody of Bob Richards in the signal box.

Still in the pouring rain, the train slowly runs down the 1 in 200 and 1 in 80 gradient along the one mile construction line to the Norden park and ride station - passing the site of the former narrow gauge clay tramway system at Eldon's Sidings and pausing well short of the point where the access road to the park and ride car park crosses the line. With marshals making sure that the crossing is clear, a wave of a green flag allows the four diesel locomotives and the 4-VEP to slowly cross on to the Swanage Railway's running line.

After a short pause at Norden, the train begins its journey to Swanage. At Corfe Castle, where the rain has briefly stopped, people have gathered under the canopy to witness history in the making. In the damp breeze can be heard the 'Hampshire' DEMU-like engine sound of the Class 73s as they leave Norden station with their Class 47, Class 52 Western and 4-VEP electric unit in tow.

The moaning and juddering sound gets louder as the train comes into view - crawling through the cutting and running into the 'down' platform where Corfe Castle signalman Iain Robinson exchanges single-line tokens with the crew in the lead Class 73. Walking back to the signalbox on the 'up' platform, Iain is aware that he has made Dorset Railway history with him - and Swanage signalman John Smith - being the first to signal a train from the national railway network down to Swanage, via a permanent connection, since the summer of 1972.

After a minute or two, the train leaves the 'down' platform - accelerating away under the newly opened girder footbridge - and climbing the 1 in 80 gradient out of the station heading for Corfe Common, Townsend bridge and the A351 Afflington bridge where the gradient falls at 1 in 132 and then climbs at 1 in 132 to Harman's Cross. Running through Harman's Cross, it is down hill for the remaining three mile journey to Swanage at falling gradients of 1 in 78 and 1 in 76.

By the time the entourage reaches Swanage at 5.27pm, there is torrential rain - the weather has no respect for history or the needs of photographers. Signalman John Smith, who used to work for BR in Dorset during the days of steam on lines long since closed and lifted, leans from the balcony of the signalbox to take the single line key-token from the driver of the lead Class 73.

There is a small group of people gathered under the 1938 station canopy to witness the historic arrival as the train slowly runs all the way to the stopblock overlooking the old Railway Hotel, now flats, and Station Road.

It is the first time that a Class 47 has run to Swanage since the late summer of 1966, the first time that a Class 73 has run to the terminal station since 1968, the first time that a 1967 BR push-pull set has run to Swanage since the summer of 1971 - and the first time ever that a Class 52 Western has visited the seaside resort.

It has been an exciting and historic day full of memorable firsts, but more was to follow over the next three days. (For a full photo report of the locomotives in service over the Diesel Gala and Beer Festival weekend, please click here.)

My grateful thanks to Network Rail staff for their kind permission to photograph in the Bournemouth area signalling centre and Wareham signal box on such an historic day. Thanks also to South West Trains for its kind permission to photograph in the Bournemouth traincare depot so that a very special piece of history could be captured for posterity.

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To visit the other pages featuring Andrew P.M. Wright's photos of the historic loco movements on 10th May 2007, please follow these links.
- 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.
- To visit the sixth page of photos please click here.