Swanage Railway News Gallery - Page 398
BRAKE COACH SHUNTING DURING SEPTEMBER 2007 STEAM GALA WEEKEND - 8th SEPTEMBER 2007
News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright unless otherwise acknowledged.
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Driver of the Class 08 shunter that carried out the brake van swap was assistant Swanage Railway
operations manager Mel Cox.
Quickness of response, professionalism, a cool head and lateral thinking are vital attributes
if you are to keep an intensive railway service running to time, and keep any delays to a
minimum, when a technical problem occurs.
That is exactly what happened on the Saturday morning of the Swanage Railway's autumn steam
gala when the first 'down' train from Norden park and ride was found to have developed a
problem with its brake coach.
M7 No. 30053 running on to the back of the train to take the next train to Norden out of Swanage
As soon as the train arrived at Swanage with GWR Collett 0-6-2 tank locomotive No. 6695 on
the front - M7 No. 30053 running on to the back of the train all ready to take the next train
to Norden out of Swanage - a slick shunting operation swung into action to replace the coach
as quickly as possible and keep delays to a minimum.
Class 08 No 436 collects the replacement brake van from the sidings and manoevres it into position at Swanage station, while
M7 No. 30053 prepares to complete the manoeuvre to take the next train to Norden out of Swanage
The driver of the Class 08 shunter that carried out the swap was assistant Swanage Railway
operations manager Mel Cox, formerly a Virgin Trains driver who started at Bournemouth in the
days of steam in 1963. Mel was assisted by deputy locomotive, carriage and wagon manager Frank Mead.
Mel operated down the Swanage branch during BR days - firing on the Ivatt and Standard Tanks
in between 1964 and 1966 - and also being a second man on the three-coach 'Hampshire' class
DEMUs that worked the branch service between Wareham and Swanage between 1966 and the end of
the line in 1972.
The crew of M7 No. 30053 were driver Nigel Clark and fireman Graham Froud. Also assisting in
the shunting operation was diver Ian McDavid.
The crew of M7 No. 30053 were driver Nigel Clark and fireman Graham Froud. Also assisting in
the shunting operation was diver Ian McDavid.
The Class 08 shunter removes the failed brake van past the award-winning Swanage signal box towards the sidings for repair.
Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied nearly 50 photos of this vital manoeuvre. To see the full set of photos, please scroll down the page.
All photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright unless otherwise acknowledged.
Photos on these pages are low resolution versions.
Full resolution photos are available for media use
Last updated 24th September 2007 by Keith Morgan.
© Swanage Railway
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