SWANAGE RAILWAY VOLUNTEERS APPOINT NEW GENERAL MANAGER FOR THE RELAID PURBECK LINE - 31st October 2007

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 31st October 2007
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
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Dedicated volunteers who have rebuilt the award-winning Swanage Railway across more than 30 years have appointed a new General Manager to steer the exciting next stage of the relaid Purbeck Line’s development.

Married 57-year old Mick Dean is currently the General Manager of the Great Western Society's Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire.

Mick is due to take up his new position with the Swanage Railway – one of the best and busiest independent heritage railways in the country – on 1 January 2008; 36 years, to the day, since the final British Rail train ran from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Wareham.

Last year, Swanage Railway volunteers celebrated their best ever year – carrying more than 200,000 passengers a total of 1.8 million miles on steam and diesel trains along the six mile relaid Purbeck Line between Norden park and ride, Corfe Castle, Harman’s Cross, Herston and Swanage.

During 2006, more than 40,000 vehicles used the attended Norden park and ride car park just off the main A351 Wareham to Corfe Castle road – saving up to 480,000 vehicle miles from being driven on the narrow and winding A351 road between Corfe Castle, Harman’s Cross and Swanage.

The Swanage Railway operates one of the most intensive public train services operated by any heritage railway in the country and last year £1.1 million was taken in passenger train fares – the Swanage Railway benefiting the Purbeck economy by more than £2 million a year.

Mick Dean replaces the Swanage Railway’s previous General Manager – Nick Brown – who was in the post for three years and has moved to Oxford University to study for the Ministry with the Church of England.

With a strong engineering and railway operation background, Mick is a member of the Permanent Way Institution and has been the General Manager of the Great Western Society since 1984.

Mick started as a volunteer with the Great Western Society at Didcot in 1972 – the year British Rail closed and lifted the Swanage line – and he has extensive experience of steam locomotive engineering and restoration as well as safe heritage railway operation. He is also a steam locomotive driver at Didcot.

Mick explained: “I’m delighted to be joining the Swanage Railway and am really relishing the challenge. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for what has been achieved – a six mile railway carrying more than 200,000 people a year and contributing £2 million a year to the Purbeck economy that has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976.

“I’ve always liked the Swanage Railway because it’s a working railway that carries people for a definite purpose and takes traffic off the roads. It’s a very successful commercial operation,” explained Mick whose grandfather worked for the Great Central Railway as a shunter and guard.

Keith Gooding, Swanage Railway Company secretary and director, said: “We’re delighted that Mick will be joining the Swanage Railway as our new General Manager. While the Swanage Railway has achieved a huge amount over more than 30 years, there is still even more to be done and the Purbeck Line continues to grow, develop and improve. The running of a train service between Swanage and the main line system at Wareham is on the horizon.

“The role of the General Manager is to be a conduit through which strategy is implemented on the Swanage Railway and Mick will be playing a key part in formulating that strategy and bringing a fresh pair of eyes to our successful operation,” explained Mr Gooding.

Mr Gooding paid tribute to the previous General Manager, Nick Brown, who developed efficient management structures, improved train services and their marketing as well as achieving a long-awaited permanent connection with the national railway system.

“We’re very sorry to see Nick Brown leave and understand his desire to study for the Ministry with the Church of England. I’d like to congratulate Nick on everything he has achieved for the Swanage Railway and I hope he will continue his long association with the relaid Purbeck Line in some form.”