FIRST FREIGHT TRAIN RUNS ON TO THE SWANAGE RAILWAY SINCE 1965 - 11th December 2007
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Photo Report from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 18th December 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. Photos on these pages are low resolution versions. Full resolution photos are available for media use

Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied nearly 200 superb photos of the first freight working from the main line onto the Swanage Railway since 1965.

We have split the photos over several pages. Please follow the links at the bottom of the page to see the full set of photos.

Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 arrives from Eastleigh via Network Rail at Motala with a train of 15 empty permanent way wagons for the Swanage Railway

By Andrew P.M. Wright.

The first 'freight' train has run from the national railway network down to within sight of Corfe Castle - for the first time since the Autumn of 1965 and the end of British Railways goods traffic on the doomed Swanage branch line.

The historic load was a rake of 15 empty permanent way wagons that are being hired by the Swanage Railway in connection with mayor track alterations at Swanage to return the station more to the way that it was before the summer of 1967 and the end of steam traction.

Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 stands at Norden station on the Swanage Railway with its train of 15 empty permanent way wagons from Eastleigh via Network Rail at Motala.

As the sun sank behind the West Hill of the Purbecks just after 3pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, 11th December, 2007, it was indeed a strange sight to see Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 from the English Welsh and Scottish freight operator run into Norden station with what was the 12.10pm from Eastleigh yard.

It brought to mind the regular summer Sundays working from Eastleigh to Swanage that ran down to Purbeck in the morning and returned to Hampshire at teatime - a working that was usually steam operated but occasionally hauled by a Brush Class 47 diesel locomotive during 1965 and 1966.

The EWS train bringing the 15 wagons - known as Rudds and equating to the length of between five and six coaches - was some 74 minutes late and had been timetabled to leave Eastleigh yard at 11.54pm.

The crew of the special EWS train - whose load weighed a total of 276 tonnes - was driver Dave Gravell of Poole in Dorset and second man Ian McDavid of Southampton in Hampshire - both are Swanage Railway volunteer drivers.

The EWS train consisting of Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 and 15 wagons - known as Rudds and equating to the length of between five and six coaches seen between Motala and Norden.

The 15 Rudd wagons made of steel have been hired by the Swanage Railway and are to be used to carry spoil dug out of the trackbed formation at Swanage station in connection with the permanent way work to re-instate the bay platform as a passenger-carrying running line.

That work includes the installation of the crossover from the headshunt to the main line next to Swanage station's engine shed - permanent way that was ripped up for scrap by British Rail during the winter of 1967 after the closure of Swanage signal box and the decommissioning of the semaphore signals in June, 1967.

At Wareham at around 2.15pm on Tuesday, 11th December, 2007, the Class 66 diesel locomotive with its 15 wagons in tow stopped briefly at Wareham station to pick up the Network Rail person in charge - Terry Williams - who would operate the Network Rail portion of the interchange with the Swanage Railway at Motala, between Furzebrook and Norden park and ride.

Mel Cox (right) welcomes Terry Williams with a friendly hand shake across the divide between Network Rail and the Swanage Railway at Motala.

At Motala, the train was welcomed by Swanage Railway deputy operations manager Mel Cox and the steam railway's senior operations inspector Mike Standhaft. Before the gates were opened to allow the train through, Mel Cox welcomed Terry Williams with a friendly hand shake across the divide.

Until a few months ago, Mel used to be a driver for Virgin Cross Country based at Bournemouth - driving the Virgin Voyagers.

Mike Standhaft (left) and Terry Williams (right) look on as Mel Cox operates the new ground frame levers at Motala - also shown in close-up.

Mel started his career as a cleaner at Bournemouth in 1964 - later firing down the Swanage branch and then being a second man on the 'Hampshire' class DEMUs that operated the passenger train service between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage from 1966 through to the end of the line in January, 1972.

Mike Standhaft started at Bournemouth motive power depot as a cleaner in the late 1950s, later firing and then driving down the branch to Swanage during the steam and diesel days.

Group photograph with Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 at Corfe Castle: from left - Swanage Railway locomotive, carriage and wagon manager James Cox, Network Rail's Terry Williams, Ian McDavid of EWS and Dave Gravell of EWS. Ian McDavid is also shown with Dave Gravell who is seen leaning out of the cab window.

After depositing its rake of wagons briefly at Norden park and ride station, the Class 66 locomotive departed light engine for Corfe Castle - running wrong line into the station's 'up' platform for a historic set of photographs from the camera of Andrew P.M. Wright showing the first ever EWS locomotive to visit the station under the Medieval castle ruins.

That historic record completed, the Class 66 returned to Norden where it ran round the rake of wagons via the loop before pulling them up the incline, out of the park and ride station, over the BP Wytch Farm access road and under the Scotland road bridge.

Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 stands at Corfe Castle station on the Swanage Railway

Once past the catchpoint that marks the start of the construction section between Norden and Motala, the Class 66 deposited its rake of 15 wagons at Eldon's Siding - between Norden park and ride and the A351 Catseye bridge. With the light fading and the mist starting to fall, the Class 66 diesel locomotive made its way back to the main line.

It passed over the 'border' between the Swanage Railway and Network Rail at Motala at dusk as the setting sun disappeared behind Creech Barrow, the mist hovered over the heathland and the temperature plummeted like a stone.

Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 leaves the Swanage Railway onto Network Rail at Motala

This is where Mel Cox and Mike Standhaft said goodbye to Dave Gravell, Ian McDavid and Network Rail's Terry Williams before the Class 66 slowly made its way along the now closed freight line between Furzebrook and Worgret Junction on the main London to Weymouth line.

Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No. 66 237 at Wareham

After a brief stop at Wareham to drop off Network Rail's person in charge Terry Williams back at the signal box around 4.45pm on that historic Tuesday in early December, the Class 66 continued its journey through the falling darkness back to Eastleigh yard.

All photos were taken by Andrew P.M. Wright on Tuesday 11th December 2007

To see the full set of nearly 200 photos from Andrew P.M. Wright of the train in operation on the Swanage Railway, follow the links at the bottom of this page

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To see the full set of nearly 200 photos from Andrew P.M. Wright of the train in operation on the Swanage Railway, please follow these links.
- To visit the first page of photos please click here.
- 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.