THE HEAVIEST TRAIN EVER RUNS DOWN TO CORFE CASTLE - Thursday 21st January 2010

News Item and Photo Report from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 22nd January 2010
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
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The heaviest train in the history of the Swanage branch since its opening in 1885 passes through Corfe Castle on Thursday 21st January 2010.

By Andrew P.M. Wright

The heaviest train in the history of the Swanage branch since its opening in 1885 has run off the main line and down to Corfe Castle.

The impressive working was a ballast train of 18 Seacow-class ballast hoppers from Eastleigh and the total weight of the train was 1,250 tonnes.

The ballast train of 18 Seacow-class ballast hoppers hauled by DB Schenker Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No 66031 climbs the 1 in 78 gradient from Creech Bottom to Furzebrook.

The 700 tonnes of stone ballast was brought in on the morning of Thursday 21 January 2010 and was destined to be used to ballast a quarter mile of newly laid concrete sleepered track between Herston Halt and the Victoria Avenue road bridge on the outskirts of Swanage.

The ballast train of 18 Seacow-class ballast hoppers hauled by DB Schenker Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No 66031 crosses the viaduct at Corfe Castle.

The high quality ballast had come from the Merehead quarry near Shepton Mallet in Somerset and bringing in the stone in by rail saved some 36 return lorry journeys on the roads of Somerset and Dorset.

Driver Dave Purvis (left) with second man Ian McDavid.

The driver of the DB Schenker Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive - still in its English Welsh and Scottish (EWS) livery - was Dave Purvis while the second man was fellow DB Schenker employee and Swanage Railway volunteer Ian McDavid.

On the main line between Eastleigh and Worgret Junction, the ballast train's top speed was 60mph.

Meeting the train at Wareham at 9.46am were long-time Swanage Railway volunteer and responsible officer for the day Bob McGaw as well as Phil Emery from Network Rail.

At Motala - between Furzebrook and Norden - the pair operated the points from a ground frame to allow the long train off the national railway network and on to the tracks of the Swanage Railway.

Driver Dave Purvis (left) with Swanage Railway operations manager Mel Cox.

At Norden, the ballast train was met by Swanage Railway operations manager Mel Cox who fired steam trains between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage during the mid-1960s when he was based with British Railways at Bournemouth.

After the end of steam in July 1967, Mel became a second man on the 'Hampshire' class diesel-electric multiple units that ran the Purbeck train service until the end of the line on New Year's Day 1972.

The mobile Swanage Railway signalman for the working was Swanage Railway volunteer and Network Rail signalman Steve Jenkins.

After leaving the 18 Seacow ballast wagons on the main line at Corfe Castle, the Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive ran light engine through Harman's Cross where it entered the engineer possession and travelled down to Herston Halt where it was berthed.

From there, Class 66 driver Dave Purvis, second man Ian McDavid and mobile signalman Steve Jenkins walked along the newly laid concrete sleepered track to the Victoria Avenue road bridge where the final few panels were being made up and drain work was being carried out.

Driver Dave Purvis (right) meets Swanage Railway volunteer Barry Light who is supervising the major £68,000 project, the largest track relaying project in the history of the Swanage Railway,

There, Dave Purvis - who had brought in the ballast - shook hands with Swanage Railway volunteer Barry Light who has been supervising the major £68,000 project, the largest track relaying project in the history of the Swanage Railway, and was set to direct the dropping of the 700 tonnes of stone ballast.

At Corfe Castle from - left to right - are Mel Cox, Dave Purvis, Ian McDavid, Phil Emery of Network Rail and Bob McGaw.

The Class 66 locomotive returned from Herston to Corfe Castle, Norden and Motala - the boundary with Network Rail and the start of the national railway system - in time for a 2pm arrival at Worgret Junction where it joined the London to Weymouth main line for its light engine journey back to Eastleigh.

The 18 Seacow hoppers of ballast was set to be dropped along a quarter mile length of new track between Herston Halt and the Victoria Avenue road bridge, on the outskirts of Swanage, on Saturday 23 January 2010.

Because of its controlability at very low speeds, the Swanage Railway's Class 08 0-6-0 diesel shunter No. 08 436 was due to be used for the delicate operation.

DB Schenker Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No 66031 returns to the main line at Worgret Junction near Wareham just after 2pm on Thursday 21st January 2010

To see the full set of photos, please scroll down the page.