SR diesel day 28th Nov 1999, and the Class 33's first passenger train from Swanage to Norden

Photo report dated 2nd December 1999 - all photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

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A Class 33 diesel locomotive has hauled the first timetabled passenger train to be hauled by a Class 33 on the Swanage Railway's Purbeck Line for the first time since the first week of October, 1969.

The rich and throaty sound of a hard working Class 33 diesel locomotive on a timetabled passenger train was once again heard in the Purbecks after a gap of 30 years with the 71A Locomotive Group's ex-British Rail engine hauling its first passenger-carrying train on the Swanage Railway's Purbeck Line. It took place on Sunday, November 28th, 1999, during the Swanage Railway's Diesel Day.

The Class 33 has been named Stan Symes - it happened at 10.15 am on the diesel day before the 10.30 am train to Norden hauled by the Class 33 - after long-time Swanage Railway driver Stan Symes who retired from BR as a Bournemouth driver in 1987.

He joined the Southern Railway footplate department at Bournemouth in August, 1939! In the early 1980s he took the Swanage Railway's mutual improvement classes for its fledgling operations department!

Of course, after the demise of Southern Region steam in July, 1967, Stan drove the electric REPs, and the Class 33s down to Swanage and Weymouth!

For full background information and potted history of 33 012, see below.

Background details about Class 33 locomotive No. 33 012, No D 6515 pre-TOPS.

71A Group members think their 1960 Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company built locomotive - 33 012, D 6515 pre-TOPS - visited the Swanage branch up to June, 1967, while hauling through trains from London.

Still in BR livery, the Class 33 arrived on the Swanage Railway on Thursday, October 7th, 1999 - almost 30 years to the day since a Class 33 hauled the last regular timetabled through train from Swanage and Corfe Castle to Bournemouth, Southampton and London Waterloo.

That was on Friday, October 3rd, 1969 - three days ahead of the Swanage branch's planned closure which, in the event, did not happen.

Class 33s visited Corfe Castle and Swanage periodically after October, 1969, when they hauled excursions and ramblers' trains - often dropping their passengers at Corfe Castle and later collecting the walkers at Swanage.

The last Class 33 to visit Purbeck with a passenger train was in September, 1971, when a Class 33 and 4TC push-pull set hauled the Dorset Venturer railtour down to Corfe Castle and Swanage.

Class 33s did visit the branch after closure on January 1st, 1972, on permanent way trains to pick up lineside huts and dismantled sleepers, rails and chairs during the six week tracklifting operation that summer.

The Class 33 Cromptons, as they were to become known, were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company at their Smethwick works under contract to the Southern region.

The Class 33s are a Type 3 locomotive diesel locomotive fitted with a 1550 brake horsepower eight cylinder Sulzer engine, Crompton-Parkinson electrical equipment and electric train heating fitted as standard.

The Class 33s were the first main line locomotives to be built with this instead of a steam heating boiler which was to cause the train planners a lot of diagramming problems in their early life.

33 012 entered service in July, 1960, as D 6515 allocated to Hither Green depot. The locomotive has spend its 37 years working a variety of passenger and freight trains reaching destinations in South Wales, Devon and not to mention the Southern Region.

33 012's last passenger work was to be on December 2nd, 1992, when with 33 114 she worked the 14:22 Exeter - Waterloo service as far as Salisbury. During this time 33 012 has had only three homes these were at Hither Green until October, 1967, when she become an Eastleigh engine.

February, 1989, saw 33 012 on the move to Stewarts Lane depot to end her days as a weekend only ballast locomotive. However 33 012 was to return home to Eastleigh during January, 1995, as the depot shunter where she remained until withdrawn.

33 012 was to be withdrawn on February 13th, 1997, after 37 years sterling service. However, only a month later ownership was transferred to the 71A Locomotive Group.

Originally, 33 012 was taken to Ropley on the Mid-Hants Railway in Hampshire where mechanical restoration work has included changing the Traction Motor Blower Motor and repairs to the electrical systems.

An agreement has now been made which brings 33 012 to the Swanage Railway's Purbeck Line in Dorset where the bodywork will be repaired. The 71A Locomotive Group plans to return the locomotive to a standard where it can be registered for main line use.

If anyone would like more information, please contact David Blandford on 023 8066 6881.