Opening of Harman's Cross Signal Box & Classic Car Show
12th/13th July 1997

Report and photographs by Keith Morgan

The long awaited official opening of the Harman's Cross Signal Box and passing loop took place on Saturday 12th July 1997, allowing two-train working and the start of the improved Summer Timetable now introduced between Swanage and Norden for the first time.

After a misty start to the morning, the sun shone through and the sky cleared as the first service of the day, the 10:30 departure from Swanage, hauled by the powerful Class 9F 2-10-0 Black Prince drew into the Up platform at Harman's Cross at 10:40, on schedule three minutes ahead of the 10:43 arrival from Norden and Corfe Castle.

The first Down train of the day drawn by Battle of Britain Class 257 Squadron then arrived, and after being held for a short while was given the signal to enter the Down platform, and the historic meeting of Black Prince and 257 Squadron was recorded by numerous cameras including our own.

The group of dignitaries and Swanage Railway representatives who had alighted from the Swanage train headed for the signal box which had been especially prepared for the official opening ceremony, with yellow and green bows and a ribbon across the stairway. To avoid affecting the day's timetable too badly, the proceedings were started without further delay. The local dignitaries who included the Mayor of Swanage, Mrs Gloria Marsh, the Chairman of the Worth Matravers Parish Council, Mr Rob Clarke, and the Chairman of the Corfe Castle Parish Council, Mr Les Hayward, were introduced to the assembled throng by Bill Trite the Chairman of the Southern Steam Trust.

After a short speech thanking the efforts of all those involved in the Harman's Cross project, the green ribbon across the signal box steps was cut by Mr Rob Clarke, who to enthusiastic applause remarked that he was more used to trying to cut through red tape than green ribbon. As both trains stood in the station the party of dignitaries made a brief inspection of the new box and then re-boarded the train to take them on to Corfe Castle and Norden and a celebratory champagne buffet on board the train.

On departure from Harman's Cross for Corfe Castle, our guard announced an apology for the short delay caused to the service by the ceremony, but as predicted we returned to our scheduled timings at Norden. For the remainder of the weekend timings were impeccable with both steam locomotives performing faultlessly.

Mr Rob Clarke and Mr Les Hayward also took the opportunity to ride on the footplate during the day, although Mr Clarke is happy to reassure us that they didn't actually drive the locomotive, which is on loan from the East Somerset Railway and will help with running the new timetable throughout the summer. Here we see the locomotive passing the engine shed and turntable at Swanage.

Following the scheduled end of the afternoon steam service, the Diesel Multiple service ran on the Saturday evening in advance of its official start on the 26th July. The evening service carried visitors to and from the evening activities at the Classic Car Rally organised jointly by the Swanage Railway and the Dorset Austin Seven club.

Now a regular annual event, the rally is held in the field adjacent to the railway at Harman's Cross and includes a beer and refreshment marquee plus a bouncy castle for children and not forgetting a fine display of classic cars.

The Austin Seven celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1997, and a large number of Austins and other cars, including our own 1934 Standard Ten de-luxe (on the right of the photo) had made the trip to the show. The 1997 rally event was voted a major success, with the beer supplies becoming exhausted along with the rally participants during the Sunday afternoon, possibly due to the Saturday night barn dance in the marquee.