FIRST STEAM TRAIN SERVICE RUNS INTO SWANAGE'S BAY PLATFORM SINCE 1966! - Monday, 26th September 2011

News Item from Andrew P.M. Wright - 26th September 2011
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright as noted
To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph to view a full size version, and then click on CLOSE or 'x' on your keyboard to close it and return to this page.

The photos on this page can also be viewed as a slideshow - just click on any image and then click on the enlarged to continue scrolling through the photos - Next and Previous links on the right and left of the photos - or use the CLOSE link or 'x' on your keyboard to exit

Crewed by driver Larry Witt, fireman Peter Davies and train guard John Stoper, the first steam train service running into the bay platform at Swanage station since 1966 on Monday, 26 September 2011. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

By Andrew P.M. Wright.

History has been made with the first steam train service running into the bay platform at Swanage station since 1966 - the year England won the World Cup and the record-breaking James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice' was being shot at Pinewood Studios.

The Swanage Railway's official photographer & press officer Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied over 80 photos of the historic working at Swanage station on Monday, 26 September 2011 PLUS five archive photos of the last operations in 1966. To see the full set of Andrew's photos, please scroll to the bottom of the page.

Crewed by driver Larry Witt, fireman Peter Davies and train guard John Stoper. the first steam train service running into the bay platform at Swanage station since 1966 on Monday, 26 September 2011, passes permanent way work on the neighbouring main platform No. 2 track. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

The first four trains of the day - the 9.45am, the 11.15am, the 12.45pm and the 2.15pm - had to depart from, and arrive at, the bay platform No. 1 on Monday, 26 September 2011, because permanent way work on the neighbouring main platform No. 2 track had over-run. The fifth and sixth trains of the day - the 3.45pm and the 5.15pm - departed from the usual main platform.

The last time that a steam train service arrived and departed from the bay platform at Swanage was on Sunday, 4 September 1966.

An Ivatt tank runs into the bay platform at Swanage with a train from Corfe Castle and Wareham on Saturday, 3 September, 1966, as a Bulleid Pacific waits to depart with a through train for London Waterloo. Photo by Anthony E. Trood, courtesy of Andrew P.M. Wright.

That day 45 years ago was the last day of BR's summer timetable and the day before timetabled steam traction ended on the branch line - and the day before the Wareham to Swanage rail service was put into the hands of three-coach 'Hampshire' class DEMUs (diesel-electric multiple units).

On that last day of regular Swanage branch steam, the rail service from Wareham and Corfe Castle was in the hands of an Ivatt 2-6-2 tank - a class of steam locomotive that had first been seen hauling trains along the ten-mile branch line during 1963 - and a BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 tender locomotive, a class that had first visited Swanage during the early 1960s.

Late 1920s freight locomotive - GWR 0-6-2 tank No. 6695 - the first steam train service running into the bay platform at Swanage station since 1966 on Monday, 26 September 2011. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

The four-coach steam train that made Swanage Railway history was hauled by late 1920s freight locomotive, GWR 0-6-2 tank No. 6695 built by Armstrong Whitworth at Newcastle-upon-Tyne which arrived at Swanage from the Barry scrapyard in south Wales in August, 1979.

Its crew was driver Larry Witt - who used to be based at Bournemouth motive power depot in the days of steam - and fireman Peter Davies. The train guard was John Stoper.

The signalman at Swanage during the historic arrivals and departures from the bay platform No. 1 was Roger Pleasant.

Swanage station's 08 shunter No. 08 436 driven by Iain Robinson pulls the stock out of the bay platform to release the steam locomotive on Monday, 26 September 2011. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

Because the bay platform No. 1 at Swanage does not have a run-round loop, the handling of the trains that ran into the single line platform was complicated.

After the train arrived, Swanage station's 08 shunter No. 08 436 driven by Iain Robinson pulled the stock out of the bay platform, along the headshunt past the signal box and out on to the main line past the engine shed via the western crossover at the Corfe Castle end of the station.

Then, the GWR 0-6-2 tank No. 6695 ran light engine out of the bay to the end of the bay platform, where it took water, before running out along the headshunt road to one of the carriage sidings past the engine shed and the western crossover.

Late 1920s freight locomotive - GWR 0-6-2 tank No. 6695 - takes on water at Swanage station since 1966 on Monday, 26 September 2011. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

With guard John Stopher at the east end of the four-carriage set, the 08 shunter No. 08 436 propelled the carriage stock back into the main platform before dropping off and running light engine back out on to the main line beyond the engine shed.

That allowed No. 6695 to run light engine from the carriage sidings back into the bay platform where it attached to the four-coach train.

The 08 shunter No. 08 436 then ran light engine from the main line beyond the engine shed back to the carriage sidings via the western crossover, so clearing the main line and the headshunt road for the passenger train to depart for Herston Halt, Harman's Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden 'park and ride'.

Swanage station's 08 shunter No. 08 436 driven by Iain Robinson pulls the stock out of the bay platform on Monday, 26 September 2011. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright.

The lifted Swanage bay track in the summer of 1969 as a 'Hampshire' unit waits to depart for Corfe Castle and Wareham. Photo by John H. Bird, courtesy of Andrew P.M. Wright.

An M7 tank waits to depart from the bay platform at Swanage during the summer of 1963. Photo by Rae Montgomery, courtesy of Andrew P.M. Wright.

The last weekend of regular steam traction on the Swanage branch. A train from Wareham and Corfe Castle hauled by an Ivatt tank has arrived in the bay platform at Swanage on Saturday, 3 September 1966. Photo by Anthony E. Trood, courtesy of Andrew P.M. Wright.

An Ivatt tank hauls one of the last trains out of the bay platform at Swanage bound for Corfe Castle and Wareham on Saturday, 3 September, 1966. Photo by Anthony E. Trood, courtesy of Andrew P.M. Wright.

To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph to view a full size version, and then click on CLOSE or 'x' on your keyboard to close it and return to this page.

The photos on this page can also be viewed as a slideshow - just click on any image and then click on the enlarged to continue scrolling through the photos - Next and Previous links on the right and left of the photos - or use the CLOSE link or 'x' on your keyboard to exit