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Swanage Railway Diesel Gala 2026 8-10 May 2026
- Thread starter fgwrich
- Start date
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RailUK Forums
Theres a different timetable this year, which consists of:
1TPH Swanage - Corfe Castle
1TPH Swanage - River Frome
Last year no services could run over the road due to a bridge strike at Grange Road (Bridge 9), so all trains turned back at Norden. This consisted of:
1TP 45 minutes Swanage - Norden stopper
1TP 90 minutes Swanage - Norden fast (VEP)
The VEP has considerably higher capacity than the TC, with the VEP seating more per side, having less first class compartments and a smaller brake than the TC.
Nobody has decided based off their own personal wants that the air braked stock will only go to the River on the Sunday - as I have already explained it’s down to the capacity of the unit being too low to run over the road on Friday and Saturday.
You also have to bear in mind Norden is the main car park for the railway, so a good chunk of people will want to travel from that station. A lower capacity service will leave some people unable to board the train, and then it’s either a walk to Corfe Castle or an hours wait for the next one.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
No mention of a 93 now. There is a GBRf loco rostered - class unspecified, so it could be almost anything except a 93! (which are DRS)
Class 18? 59? 60? 99?
Trainman40083
Established Member
It will be interesting to see what livery the Class 58 is in. Currently in Loughborough Works where it will be repainted
xotGD
Established Member
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- 4 Feb 2017
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- 7,875
Surely folk are more interested in just red-penning the locos, regardless of which bit of track they operate over?
Well the GB one ,if the hype is to be believed,will probably be pen yes so any distance will do but speaking personally especially in pres I do like to do the full line with as many classes as possible, it does encourage me to travel to lines even though I don't need the loco involved, I had the bone on the mainline years ago but I've never had, or has anyone else, from norden to Swanage and to have the opportunity and fluff it for very weak reasons speaks of not understanding your market, why get a loco in to attract people and then restrict it because it might attract too many is, well insert your own words here
SECR 65
Member
Personally, I would rather travel on a train where I have a seat or at least a window over a shorter section of line then be rammed onto a train for a greater distance. If the train is too busy, you can barely tell what's on the front of it. Imo it makes a lot more sense to have the shorter set on the stopping services. It will spread out the loading of the TC and air locos by calling at all stations. By doing 10 odd round trips a day there are loads more chances to travel on the TC. If it was on River trains, the number of round trips would be halved, so crowding would be almost doubled.
I didn't say river, going to some random point in the middle of nowhere is zero interest a station say norden yes please
SECR 65
Member
As @158760 has said, the difference timetable this year does not allow going to Norden on the Shuttle whilst still maintaining the hourly frequency. I suspect going to Norden would end up in severe late running. There isn't too much of a wait to connect with the River trains for those who need to get to Norden.
So the issue for you is that the air braked services turn back at Corfe and don’t do the 3/4 of a mile to Norden on Friday and Saturday? The timetable is designed to provide a frequent service to the Beer Festival at Corfe, so the limitations of it mean it’s impossible to run the shuttle through to Norden.
Nothing is “being restricted” - everything is timetabled and diagrammed within the limitations of our railway. If you really find it such a big issue that the TC doesn’t run to Norden with the 58 except for Sunday, email the railway to pass on your feedback.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
It's about 30 minutes. You could walk to Norden (and back!) in that time
Yeah but walking isn't travelling on the line is it, I'm fully aware how far it is and how easy it is, just not by the main visiting locos apparently
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Quite so - but I was responding to a comment about connections, for people who need to get to Norden.
My bad sorry, I really can't see why a loco class that has never worked the line before is stopped from doing the full line, makes no sense at all
SECR 65
Member
An example from elsewhere comes to mind. When the well tanks visited the GWSR last year, they only ran one service a day from Toddington to Winchcombe. That seems reasonable imo. You can't put a well tank on a 15 mile or however long the line is journey. As someone with experience of timetabling on a heritage railway, it’s not a simple process and you are regularly unable to do what you would wish to do.
amahy
Member
Another example of this is at the GWSR this year, with the GWR railcar, that it’s only doing small parts of the line on most days.
In Swanage’s case, the best solution would have probably been a full length air-braked coach set as one of the main diagrams, with a short Mk1 set on Corfe terminators instead of the 4-TC. It’s a real shame that there are hardly any air/dual-braked Mk1s in preservation.
Which is what happens on Sunday, with the 4TC running over the road and Set B shortened to 4 coaches to form the Corfe shuttle. This is a first for us this year, so will be interesting to see how well it works and how popular it is.
But it does do the full line on the Sunday, when passenger volume and diagramming allows it to do so. I have quite reasonably explained multiple times why the service pattern is the way it is, and you’ve either ignored me or said my reasoning is weak.
As I have also said previously, if you have such a big issue with it either email or call the railway. Contact information is available on their website.
amahy
Member
What I mean is, have a full length air/dual Mk1 set, so that the 58 and other air only locos can do the full line on all 3 days, without having issues with capacity.
Sorry, I worded that part of my reply poorly - I agree there should be a longer air braked set so there can be higher capacity services across the weekend. I can only presume it comes down to money and that’s why there’s not a hired dual/air set from someone like West Coast.
They tend to be feasible if you are in the right part of the train. Front end of the train approaching Swanage if it goes in the bay. Rear end of a train approaching Swanage if it is going in the main platform. The shorter 4-TC train is most likely to use the bay.
341o2
Established Member
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- 17 Oct 2011
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- 2,014
Any information regarding timings of the 4TC ad other visiting locos?
Thursday for 73141 and the 4-TC
5Z73 1544 Eastleigh Works Gbrf to Swanage
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K65461/2026-05-07/detailed
Wednesday for 37607, 58023 and 45041
0Z37 0900 Barrow Hill L.I.P. to Loughborough Brush
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R43855/2026-05-06/detailed
0Z38 1100 Loughborough Brush to Orton Mere
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R43854/2026-05-06/detailed
0Z39 1334 Orton Mere to Swanage
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R43853/2026-05-06/detailed
The move on Wednesday is reported on HOPS as formed of 37607+20066+26007+45041+58023. Unless I’ve missed something I believe the move on Thursday is 73119+GBRF engine+4TC.
The return working for the GBRF stuff plus the TC is on Monday, but timings are not yet in. I believe the move back to Barrow Hill will be the same as the outbound but minus the 20, which is staying until 2027.
They’re absolutely fine as long as long as you stay towards the rear of trains originating from the River Frome/Norden (A/B), and the front of trains originating from Corfe (TC). We tend to wait until everyone has changed trains anyway, otherwise it’s a nightmare with people trying to board whilst you’re trying to dispatch the train.
There was a suggestion of a different 73 on the Branch Line Society Gen page - https://branchline.uk/gen.php - but note that the railway itself is still advertising 73119 as having been requested.
I think they’ve just misread the timetable, because the attached public timetable has 73119 listed, with no mention of 73141.
341o2
Established Member
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- 17 Oct 2011
- Messages
- 2,014
Thanks for the info regarding movements
Invincible
Member
Now cancelled, was perhaps ambitious starting in Derby, then West London, and moving to Weymouth after Swanage and return same day. So limited time for those who wanted to see the gala.
The LU 4TC is coming from Eastleigh (rather than London), so no Thursday railtour, returning Sunday, this year.