Saturday 25 June 2011
This article was closed on Friday 8 July 2011
Above: Our train is seen against the
backdrop of Corfe Castle—a classic view of the preserved Swanage Railway.
Photo by Andrew P.M. Wright.
Hastings Diesels Limited’s 49th
public railtour was from Hastings via London Waterloo to Swanage, on the
preserved Swanage
Railway. It ran fast down the L&SWR main line all the way to
Bournemouth and, turning left at Worgret Junction, to Corfe Castle and
Swanage.
The trip was sold out, and ran almost exactly to time; Bournemouth was
reached nearly 20 minutes early, and Swanage 6; and Hastings was regained
13 minutes ahead of time. The popularity of this outing has prompted us
to examine the possibility of running it again at some point in the
future.
Historical data
The train was formed thus: 60118-60501-69337-70262-60529-60116, with motor
coach 60118 Tunbridge
Wells leading on departure from Hastings. Because of damage to a
set of points, the train was unable to use the Linford Street curve
(built for the Eurostar services) on the immediate approach to London
Waterloo, on our outward journey. We ran via a reversal at Latchmere
No.2 Junction instead, so the train got turned round in the course of the
day’s operations.
The publicity leaflet, final timings, and map of the railtour route remain
available.
Cab video footage
Video footage from a forward-facing camera mounted in the cab has been
made available via the links below. Despite further investment in
equipment we still have some vibration problems at some of the higher
engine-speeds, and are working to solve this issue. The video material
at these links is © Copyright Andy Armitage 2011.
Videos
Various photographers have taken video-footage depicting this railtour
and have uploaded it to YouTube; the following are links to some
starting-points but do not represent a definitive collection:
Photos
Above: Following the enforced main-line
reversing move at Latchmere No.2 Junction, our train arrived at London
Waterloo main-line station. The driver is part-way through winding the
headcode-blinds from “98” to “Red blanks”; it is believed that the
Hastings units were the first trains on the SR to employ illuminated red blanks in
place of tail lamps.
Above: 1001 coasts past Eastleigh some 3
minutes early. Photo by Don Benn.
Above: After negotiating the Southampton
area, the railtour heads down into the New Forest and is seen here just
about to pass Ashurst station, which was known as Lyndhurst Road until
1997. Photo by Andrew Cameron.
Above: On the left is a CrossCountry
Class 221 Super Voyager… and on the right is another DEMU some 44 years its
senior! The Dorset Diadem railtour arrived at Bournemouth and had thus
reached the (ceremonial) county after which it was named.
Above: Our arrival was sufficiently early
that we had to move up to the far west end of the extended platform to
make room in the platform behind us for the arrival of another service.
A Class 444 Desiro, unit 001, is in one of the reversing-sidings to the
left.
Above: Our train arrived at Wareham, a
mile beyond which the Swanage branch diverges at Worgret Junction. The
Swanage Railway’s official photographer Andrew P.M. Wright caught
up with us at this point and several others along the way.
Above: This fabulous view shows our train
traversing Creech Heath towards the clay and oil depot at Furzebrook,
which marked the limit of track when the remainder of the line was closed
by British Rail. Photo by Andrew P.M. Wright.
Above: 1001 proceeds past the sidings at
Furzebrook and onward towards Corfe Castle. Photo by Andrew
P.M. Wright.
Above: Our train at Corfe Castle. Sister
DEMUs from the “Hampshire” (Class 205) fleet provided the final passenger
services over this line under British Rail. Photo by Andrew
P.M. Wright.
Above: The driver of our train passes the
single-line token to the Swanage signalman. Photo by Andrew
P.M. Wright.
Above: Our train was shunted to the other
(shorter) platform whilst laying over at Swanage. Photo by Andy
Armitage.
Above: 1001 is seen laying over at
Swanage. Photo by Neil Walkling.
Above: Whilst our train was stabled out
of the way, Class 33 locomotive 33103 Swordfish arrived
propelling the ex-Lymington branch 3-CIG unit number 1498.
Above: The Dorset Diadem railtour began
its return leg as 1001 set off from Swanage; it is seen here passing the
engine-shed, and unrebuilt Bulleid Pacific locomotive 34070
Manston. Photo by Neil Walkling.
Above: The crew of our railtour to
Hastings exchanges friendly greetings with that of a Swanage Railway
steam train hauled by BR Standard Class 4 number 80104, as the DEMU arrives at Corfe
Castle. Photo by Andrew P.M. Wright.
Above: 1001 is signalled to depart from
Corfe Castle station.
Above: 1001 throbs away from Corfe Castle
onto the single-line section towards Wareham. Photo by Andrew
P.M. Wright.
Above: 1001 climbs from the bridge over
the River Frome and is just entering the long right-hand curve which
brings the Swanage branch back to the L&SWR main line at Worgret
Junction. Photo by Andrew P.M. Wright.
Above: Bournemouth station’s fine
trainshed-roof, which was damaged in the 1987 storm and restored in 2000,
allows dappled sunlight to bathe the platform; our ex 4-BIG Buffet
Restaurant Car is nearest the camera.