ThedriverofvisitingGreatCentr alRailway-basedIvatt
2MT2-6-0No. 46521acceptsthetokenfromthe
Swanagesignalmanon July23.ANDREWPMWRIGHT
ByRobin Jones
THESwanageRailwayis appealingfor
more steamdrivers andfiremen, along
withsignalmen, afterfinding itself short
of qualifiedfootplatecrews.
Concernhas beenexpressed
thattheresoon maybeinsufficient
crewstomaintain services on one
of Britain’s most intensiveheritage
railwaytimetables.
Afteryearsofservice, therailway
has hadalargenumber of skilled
footplateandsignalling staffretireor
passaway.
Aspokesman said: “Existing
members arepulling out all the
stops,but therealityofthe situation
is thatwesimply do not haveenough
staffcoming throughtofillthe gaps
in ourroster.
“Therailwayfinds itself at a
crossroads.Unless morevolunteers
signuptojoin theranks of either
footplatecrews, signalmen or guards,
therailwaywill beforcedtoreduce
the level of serviceitcan offer.”
Each summer’s day, thePurbeck
linerequiresaminimum offour
drivers and fireman,risingtofiveor
even six if evening and afternoon
dining trains arerun.
Furthermore, fivesignalmen are
needforeachday’s service, rising
tosix if thereareincomingrailtours
from the main line.Moreguardsarealso needed: on
asummer’s day, uptosix guards are
neededto coverthe intensiveservice.
Thespokesman added:“The
SwanageRailwaydoesn’t alwaysrun
this intensely and during the shoulder
monthsweoffer some of the most
family-friendlyfootplateduties in the
UK.“Blue and Green timetable days
aresplit shifts wherethe morning
crewsgenerally prep and do three
trips and the evening crew do the
remaining three and dispose.
“Signalling turns in the summer
aresplit intoearlyand lateshifts.In
the shoulder periods the signalmen
generally do all dayturns.
“ThereforetheSwanageRailwayisappealingtoall,come andjoin us!
“Qualifiedfootplatecrewsfrom
otherrailwaysarebeing actively
sought. If youareingradeatanother
railway,whynotconsider joining us
atSwanage?
“Ifyou havenevervolunteered
onarailwaybefore, theSwanage
Railwayoperations departmentwill
welcomeyouwith open arms and
provideexcellenttrainingforyouto
achieveyourfootplate,signalling or
guarding ambitions!”
➜To get startedemail:
iwanttovolunteer@swanagerailway.
co.uk
➜Britain’s top20seaside lines:
specialfeature, page s68-75.‘Trackbashing’special trainto run over Dartmouth lineforcharity
FORTY-SEVENyears af terthe
PaigntontoKingswear branchwas
sold to the DartValleyRailw ay plc,
the‘big railway’will be runninga
train over it again.
In the first instanceof
Privatisation of partoft he UK
network,itw as in 1972 that BR
closed the line,selling it‘inservic e’
to theoperator of theTotnes to
Buckfastleigh heritage line.
Nowstaff at Paignton’s main
line station–oppositethatof
the DartmouthSteam Railway’s
northernQueensPark terminus
–are to run their owntrain over
whathas long been one ofEuro pe’s
most popularseaside lines,tor aise
moneyfor charity.
Topand tailed by the DSR’sClass37 No.37275 andaClass 03
shunter, the four-coach special on
Saturday, September 14 will be a
‘must’for trackbashers,for it will
run over rare ly-used sidings and
loop lines,and maybeeventhe
Churston turntable,aswell as the
main passenger lines.
Therewill be 200 seatsavailab le,
priced £35 each.Allproce eds from
the ticket sales will be donatedto
the Samari tans ,and araffle will be
run on boardtoraise moneyfor the
mental health charityMind, with
prizes donatedbyTrain Operating
Companies and majorretailers.
TheDartmouthSteam Railway
&Riverboat Companyhas ag reed
to waiveall operational chargesto
increase the moneyraise dfor charity.Thetrip will beafull-dayevent
startingat 10.3 0am, with an
optional lunch breakatTheWeary
Ploughman pubat Churston and the
return to Queens Park at 5.30pm.Closeworkingrelationship
Jointorganiser LauraGreening,a
member of GreatWestern Railway
staffat Paignton’smain line station,
said:“A fewmonths ago some
friendsandIwho work in the railway
industrydecid ed we wantedtor aise
some moneyfor theSamaritans and
Mind charities.
“Unfortunately,onthe national
rail net work fatalities areonthe
increase andwe have all in one
wayoranother been affectedby
the devastating effects on thefamilies and friends involved ,as
well as beingawareofour own
mental health.
“The Samari tans already work
with colleagues on the network,
providing supportint he awful
aftermath, aswell as running suicide
preventioncourses which are
invaluable andwe would liketogive
something back.
“Wealrea dy work reall yclosely
with the steamrailway and after
discussing with them whatwe
wantedtodotheyagreed to allowus
to run arailt our on their linewaiving
all operationalcosts to increase the
amountwecan raise forthe charity.”
➜Ticketsforthe once-in-a-lifetime
all-trackstour ca nbeboughtfrom
billet.to/s/nwBZNBYSwanageissuesSOS formoredrivers andsignalmen
Writetous:Heritage Railway,MortonsMediaLtd,POBox43,Horncastle, LincsLN 96 LZ. eritagerailway.co.uk 7