A British Rail tank locomotive in Swanage.

14 March 2012

Get a Driver's-Eye View from Steam Loco's Cab

The picturesque landscape of Purbeck is always visible from the carriages of the Swanage Railway but less common is the view from the footplate, cab, or signal box.
 
And these will be made available to visitors during an open weekend on 24-25 Mar 2012, part of a drive to show the public the results of efforts by the 500 regular volunteers. While standing on the footplate of a classic 1940s Bulleid Pacific class express steam locomotive, in the cab of a 1960s mainline diesel locomotive, or in the signal box, visitors can chat to the volunteers and staff about the work that goes on behind the scenes.
 
Thanks to the historic 1920s "Devon Belle" observation car running on all steam trains, passengers will enjoy stunning views of the beautiful Purbeck countryside between Norden Park & Ride, Corfe Castle, Harmans Cross, Herston, and Swanage. At Corfe Castle, the new Victorian-style signal box will be open, as will be the Victorian goods shed. The Railway at Work Weekend is part of a push to recruit more volunteers to help run and develop the award-winning Swanage Railway, which has been rebuilt from scratch since 1976 and now carries more than 200,000 passengers a year.
 
Swanage Railway commercial manager, Martin Payne, said:  "The special weekend is a chance to meet the staff of the railway, built from nothing since 1976, and find out about the different tasks.