The Swanage Railway - visiting every station on the line

We were on holiday in a lovely campsite in Purbeck in the county of Dorset. Great views from our tent of the valley and Corfe Castle, oh, and also the Swanage Railway. I could sit outside the tent with my feet up watching the trains chug up and down the valley all day.
I thought I might take a ride on the trains, but then I found out the a one-day ranger ticket cost the same as a simple return. A plan was hatched to see if I could visit every station on the line before my wife's head has popped up from her hammock and noticed I've gone...
There was a nice mix of steam and diesel traction on offer on the day I travelled and, this is the first year that the railway has extended all the way to the main line station at Wareham.
Departure: Swanage, England, UK
Destination: Wareham, England, UK
Distance: 15.3 km / 9.5 miles
Duration: about 4 hours in total ;o)
Cost: Freedom of the Line ticket (one day ranger): £25.00 / €29,00
Date of Travel: July 2023
Operator: The Swanage Railway
Motive power:
- Southern Railway "Battle of Britain" Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive. Built: Brighton works (1947)
- BR Class 117 & 121 DMUs Built: Pressed Steel Company (1960)
Thank you for watching, liking and commenting. I do appreciate your engagement in the busy world of KZbin.

[@barrytillman2818]

Great video, Love Swanage and the area been going there since I was a kid. My parents didn’t own a car so arrived by train, the tea chest with all our kit was collected from our house in a maroon and cream British Railways van. Remember seeing the wonderful “You’re entering the strong country “ advertisement by the line side

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Great memories. I wonder whether Amazon may one day restart such a service! Thanks for watching 👍

[@Shads5]

Only discovered this account today. Superb

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thanks for coming along. You are very welcome aboard. 👍

[@chrismccartney8668]

Visited in July superb took a boat trip in swanage and Poole.... I had difficulty with bridges due to walking stick and dodgy knee but was taking over track by staff very helpful Thank You Swanage Railway..

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Maybe we were there nearly on the same day! I'm pleased that they accommodated you well - there wasn't much call for all that accessibility stuff back in the day was there. Thank you for watching the video. It is very much appreciated 👍

[@chrismccartney8668]

And was escorted across the rails at Wareham also by an authorised person so great I’m only ok with steps but after around Corfe and Swanage and boat trip left knee went on strike don’t forget to the superb marmalade sold a couple of doors down from Bankes Hotel which was very good hotel plus meals in greyhound good also..

[@markstramtrainbuscapades1729]

I rode the 50 bus back in 2016! Great route, crosses Poole Harbour estuary on the Sandbanks chain ferry!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Haha. I really must do it! Thanks for watching 👍

[@PaulGodfrey]

Lovely video of one of my favourite steam lines. The café carriage at Corfe was open on the Saturday that I visited.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Yes. I suppose going on a Tuesday outside school holidays has its benefits... but easy access to a cuppa is not one of them! Thanks for watching 👍

[@cryzcryz2345]

What an amazing railway journey! 😍 I have added these trip to my list. I hope that someday I will be able to stop the train myself and no one will be at this stop but me 🤗 Thank you for another excellent video 🤗

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thank you. Very nice of you to watch another. I too have a list like that, that I've got from watching other videos! Best wishes from Devon 👍

[@sandiandgregh]

Well that was just magical. The stations were beautiful and the trains!! What a treat. And the bonus of Corfe Castle. Well!! Thank you so much for doing this "challenge". We loved every single minute of it and will be replaying for sure. Have a great weekend!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thank you so much, as ever. Your viewing pleasure is reward enough 😁 Until next week! ( when it will be 2 trains and 2 buses looping through mid and North Devon tracking the old L&SWR lines)

[@colinriley123]

3k subscribers: well done! A delightful video. I don't underestimate the skill involved in making it. Years ago with young families we camped in the area and did some of this route, though I would have to examine ancient photo albums to work out the the detail. Fridays always a pleasure!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Wrt subscribers... good news eh! Remember when my subscribers could all fit comfortably in a bus shelter! Thanks for sticking along ❤️ Thank you still enjoying them. I'm still enjoying making them. 👍

[@victoriouswarrior2325]

What a wonderful video! I sometimes enjoy Michael Portillo's train journeys, but this one has a sweet and intimate personal touch that I haven't seen before. I'm going to Swanage for 2 nights in April and this video has made me decide what I want to do on my second day. (my wife doesn't know yet)

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

haha I love that! Thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it 👍

[@Decision-lr7vo]

Another excellent presentation. Thank you so much for all the incredible work you do. Coming from California, I find it amazing that places in your videos still exist and are so well maintained. This week I am reminded of the hundreds of hours I spent enjoying Thomas the Tank Engine when my son was a child. Week after week I cannot fully express my gratitude to you for all of these remarkable, unique presentations. In addition, your commentary is so well done including the historical and architectural knowledge and the discreet opinions you provide every week. Hoover, job well done at the highest level.. You are an asset to the UK.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Crikey! High praise indeed! Thank you. Coming from California, did the family follow the football? Chargers, Raiders, Rams or 49ers?

[@rogercook6360]

A fabulous professionally produced video giving all the facts and more ! Every shot of the trains is brilliant, along with the beautiful views along this heritage railway. This accompanied by good graphics and on screen text with the bonus of some casual humour about "Her Indoors in the hammock" works so well.... Wonderful ! and Thanks.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Haha, you are so very kind indeed. My wife loves her hammock time, so I managed to escape successfully for a morning on the trains! Thank you so much for watching - many more on the channel now 😀

[@brianbell4937]

That open top 50 bus you mentioned also actually goes onto the Sandbanks Ferry.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Indeed it does. We didn't get a chance to ride it when we were there. But maybe next time I'm around, when it's running, I'll give it ago. Thanks for watching another. Much appreciated 👍

[@quintuscrinis8032]

​@@JohnnyHooverTravelsthe 50 is a permanent service running all year round from Swanage to Bournemouth.

[@keithchowney3392]

Nice video been here many times lovely railway. Thank you for posting

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thanks! It was absolute pleasure to ride the trains and do the edit. And thank you so much for taking the time to watch. 👍

[@Sim0nTrains]

Epic trip, I remember riding this line once but top and tailed Class 33s with a 4TC which had been used on the London Underground for charters with Sarah Siddons which was from Wareham to Swanage but never got out at all the stations.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thanks! Yes, it was a nice thing to do, getting a look at all the stations. Each one was different and lovely in their own way. Made all the easier by their very helpful day ranger ticket. Thanks for watching another 👍

[@ampersand.]

What a marvellous vid with those restored coaches and the lovely stations, thank you for sharing the trip. The time and effort of the volunteers has paid off handsomely. Just noticed, now over 3k subs - congratulations!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thanks for watching another and thanks for the congratulations ❤️

[@johnkerr1953]

A very enjoyable video, so thanks to everyone who has helped to make this great video.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting. Much appreciated.

[@modelrailpaulcee]

Not only does the soap on the train look original, the ‘Gents’ at Corfe Castle appeared to have not had any maintenance since L&SWR days!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Haha! What can I say? Shall we just call it "authentic?". Thanks for watching 👍

[@nuinmarnuinmar5321]

Oooh, steam and a castle? You're spoiling me to day Johnny! Thanks for sharing.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

I live only to serve 😀 Thanks for watching another 👍

[@andrewmiller9654]

What a wonderful video. Very informative and entertaining. Super railway too

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thanks. It's very nice of you to say so. As you can tell, I had a great time making and editing this video, so I'm pleased you enjoyed it too. 👍

[@andrewmiller9654]

@@JohnnyHooverTravels I’ve been on that railway loads of times so I already knew most of the info . But still very entertaining. Shame the dmu to wareham doesn’t run more often. We did It in June last year and it was super

[@ChrisH-1952]

Great video. More nostalgia for me having camped as a youngster at Herston in the final years of the line being in BR hands. I would have walked back to the site the way you did, I think. It's been great seeing the line gradually reopen and I think you have captured in full the delight of the line and the individual stations.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thank for your memories and also thank you so much for the kind words👍

[@James-el2kj]

I absolutely love the videos you do Johnny. I’m not a train nut but I do love transport history in general so you doing some of the heritage lines is fantastic. I will say that your videos are always beautifully narrated with a sense of class coupled with fantastic articulation. Keep up the great work and maybe you’ll venture north and do the Keighley and Worth Valley railway sometime.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

All I can say is that you really are too kind! I enjoy the trips and the video making process so I'm so pleased you enjoy the results. Thank you 👍

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

All I can say is that you really are too kind! I enjoy the trips and the video making process so I'm so pleased you enjoy the results. Thank you 👍

[@trainsmachineryldegmtrains3509]

Briliant video, nice trains! Big LIKE

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thanks very much. Really appreciated! 👍

[@kadinjacques7827]

Coh the guy on the footplate of manston was handsome 😄

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Sorry. If I'd have known I would have got you his number 😃 Thanks for watching 👍

[@brettj2643]

An absolutely superb video ! Thank you.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

How very kind of you to say so! Much appreciated. And thank you so much for watching 👍

[@Kulla1berg]

Excellent with Rover ticket - gives you the possibility to really discover a line

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Yes it made it much more fun. And you know you can try out all the motive power on offer.

[@adrianbromfild8624]

Well worth visiting the castle as this will allow some spectacular views of the trains arriving and departing Corfe Castle station

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Very true. I didn't have time that morning and my wife really isn't a big fan of castles and stuff. We did walk the Purbeck Way and looked down from the other side (hence a couple of shots grafted in there) Thanks for watching and commenting so quickly! Nice one 🙂

[@steveellis9065]

There was a time the South Devon Railway used to run into Totnes station from Buckfastleigh

[@steamisbest]

At least you can get a freedom of the line pass unlike the South Devon and Dartmouth railways where you have to state what train you want to return on, another thing left over from covid so they don't overfill the trains. I asked at both railways if they had problems pre covid with their rover tickets and not surprisingly the answer was no.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

I'm off to Dartmouth tomorrow. So you will see my honest review in a few weeks. as the Paignton-Kingswear line does not have intermediate stations, I suppose a freedom of the line would not be as much fun. But I would agree with you that if they charged a few pounds extra, then having a few people making repeated trips up and down the line during a weekday in September isn't going to make the trains overly full. Thanks for watching one of my videos. I very much appreciate your time.

[@kevlart9]

Great video. I live in Wareham and did the DMU service in 2023 with my son. Took many a walk along the closed line near BluePool to Corfe back in the 70s. The line to the Furzebrook clay sidings and the oil terminal was never lifted. The Swanage service used to run into Wareham platform 4 and then change over to platform 1 for the return to Swanage.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thank you for the kind words and adding your memories too. Much appreciated 👍

[@Lynxfan2]

Hi there Johnny, I would like to point out a couple of issues - the line between Norden and Wareham was reopened for charter trains in 2013 and I have been on a couple of UK Railtours/South West Trains bargain 159 Specials from London Waterloo - Swanage in both 2013 and 2014. The other issue is your first carriage on the steam hauled train is actually a TSO - Tourist Second Open. You forgot to mention the delightful 1947 built Devon Belle Pullman Observation Car No. 14, which was in the bay platform at Swanage. The Maunsell Third Open carriage No. 1381 was built in 1930 Kind regards, Peter Skuce, St Albans. Hertfordshire.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Thank you so much for those corrections. I shall pin your comment to the top. Much appreciated 👍 I hope that didn't detract too much from the enjoyment! Thank you for watching and especially for commenting 👍

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Hmm. My phone won't let me pin it. Will try again when I get home

[@tenorclef4090]

So did she notice that you had gone? :D

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

Well. Y'know a hammock and an audio book. No reason to open her eyes was there? She did wave back when I passed by one time. Too far away for the GoPro to catch it though Thanks for watching 👍