Wareham to Swanage 1969

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@HYUKLDER1 8 ай бұрын

That film shows two (of the four) Wareham Station platforms that are not used now. The one the train pulls out of is part of the Station car park and the other one is overgrown. The two lines in the middle continue to be the 143 mile South West Main Line between London Waterloo and Weymouth which has both fast and stopping trains serving Wareham. Wareham Station still has many passengers using it, c300,000 a year and the station is well kept. It is possible to walk into Wareham town, there is a bus stop at the north side of the Station and taxis serve from the south side. The rail link to Swanage Station was re-established, and recent signalling improvements at Worgret Junction have enabled main line certification so that technically certified heritage line trains from Swanage can use the main line Wareham Station on a scheduled or occasional basis provided Swanage Railway funds allow.

@DocAlRead1 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for that summary. I've been from Wareham to Swanage on the new link - let's hope it's able to continue.

@dodgydruid 9 ай бұрын

My late father was Keith Watson who was instrumental in writing the rules up for the reconnection of Swanage to Wareham, "Fag n Tea Keith" never seen without either on the go and I remember him studying extensively the old BR pastel rule books from the era in the video and working with Network Rail to setup blocks, exchanges, permission to enter/leave NR metals. He was an oddball in he kept alive in his head workings of long gone signalboxes, indeed when he was F grade at London Bridge he was often tasked on his days off to go do some of the boxes he knew the workings off by heart and off he would go to far flung places like Effingham Junction, Swanley, Elmers End which he was relief for at D grade but getting F grade double bubble was a big earner. Aside from his work at Swanage, his other legacy is three particular signalboxes he practically rebuilt in the 70's by himself, Snodland, Cuxton and another which a few years back just after his passing all gained listed status.

@DocAlRead1 9 ай бұрын

Fascinating info - thanks

@ianburnett7333 8 ай бұрын

When I was on S&T at Clapham Junction Central had very high failure rate.

@phillwainewright4221 9 ай бұрын

When I was a bus driver (1990s) one of the late shift rotas involved driving a 142 Poole to Swanage, then a 30 minute stop-over before returning. We would be given the key to the station staffroom so we could have somewhere to sit and take our break.

@scopex2749 3 ай бұрын

We were there when the railway was open and saw it close. We holidayed in Swanage right from when I was a child up to when we lost mum and dad. I cant bear to go back there now its very upsetting I just see THEM everywhere. I do love the town though my brother and I walked the cliff path every year round to dancing ledge Chapmans Pool and Durdle Door! We also used to walk the abandoned track bed to Wareham throuhg ' The Wilderness' as its known - cant do that anymore though so pleased it reopened. Its now possible to get a train again FROM LONDON TO SWANAGE. Thanks for the memories.

@rodsmith3911 3 ай бұрын

Great memories rekindled by the shots of Wareham as I remember it! Worgret Junction cabin also exactly as I remember the token being taken up. I remembered when I saw the view from Corfe Castle of the unit going by, a lifetime ago watching an M7 tank loco and it's train doing exactly the same thing. Seeing the crowd on Swanage platform makes me wonder how it ever closed. It always seemed to be busy yet after closure the replacement bus was never full, so I can only assume that most of the regular clientèle must have begun to use their cars, or had to acquire one to get to work or whatever they were wanting to do. Great that the line is open as a heritage railway but sad it no longer does the job it was meant to! Thanks for the memories!

@DocAlRead1 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for your memories, which go back further than mine!

@chrismccartney8668 8 ай бұрын

Went last year hauled by Manston Battle of Brotain one way pother was Lovely heritage diesel..

@gaugeonesteam 24 күн бұрын

exactly as I remember it in 1969 with the DMUs

@typhoon2827 8 ай бұрын

Beautiful beautiful England. Wasn't it worth fighting for?

@DocAlRead1 8 ай бұрын

Yes, well said.

@johncourtneidge 8 ай бұрын

Thank-you!

@TheBaldmeister 4 ай бұрын

I went to Swanage in the summer of 1969 (aged 11) for a summer holiday with my parents. Maybe we were on that train! (Doesn't look like we were on the platform!)

@ChrisH-1952 7 ай бұрын

I remember camping with the Boys Brigade across the fields from Harmans Cross (no station then, I think) in the mid 60s and standing on one of the bridges to watch the already 'doomed' train go underneath. Lovely to see these old films. Mind you, the modern reincarnation is much tidier than these 'good old days' are shown to be.

@DocAlRead1 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for this, and yes there was not a station at Harmans Cross then.

@martyn6792 9 ай бұрын

Great video I was seven when it was filmed

@stephenchappell7512 9 ай бұрын

Still lots of people awaiting the train's arrival and so it doesn't appear to be your typical underused sleepy branch line

@DocAlRead1 9 ай бұрын

It was probably seasonal but yes it seemed to be well used. This was 3 years before closure.

@highpath4776 8 ай бұрын

@@DocAlRead1 The closure was more that it saved more money than the revenue earned (which does not mean it was not used well), poss to western region being anti-southern branches generally (though a few GWR ones went too), and the idea that local (state owned) bus company could cover the route and serve intermediate communities better

@stephenchappell7512 8 ай бұрын

@@highpath4776 It was only Southern lines west of Exeter which were transferred to the western (the withered arm)

@DocAlRead1 8 ай бұрын

@@highpath4776 Thanks for that info!

@michaelsandford1015 9 ай бұрын

Very good

@grahamdeamer128 4 ай бұрын

Pity that the modern day reintroduction of the Wareham to Swanage service was so short lived. I used it a lot last year, so sad that one of the principal objectives of the restoration movement had to be abandoned.

@DocAlRead1 4 ай бұрын

I've been on it as well. Hopefully it's not completely abandoned. It needs to be economically viable.