It's good to see positive quotes from Swanage Rly staff but, the 'trial' needs to offer useful times for locals to use, before and after heritage services. The timings today for 70000 illustrate that a path is available at least in the morning.
Just over an hour, with a stop only at Wareham. Adding stops at Poole and Bournemouth only would add about 10 mins. Dep BOMO around 0845, would allow a tight arrival at Swanage at 0955ish, 5 mins before the first steam dep. If it was delayed on NR, there are loops at Corfe and Harmans Cross to pass the 10am steam. If too tight, an 0710 dep should do it.
Edited.....
Swanage [SGE]
Pathed as Diesel locomotive, trailing load 715 tonnes at 60mph
0720
Corfe Castle (Swanage R) [CFC]
pass
0743
Worgret Jn
pass
0805
pass
actual
0756¾
Wareham [WRM]
1
0810
0812
actual
0801
0803¼
Hamworthy [HAM]
1
pass
0819
pass
0811
Poole [POO]
1
pass
0822
pass
0816½
-5
Parkstone (Dorset) [PKS]
1
pass
0825½
pass
0820½
-4
Branksome [BSM]
1
pass
0828
pass
0823
-4
Bournemouth [BMH]
2
pass
0832
pass
0829¼
-2
I'm sure an evening service could also be provided with proper timetable planning. You won't get locals on board with a mid morning dep from Wareham. So, is it designed to fail? As for other lines with hardly used main line connections, TOC services should be imposed, if they won't do it themselves. Not instead of but, in addition to the heritage services, along the same early/late principles. It may be possible to fit later services inbetween the steam but, each line is different and would have to be looked at individually.
Just over an hour, with a stop only at Wareham. Adding stops at Poole and Bournemouth only would add about 10 mins. Dep BOMO around 0845, would allow a tight arrival at Swanage at 0955ish, 5 mins before the first steam dep. If it was delayed on NR, there are loops at Corfe and Harmans Cross to pass the 10am steam. If too tight, an 0710 dep should do it.
Edited.....
Swanage [SGE]
Pathed as Diesel locomotive, trailing load 715 tonnes at 60mph
0720
Corfe Castle (Swanage R) [CFC]
pass
0743
Worgret Jn
pass
0805
pass
actual
0756¾
Wareham [WRM]
1
0810
0812
actual
0801
0803¼
Hamworthy [HAM]
1
pass
0819
pass
0811
Poole [POO]
1
pass
0822
pass
0816½
-5
Parkstone (Dorset) [PKS]
1
pass
0825½
pass
0820½
-4
Branksome [BSM]
1
pass
0828
pass
0823
-4
Bournemouth [BMH]
2
pass
0832
pass
0829¼
-2
I'm sure an evening service could also be provided with proper timetable planning. You won't get locals on board with a mid morning dep from Wareham. So, is it designed to fail? As for other lines with hardly used main line connections, TOC services should be imposed, if they won't do it themselves. Not instead of but, in addition to the heritage services, along the same early/late principles. It may be possible to fit later services inbetween the steam but, each line is different and would have to be looked at individually.
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