Swanage relaunches 1950s ‘Royal Wessex’ express
THE Swanage Railway has recreated the ‘Royal Wessex’ express train which once took holidaymakers from Waterloo to the Purbeck resort, thanks to volunteers who have restored a 1930s Maunsell carriage to original condition.
Members of the public can now book reserved seats to ride in carriage No. 1381 with a ‘Royal Wessex’ headboard carried on the front of the steam locomotive, recreating both main line and branch line railway history from between 1951 and 1962.
Swanage Railway Company chairman and volunteer porter Robert Patterson said: “We’re very excited about this new opportunity. Our volunteers work hard to carefully and lovingly restore our heritage carriages which give the public an evocative taste of what it was like to travel by train on the Swanage branch line during the days of steam.”
Maunsell carriages were used on trains from London to Swanage from the 1930s through to 1965 when they were withdrawn.
With portions for Swanage, Bournemouth West and Weymouth stations, the ‘Royal Wessex’ express train was introduced by BR as one of its new services carrying passengers to the forward-looking Festival of Britain near Waterloo station, which celebrated British industry, arts and science during the summer of 1951.
Operating Mondays to Saturdays, the ‘Royal Wessex’ train also carried holidaymakers from Waterloo station to Swanage, Bournemouth West and Weymouth as the country recovered from the deprivations and shortages of the Second World War. At Wareham, two carriages from the ‘Royal Wessex’ train were attached to the branch line train bound for Swanage. In 1951, the ‘Royal Wessex’ carriages bound for London Waterloo left Swanage at 7.38am and called at Corfe Castle at 7.49am before arriving at Wareham at 8.10am. On the return journey, the ‘Royal Wessex’ carriages arrived at Wareham at 7.21pm before calling at Corfe Castle at 7.42pm and arriving at Swanage at 7.52pm.
BR ceased the ‘Royal Wessex’ carriages for Swanage in the autumn of 1962.
‘Royal Wessex’ Maunsell carriage seats can be purchased online in advance at swanagerailway. co.uk or on the day at the Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage station ticket offices.
➜ The Swanage Railway welcomes new volunteers, who can contact SR volunteer recruitment and retention officer Jonathan Evans on 01929 408466 or email iwanttovolunteer@ swanagerailway.co.uk