Santa comes to town

Santa comes to town

Taken at Corfe Castle, Dorset.  I'd spotted in the Blackmoor Vale Magazine (my local freebie) that the Swanage Railway was running 'Santa Specials'.  For more information about this heritage line have a look at the railway's website  –  http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk.

The special trains were running from Swanage to the present end of the line and return and did not stop at intermediary stations.  The Swanage park-and-ride scheme that uses the railway from the car park at Norden provided a feeder service to Swanage for the specials at a discounted rate.

Diesel feeder service

 

The Santa Special

An original 0-4-4 locomotive from the times of steam on this line

Adorned for the occasion

The signal box at Corfe Castle station

The railway station at Corfe Castle is preserved as a 1950s time-capsule.  All the rolling-stock is authentic for that period.

Approaching from Norden towards Swanage

Passing the tally  –  northbound diesel

Up-line platform

Passing the tally  –  steam service

'Lt Jenny Lewis RN'

Jenny was from Sherborne, Dorset, and was Fleet Air Arm helicopter aircrew.  She was a railway enthusiast and was killed on exercise, together with her pilot, in 2002.  Her body was never recovered.  See http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/userfiles/news/0000_jenny.jpg?w=800.

The general waiting room, Corfe Castle station

The ticket office

Ladies' waiting room

The castle at Corfe Castle

Cromwell did his best to destroy this castle and used tons of gunpowder, but it wouldn't fall down.

The keep

The village from the castle

The railway station

A passing diner-train

This set was being used to serve Christmas lunches.  The service ran (leisurely) from Swanage to Norden and return twice 'non-stop'.  The total time was about 2 hours.  All the food was cooked on board.

Corfe Castle church