Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.
Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.
Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!
Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.
Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/
It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.
Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.
The Swanage Railway Spring Steam Gala took place over the (long) weekend 24th-26th March 2023. Our visit was on the first of those days, Friday 24th. The title picture shows Bulleid West Country Pacific no. 34028 Eddystone at Swanage waiting to reverse onto a late-afternoon departure for Corfe Castle and Norden.
Eddystone is one of Swanage Railway's 'home' engines. Here we see it at the approach to Swanage engine shed awaiting its 'turn' on an afternoon departure to Norden.
The coaling stage at Swanage engine shed. With the closure of most UK coal mines among the preposterous measures to reach our 'net zero' CO2 emissions target, we import coal from Poland (as here) and elsewhere.
What about the workers (outside Swanage engine shed)!
Awaiting our train at Norden Station; Corfe Common beyond
Our train entering Norden Station
What about the workers (working on one of two cranes at Norden Station)!
Poster at Corfe Castle showing life on the other side of La Manche
These enthusiasts spent the whole journey chatting, apparently oblivious to the sights and sounds
The Isle of Purbeck with steam
Visiting BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 at Swanage. This engine, built at Horwich (Manchester) in 1957, has a 10H shed plate showing that in its BR days it was a Lower Darwen (Blackburn) engine.
Driver and fireman of 76084
Waiting for chips at Swanage; Swanage Bay, Ballard Down and Ballard Point beyond
Swanage Station; 76084 is now in the bay and an afternoon departure awaits its engine (Eddystone)
Eddystone about to reverse onto the awaiting train
Eddystone and 76084 cross paths
Eddystone about to be hooked up to its train
The signalman has the token in his hand which he has to pass to the fireman (if he can find him) for single-line running
That's better - the token can now be seen
Coooor - the power of steam
Eddystone heading off down the line with an afternoon train
Swanage 'home' engine U class 2-6-0 no. 31806 passes Swanage shed with an incoming passenger train
31806 moving out to take on water after Eddystone has departed with the train it brought in
Taking on water at Swanage
Taking in sustenance in the form of a cheese (?) baguette on the footplate
Later in the day - 76084 in the bay at Swanage
Steam engines need constant maintenance - the oil can is in use here
Guest engine BR Standard 4-6-2 Pacific no. 70000 Britannia brings an afternoon passenger train to a halt at Swanage
And now at rest
On our return journey to Norden at Corfe Castle, passed another of Swanage's 'home' engines, Bulleid Battle of Britain class no. 34070 Manston
76084 was pulling our return train - here we see that the first carriage was the Devon Belle Observation Car
A couple of fine trackside huts at Norden
What about the workers (the tea lady at Norden was on duty all day - maybe all weekend?)!
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