Wareham
| The goods yard at Wareham closed to general traffic 4th May
1970 but despite steam ceasing in 1967 the water tank was not demolished until
1972. Electric services commenced on 16th May 1988 replacing the twenty one
year old push-pull operation on the line by a class 33/1 locomotive and TC
units between Bournemouth and Weymouth. Since electrification the western
crossover is regularly used by services from the east terminating at Wareham.
The level crossing carrying the A351 over the tracks had long been a bottle neck to road traffic in the area, especially during the summer holiday season, and it was replaced by a road over-bridge which opened on 3rd April 1980. A foot crossing over the tracks at the site of the level crossing has been retained. Despite the closure of the Swanage branch Wareham has remained the railhead for the Isle of Purbeck and buses connect with train services, though inconveniently not from the substantial station forecourt. |
| The LSWR canopy supports are now painted in a South West Trains colour
scheme.
photograph by Graeme Pettit |
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Wareham signal box on the 16th September 2000.....
photograph by Colin Duff |
| ..... and its rear elevation several days earlier.
photograph by Graeme Pettit |
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| However the Swanage branch was never entirely closed and track was retained as far as Furzebrook sidings to serve mineral (clay) workings and, following discovery of oil in the area from 1978, also the Wych Farm oilfield. Although crude oil is conveyed by pipeline to Fawley refinery, after output from the oilfield was increased significantly in the late 1980s Liquefied Petroleum Gas was conveyed by rail to spare the local roads. The clay traffic ceased in 1982 but resumed between July 1986 and March 1992. At the southern end of the branch in 1975 a group of ambitious volunteers started the Swanage Railway project. Initially they could only operate as a preserved railway within Swanage station limits but over the intervening years the branch line has now been restored as far north as Furzebrook where the line connects with Network Rail. Although there has been some minimal movement over this connection there is no regular service though there are long term plans to resume rail services from Wareham to Swanage. |
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The former goods shed nestled in a patch of land between the
station footbridge and the much newer road bridge.
photograph by Colin Duff |
| The following two photos are a very good "before and after" illustration of changes at Wareham over the years. |
| In steam days the footbridge at the up end of the platforms
frames Q Class º30548, the
crossing keepers's buildings beyond the platform, the level crossing and
the signal box.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
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More or less the same spot on 25th September 2008 and the
differences are plain to see. The footbridge's smoke deflectors and the
buildings beyond the platform have gone, a foot crossing has replaced the
level crossing and in the distance can be seen the road bridge which now takes
the traffic that was formerly routed across the level crossing. Plus of course
the third rail is very evident!
photograph by Mike Morant |
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This page was last updated 5 October 2008
