The railway  first came to Swanage in 1885 and was operated
by the London & South Western Railway Company... In January 1972
British Railways closed the line and lifted all the track. However,
this was not the end, as a group of enthusiasts got together to rebuild the line.
In
the summer of 1975 a licence was granted to the Swanage Railway
Society
|
to occupy the disused Swanage station site, since then the
dedicated volunteers have lovingly restored the railway to what you
see today. (see
reference)
Initially the track was relaid as far as Herston, on
the outskirts of Swanage, and then onward the three miles to the
village of Harman's Cross.
|
1995 saw the long awaited opening of the extensions
to Corfe Castle and then Norden, followed by the opening of the signal
box and passing loop at Harman's Cross in July 1997. (see
reference)
We arrived at the station  early and had to wait a while until the
train was ready to carry us to Corfe Castle. Just before boarding,
the stationmaster gave us a short history lesson about the Swanage
Railway and what we would see as we traveled the 4-5 miles to our
destination. |
 
We had a pleasant and leisurely trip to Corfe Castle on this quaint
old train. |
 |
 |
