Today we decided to visit Swanage Railway, a heritage line that runs from Swanage all the way to Wareham (although most of the time it stops at a place called Norden).
We parked at Norden (a park-and-ride car park there with access to Norden station).
However, before going to the station, we took a small diversion to the Purbeck Mineral and Mining museum…
Clock-wise top left to bottom left:
- Mine cart tracks
- Narrow-gauge railway tracks (with a heritage railway behind)
- Narrow-gauge railway and shed
- Entrance to the mine works/museum
- Battery charging bank
- Mining safety gear
Clock-wise top left to bottom left:
- Examples of products made with ball clay from where this mine museum is located
- Electrical test equipment
- Carts containing logs and a general view of the museum
- Another general view, and the entrance to the mine ramp
- The mine ramp, leading to a mine tunnel
- The mine tunnel
The main mineral mined here was Purbeck Ball Clay, the main concentration of which was here at Norden. Purbeck Ball Clay is sedimentary in origin, and formed from decomposed granite. More info can be found here.
On to the railway…
After visiting the mining museum, we moved on to Norden station to await our train. With time to spare, coffee was the order of the hour…
At Norden station. Clock-wise top left to bottom left:
- From Norden station platform, some railway cranes
- Looking northwards towards Wareham
- Waiting area
- Steam locomotive ‘Eddystone’ coming into Norden with our train
- On the train, heading to Corfe Castle
- Another view from the train of Corfe Castle
At Corfe Castle station. Clock-wise top left to bottom left:
- Off the train at Corfe Castle station
- On the footbridge, looking towards Swanage
- On the footbridge, looking back towards Norden, the castle in view
- On the footbridge, looking towards platform one, and the railway museum
- The Corfe Castle station signal box
- Corfe Castle looming over the trees
At Swanage station. Clock-wise top left to bottom left:
- Detail of the ‘Eddystone’ locomotive
- More detail
- Yet more detail
- A diesel shunter
cool pics!