Swanage Railway: Survival on a Knife Edge

In the first video of this two part series, our volunteer Fireman, Josh finds out the cost of mothballing the railway with our Trust and Company Chairman, Gavin Johns before exploring the minimum maintenance requirements to keep it in this closed state. He’ll also be getting an update about Project Wareham to help give you an insight into the many different ways COVID-19 has impacted the railway and the crisis it now faces in its most critical fight for its very existence.
Our survival might be on a knife edge but there is hope and your contributions are giving us the vital lifeline we need. Together we can give the railway a future...
We hope you can spare the time to listen, understand and share our plea - We are in the collective fight of our lives and we urgently need your help!
You can donate by visiting www.saveourservice.co.uk for PayPal and www.swanagerailwaytrust.org/giving for details about bank transfers and cheques along with Gift Aid that can further boost your donation by 25%.
You can also donate by texting 'SOS' to 70470 to donate £10. This costs £10 plus a standard rate message. Alternatively, you can choose to give any whole amount between £1 and £20. E.g. texting 'SOS 4' = £4 plus a std rate msg.
From all the furloughed staff and volunteers, thank you so much for your support and the generous donations.

[@edmundcarew7235]

I have just donated from Australia. So far I've only 'done' three heritage railways in the UK but far more of Network Rail trackage, Swanage Rly is on my list but despite having hardly any COVID-19 cases, we are not allowed to depart Oz at present (unless 'approved', and not many applications are unless one is staying o/s for three months or longer). My prayers are for people in nations like UK, USA, Philippines and Canada where 'the virus' at this stage is more prevalent.
Very pleasing that by 31 DEcember 2020, the appeal had raised GBP344000+. Great!

[@ADMIRALSCORNER]

Excellent report. Best wishes from a railway enthusiast. Our local WSR and all the other preserved railways have the same serious problems.

[@jpdronography1]

Action all 'Armchair Activists' we need your generosity!

[@ianjamieson6476]

I am donating the normal cost of travelling down from Home (London) each month.

[@ianjamieson6476]

Very professional Josh - a media career beckons?

[@bwilesuk]

Lovely production quality, especially the drone work, speaking as a filmmaker & drone pilot & railway volunteer myself.

[@arthurmatthews9321]

This is what people don’t realise. A railway with its infrastructure dose not stop costing money just because you are not using it. A locomotive boiler ticket is a ticking clock and it doesn’t stop. Batteries go flat when locomotives are not used. Just park your BMW up for a month and see what happens.