Swanage Railway volunteer Alan Greatbatch has retired from service following an impressive 31 years dedicated to the heritage railway.

Now 68 years of age, Alan is known for setting up the railway’s first signalling school in 1991 which supported the safe operation of trains on the stunning Purbeck heritage line by training up signallers before the first signal box was built.

Back in 1991, Swanage Railway was only operating on three miles of track from Swanage to Harman’s Cross and the railway’s first signal box did not come into service until 1997. Today, Swanage Railway has four signal boxes!

Alan grew up in Poole and spent his working life on the main line railway as a signaller between Brockenhurst and Dorchester as a signalling manager and as a mobile operations manager.

In 1971, Alan joined Bournemouth station, at this time British Rail operated freight trains to
Wimborne and West Moors, via Poole and Broadstone, and also on a branch line from Maiden Newton to Bridport in west Dorset. In 2015, Alan retired from Network Rail Bournemouth as mobile operations manager.

In his volunteer life, Alan was a signalling inspector for the heritage railway for 20 years, his tasks saw him visit signal boxes each week, see the signallers and sign the train register which records every train movement as a signal box’s official records.

Alan said: “I am very proud of what we have achieved on the Swanage Railway over the years in rebuilding the line against the odds. I am one small cog in a massive machine and without all the other people, it would not have happened.

“I volunteer on the Swanage Railway because I enjoy it, I believe in it and because of those original determined campaigners who battled against the odds to be allowed to rebuild the line and then worked so hard to slowly rebuild it.

“The most enjoyable part of my job has been seeing people achieve their dream of becoming a signaller which involves training and sitting an exam every two years. Being a signaller is enjoyable because you are keeping our train passengers safe.

“If someone had told me in 1967, when our beloved steam engines stopped hauling trains in southern England for British Rail, that in 2022 I would be in a mechanical signal box pulling semaphore signals for steam engines I would not have believed it but that’s exactly what we are doing on the Swanage Railway which is fabulous.

“The past 31 years have flown by – I don’t know where the years have gone. It has been a challenge but also fun and I have worked with many good people,” he added.

Alan has signalled thousands of trains between Norden, Corfe Castle and Harman’s Cross throughout his volunteer service with the award-winning heritage line.

Robert Patterson, chair of the Swanage Railway Company – which operates trains for the Swanage Railway Trust said: “I would like to say a very big thank you to Alan for his important contribution to the development and safe operation of the Swanage Railway across more than 30 years. Alan is a credit to the Swanage Railway because he epitomises its spirit of dedication, enthusiasm, professionalism and enjoyment.”

Swanage Railway Trust chair Gavin Johns said: “Over the years, Alan has helped to train, mentor and examine more than a hundred signallers and he has been an excellent role model and example to our team of volunteer signallers in their training and continuing development as they signal trains safely and efficiently.”

A special gathering took place to mark Alan’s retirement and saw Swanage Railway volunteer signallers both past and present attend.