Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

To answer a couple of questions posed. Later this week some day rover tickets will go on sale for the running days that allow use of the feeder trains but not the Flying Scotsman train. There will be a limited number of these each day. Around 500.

Also on sale this week will be day rover tickets for half term week when there will be steam on the line and the chance to see Flying Scotsman on display at Ropley. There are also tickets to get on the foot plate here. There will be two periods of Flying Scotsman static display, from 15th to 23rd February and 2nd to 6th March. Trains will be running both weeks.



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The MHR website shows no trains running during those weeks

 

I think the relevant part of @21B's post was "Later this week some..."
So one assumes we're getting a heads up to keep our eyes peeled on the site for further info.

 

Well, would you Adam & Eve it...... for once atop the hill this winter the sun shone & there was but a gentle breeze!

Though numbers were a tad depleted this week - one had to work in the morning & one had to leave after lunch, with just one there all day.

That said, more progress was made on the gunpowder van - just when we thought we'd found all the perished steel on the bodysides a few more patches reared their heads - thankfully they were only small patches, so these were cut out & new sections cut out & welded in, leaving just two pac to be applied to the outside & flattened back when time & weather allow........

In between all this we were entertained by the Pway working further down Medstead bank & the 47 trundling back & forth on Pilotman training duties!

 

You would be correct.

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The website has now been updated:

https://www.watercressline.co.uk/calendar.php

 

I bagged 4 rover tickets for the 29th February. Tickets are selling very well again. Footplate visits are selling out gradually.
Really looking forward to the Scotsman festival. I may also visit for one of the display days before we have a ride behind Scotsman on 7th March.
A little disappointed that there are not any rover tickets for the 14th February but I guess this is due to the limited service in operation for the re-opening day.


Has anyone heard any news about when Scotsman will be leaving Bury (ELR) for her visit to the Hampshire Alps?


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I think timings for Flying Scotsmans move will be kept confidential due to issues around trespass.

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It looks like it. I can't find anything in Realtime trains yet.

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The timings haven't been put on the system yet so won't be on RTT.

 

That explains why then. Thanks.
I hope that the timings do get uploaded as I would love to see Scotsman on my local line.

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Timings may be as follows:

Southall MPD: 18:59
Colnbrook (via West Drayton): 18:84
Staines High Street: 19:16
Guildford (via Virginia Water, Weybridge and Woking: 19:37
Tongham: 19:54
Alton: 19:85
Ropley: 20:20




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EDIT: Following comments received in private, I consider it best to explain the above. I may have these dates wrong!
- Southall MPD started life in 1859.
- The first part of the Staines West branch opened in 1884.
- Staines High Street station closed in 1916.
- Guildford was electrified in 1937.
- The Tongham line closed to goods traffic in 1954.
- The MHR opened to Alton in 1985.
- FS is visiting Ropley in 2020.

 

Nice one! It did take me a little while to make sense of those times.

 

Er, you lost me there. What does this mean?

 

think the timings are important dates for the station along a route from Southall to Ropley. i.e. 19:85 is the year MHR entered Alton

 

Would I ever do such a thing?!

Maybe...

Nobody has mentioned the... erm... problems with the route yet...


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Well, the market on Staines High Street closes at 17:30, so other than the lack of rails I don't see a problem there. The lack of any kind of station or rail connection through Colnbrook isn't insurmountable either. It must be the reversal at Guildford?

 

Tongham might be difficult, I think there might be a few houses in the way.

 

Staines High Street once had rails.

And yes, reversal at Guildford.

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The site of the old Junction with the Tongham branch is in the background of this picture (Behind the bridge) I took a few years ago of 45231 leaving the MHR after a short stay at Ropley. Rather a lot of houses and a bypass now built over the Tongham branch. I can remember when there was still a hump back bridge left near Badshot Lea which the road went over. This was sadly demolished to build the new road. I always remember this bridge as when I was much younger my Father drove his Morris Minor over it in the style of Bullitt as we had been watching the Steve McQueen film and managed to get the rear spring hangers to go through the floor

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