Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

After looking on YouTube of 60103 from Friday. There was a video clip from Hampshire Hunt bridge. Does anyone know if the alleyway between the bungalows is still accessible. This could be a possible location for taking a photo of 60103

thanks

 

Thinking of visiting the MHR on Friday, could anyone please tell me how busy has the rly been this week, are trains very packed etc, as I would like to visit and see Scotsman but if its quite busy I'll pass.

 

Thanks. It makes more sense now.

 

Does anyone know how well the car park field at Ropley is standing up to all the wet weather we've had recently? And with more to come! I'm planning a trip down there in early March to meet a friend, but I don't want to recommend the Ropley field if it's turning (turned!) into a swamp. I imagine that it's been quite busy thus far with all the FS visitors.

 

From what I could see from the trains, it was looking surprisedly green & fresh today, and was being used. The staff seemed to be parking most people on the matting as clearly not expecting to fill it today.

 

Thanks for your reply; lets hope it stays that way.

 

It has the advantage of being halfway up a hill and sloping, I don't think there's anywhere the water settles, which is what normally leads to such fields becoming quagmires.

 

Something shiny in the cattle dock at Alresford....

 

BBC Radio 3 just gave a plug for the Mid Hants and described ‘Flying Scotsman’ as an A1 class locomotive!

 

Well, it was when it was first outshopped.

Sent from my I3312 using Tapatalk

 

That looks nice, well done to all.

 

Interior not quite finished, but I understand this will wait until after 60103 goes, so the coach can be in service during the FS running days

 

It is an easy mistake to make without knowing the history of LNER's pacifics. It surprises me that when Peppercorn's pacifics were built they weren't classified with something in sequence. By the time they came along the LNER in its wisdom had already allocated piecemeal as far as A10, so the A1s could have been A11 and I suppose the mishmash of A2/n types could all have become A12. Anyway, back to the Southern.........

 

Surely it was built as an A1 and numbered 1472 in 1923 ?

 

Yes it was, but the A1 class was redesignated A3 after rebuild in 1928. When Peppercorn's pacifics were built in the 1940s the A1 designation was by then "empty" so the LNER reused it, which confuses non LNER folk, and others besides - especially when they had three different designs all running as A2!

 

Pleased to be able to confirm that thanks to our friends at the Bluebell we will by Friday afternoon have 6 operational Bulleid carriages on the MHR. I think a first for preservation. To be honest I think I am more excited by this than the visit of Flying Scotsman, wonderful though that is of course.

The carriages will be in service Saturday onwards. There is a chance that they will be in use next week during the week as well (subject to confirmation). On the weekend of the 14th and 15th of March all six will be marshalled together for the first time and we plan to haul them with 925 on the Saturday and 506 on Sunday. Hopefully the weather will be kind and it will be an opportunity for everyone to enjoy the sight of an all southern train over the Alps.

The team at the Bluebell have pulled out all the stops to help us, and we are really grateful. We might even let them have their jacks back at some point.

I have to pay tribute to the MHR team too. Two carriages had bogie swaps today. Thomas was steam tested and leaves for Didcot tomorrow, the BY had two brake cylinder swaps (long story) 506 had its piston and valve exam finished (started Monday) and 76017 had a mechanical exam. All we have to do now is deal with 5 lowloaders in the next 48 hrs and shunt all the carriages. A fabulous team effort!

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

Presumably four low loader movements for us as well! Shame they couldn’t go by rail, but it is good we can still help out.

There’s a photo of the first one leaving a very soggy Sheffield Park on the Bluebell Railway’s Facebook page:

https://m.facebook.com/bluebellrailway/photos/a.235541355966/10157857219710967/?type=3&source=48

Tom

 

Hope to pop up sometime very soon, weather and waterproofs permitting. Would love to see the Schools at the head of those 6 Bulleids.

 

Saturday 14th March then. 15th will be 506.

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

Thank you muchly for that 21B, just so happens to be my weekend off.

Chris