Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

A bit of positivity for everyone.
https://preservation.watercressline.co.uk/blog/entry/loco-project-updates
Pat

 

This is really good to read about the engines when no one can get there to see what’s happening at the moment. I wish south Devon railway did this as no one knows what happens there

 

Maybe it’s like Carnforth? Someone points a magic wand and says the magic words ‘Boilerus Reparius’ I could be wrong btw.

 

I expect members of the South Devon Railway Association (https://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/) have a fairly good idea. but . . . what's this got to do with the Mid-Hants?

 

It was to point out what they have done is good and people that can’t get to the railways which is everyone at the moment are pleased to hear what’s going on an

 

A couple of historical accidents with an MHR connection published recently on railways archive.

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=3978

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=3955

The second one is interesting to me for the routing of the trains. Guildford to Southampton via Alton and Bricklayers Arms to Reading via Croydon, Redhill and Guildford. And a runaway truck for Itchen Abbas.

 

Guildford to Southampton: there was only 1 option - via Alton, unless you went via Havant and ran round at Bishopstoke, or via Woking with a runround. the Netley road wasn't opened through to Fareham until 1889.
Brickyard to Reading - the SER running over their own metals with running powers from Shalford Jct. to Ash Jct. via Guildford.
Pat

 

Shalford Junction would be high on my fantasy time travel transporting locations - all three pre grouping companies ran through there. (LSWR Portsmouth Direct; LBSCR Horsham and Guildford; SECR Reading Branch.

Tom

 

Was thinking the other day, when things get back to normal and looking at the rail maps, whats the possibility of a steam charter day trip from Alresford via Alton, Guildford, Southampton, Bournemouth and Swanage?. Might work out well?

 

Swanage are the people with the mainline registered loco and carriages, so not impossible if they wanted to.

 

And they don't have any main line registered coaching stock now, it would need someone like steam dreams, or RTS to organise it, outward its easy enough, via fratton Southampton , but the return would need the Swanage railway's 33 to haul stock, with engine at rear to Eastleigh, where it would have to turn the entire train, round the triangle before the tour could return up the direct to Guildford, or run via laverstock to Woking, then tender first back to guildford where it can run round.

 

It wouldn't solve the coaching stock problem, but aren't the MHR looking to register "Wadebridge" for main line use?

 

Was thinking of 31806 with the LU 4TC Mk1 coaches, might be cost effective?

 

that's why it would have to be one of the tour operators, they hire the stock from West coast, or LSL , If it was West Coast, I can think of one certain loco that i would love to see heading out of Alresford at the head of it, 35018

 

4TC are air braked, loco is vacuum brake only.

 

Of course you could go Swanage > Southampton > Basingstoke > Reading > Ealing Broadway > Kensington Olympia > Clapham Junction > Chertsey > Woking > Alton which would negate the need for any turning other than the locomotive at Swanage. I appreciate this takes it over foreign metals but what use is the GWR if not to make it easier to travel to bits of the far superior Southern?

 

Apart from what others have said about locos and stock the biggest issue I perceive with that proposed itinerary is that the only valid pick up points are the MHR and Guildford. Could you really fill a train from just those points, I very much doubt it! You then add the costs of the ECS moves, an extra loco to haul the train back to somewhere from Swanage, as said I guess Eastleigh, so another crew. It just becomes a very expensive operation.

 

Swanage turntable is not large enough to turn a mainline registered loco without splitting the tender (even the U Class).

 

I had been wondering about that. Thanks for answering one of the great questions of our time!
Pat