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Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by NightRail, Jan 11, 2017.

  1. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    Just to advise everyone, I have been informed that tomorrow's Watercress Wanderer will be diesel hauled. No advice of the loco number.
    Pat
     
  2. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    D7612.
     
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  3. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    12082, ex-12049, ex-12082. (Makes perfect sense :D)
    Pat
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Didn’t realise it had reverted to it’s correct number, but good to hear. I never understood the logic in trying to pretend it was 12049.
     
  5. Stinch

    Stinch New Member

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    50BE4E2F-3878-4FD9-BC5B-10740D1A6983.jpeg Thanks to the is Old Girl; she gave me a Best Day today :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 4, 2021
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  6. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    This weeks MHR In the loop video has been released. This time it’s all about last weekends diesel gala. :)




    Plus there’s extended highlights of the gala.

     
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  7. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    After last weeks Box bashing & ballast yompimg, 'normal' service resumed atop the hill yesterday....... :Saywhat:

    There were but a few of us, as we really are at the fiddly, niggly jobs stage on the GPV, which is best untaken by fewer souls, as trying to keep more gainfully occupied would prove problematic!!

    So, after the customary brew & catch up it was time to bite the bullet & actually do something constructive........ external painting on the GPV was out of the question given the weather forecast, soooooo......

    The 1st task was to completely clear the van of all the stuff we didn't need, leaving just the floor timbers & boards that had been delivered earlier in the week, once this had been done & the van swept out, it was time to start working out the spacings for the air gaps between the timbers........ whilst two of us were scratching our heads over the this, our mucker had the enviable task (????) of fixing door frames #1 & #2 in postion - more on that later.

    You'd think that spacing timbers would be straight forward, but in keeping with the van, it was anything but!!! :Banghead: :Banghead: :Banghead:

    We'd already decided on the spacings we wanted, so working on that, we spaced out the timbers accordingly, the lengths we had, gave us the correct distance from the bodysides, but the spacings between the lenghts meant we had timbers left over, which when we'd ordered them up, we had the right amount........ :Saywhat:

    So, back to the drawing board & try a smaller spacing..... same result!!! :Arghh: :Arghh: :Arghh:
    -
    After returning to the drawing board again & this time finding some 1 1/8" spacers with some length on them, we were determined to get it right at the 3rd time of asking...... which, somehow we did - no timbers left over or need to trim any!!! :Jawdrop: :Jawdrop: :Jawdrop:

    Buoyed by success, it was time to measure up & trim the floorboards....... this was acheived with no problems!

    After a late lunch, it was time to give the floorboards their 1st coat of preservative - a 50/50 combination of creocote & sump oil - guaranteed to keep the boards from rotting..... it was decided to do this with the boards institue, so that they continue to acclimatise to their new home - they will be flipped next week & the edges treated before the underside is given at least three coats over a period of time, before being flipped again & the top side given the same treatment.

    So, back to our mucker & the doorframes....... seems he drew the short straw...... a combination of hard & soft wood.plus slotted brass screws, meant that he kept flattening batteries on the drill-driver....... by the end of the day, both frames were in situ, with most, but not all screws in place - they are now almost ready to recieve the cladding timbers.....

    Time was also found to give the back of door #3 some TLC with a wire brush & bring it up to red oxide!

    After all this & a final brew of the day, two of us headed home to watch the footie , whilst yours truly headed to Ropley to see how the Urie lads had got on during the day......

    Strangely, on arrival my Ropley spy had a rather smug grin on his boat race....... in fact he was as happy as a pig in the proverbial...... turns out they'd had a very good day, with plenty of support, and a not insignificant sum raised, so if you're on of those concerned & are reading this, on his behalf, a big thank you! :) :) :)

    Oh, and in amongst all that, we did take some time out to watch the passing trains, which were well patronised & it pleased by two muckers the see D7612 out & about.

    A few pics of said trains - nice to see @Stinch again & exchange our customary greetings!!!

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51288170457/in/dateposted-public/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51288921096/in/dateposted-public/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51288922951/in/dateposted-public/

    Floor timbers finally in position.

    20210703_112428.jpg
    1st floorboard trimmed to size & in place.

    20210703_121956.jpg
    Floor fully boarded out.

    20210703_125412.jpg
    Two pics of the boards after recieving the their 1st coat of dollop.

    20210703_143517.jpg
    20210703_143507.jpg
    Evidence of the two doorframes finally being hung - them ain't hole, thems brass screwa!!

    20210703_155534.jpg
     
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  8. NightRail

    NightRail New Member

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    The first 2 were taken at Brickiln Lane at the Diesel Gala in March 1994. The third one with 45132 was taken in September 1994. I believe it left the railway shortly after, as it didn't appear at the 1995 diesel Gala.
    ST0067.jpg ST0071.jpg ST0669.jpg
     
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  9. Shaggy

    Shaggy Part of the furniture

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    45132 left the MHR on 15th Sept 2014 and is now based on the Epping and Ongar.
    Cannot remember when D5217 left but I still miss it. It did a fine job for the railway in the '80's and looked at home.
     
  10. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    There’s been a fair few ex BR main line locos that have resided/visited the MHR over the years. Some have only stayed a short period of time.

    20059/188
    25067
    27007
    33053/208
    37324/901/905
    45132
    47579
    50027

    If any wishes to add to the list please do.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2021
  11. Shaggy

    Shaggy Part of the furniture

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    33109 ran on the line and went out on the mainline with 33208.
    33204 was based there as a source of spares for 109 and 208 before being cut up.
    There were a couple of 73/1's stored in the siding at Alton for a while. I was told by the line at one stage that they had enquired about them but the price was too high and they left.
    50026 was also stored on the line when originally purchased from Booths in 1993 although never ran on the line.
    Those are the ones I remember but I'm sure someone else could add to the list.
     
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  12. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    Not ex-BR, but:
    There was an ex-industrial 350hp shunter from ICI; a twin to ex-Llangollen Davy. The property of Jack Twyman.
    One of the ex-So'ton Docks Class 07 spent a while on the line, early 1980's(?).
    A NBL 0-4-0DH ex-Fawley Refinery.
    Hudswell Clark 0-6-0DM ex-Hamble Refinery (now at Middleton, I believe).
    A NBL (ex-Army) 0-4-0DH from 1984-5. I know it had the engine wrecked by the sheer carelessness of one of the Ropley staff a couple of years later - no idea about it's fate.
    Army 800 'General Lord Robertson'; a Sentinel 0-8-0 DH once on the Longmoor Military Railway. I saw it's chassis dumped at Long Marston during one of the Open days a dozen years ago.
    Pat
     
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  13. NightRail

    NightRail New Member

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    33204 and 33208 at Ropley in August 1998, 33204 supplied the Main Generator, to replace the failed unit in 33208.

    33109 and 31625 on Wanders Curve with a Santa Special in December 1999.
    ST0516.jpg
    ST0503.jpg
     
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  14. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    After talking to someone tonight the 73/1’s were 73104 and 73139.
     
  15. Shaggy

    Shaggy Part of the furniture

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    I knew 139 was one of them but couldn't remember the other one. Both were in very faded Intercity livery but were runners (although rough) as far as I remember. Cheers for that.
     
  16. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    I remember seeing them in the Meon loop. Thanks must go to NightRail for coming up with the loco numbers and if pressed maybe NightRail could post a photo. :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2021
  17. Shaggy

    Shaggy Part of the furniture

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    That's where I remember seeing them last before being dragged away. Just found a picture of them running at Alton on 23rd May 2004 prior to their time in the loop.
    http://www.brdw.co.uk/pic73139-1.html

    They have had mixed fortunes since.
    73104 is now owned by Network Rail having been re-engined and running as 73951
    73139 is stored by GBRF
     
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  18. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    Thanks for the photo link. Both locos look to be in a sorry state.
     
  19. NightRail

    NightRail New Member

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    73139, 73104 and 33103 at Rookwood Lane, during the Diesel Gala in May 20004.
    73104, 73139 and 33208 at Grosvenor Road Bridge, during the Diesel Gala in May 2004. ST1535.jpg ST1537.jpg
     
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  20. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Unlike certain 'sports' rain didn't stop us playing atop the hill yesterday! :) And less is more........ just four of us in attendance, but plenty of tinkering & fettling going on with fiddly but neccessary jobs...... :Saywhat:

    Main focus being the floor of the GPV, along with progressing the doorframes.

    It was decided to produce frame #4 so that when it is fitted, we can worklut exactly where frame #3 needs to be fettled in order for it to sit snuggly with the skin...... the remaining brass screws were fitted to frames #1&2 & any protruding points ground off.

    The shoot bolt was also trial fitted and then secured into place.

    Inside the van, the ply sections were lifted to one end of the van & the support timbers removed, so that the floor could recieve a good coating of bitumen paint, to give it some protection. this was done bit by bit to aloww us to relay & space the floor timbers as we went, as well as placing strips of metal gauze over the ent holes, time consuming, but the only way of doing it!

    The process was then repeated at the other end, and the ply sections flipped over so that the undersides could be pilot drilled before we applied a very generous 3-4 L of dollop & allow it to penetrate the wood over the next week.

    Timbers up & the bitumen paint being applied, along with the gauze.

    20210710_095931(1).jpg

    Underside of the floor with a generous hleping of dollop soaking in.

    20210710_141926(1).jpg
    Gauze in place to prevent the likes of wasps nesting under the floor.

    20210710_142411(1).jpg

    Northside shoot bolt fitted into position.

    20210710_144738(1).jpg

    Frame #4 being produced.

    20210710_150001(1).jpg
     

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