Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

This is only really practical if the question of ownership is raised before the railway starts the overhaul. If a shareholder or shareholders decide to let a railway get started on the engine, and then launch an ambush, it's a bit hard for the railway to prepare for that. There has been a recent exercise at our line to try to identify exactly who owns what. (Mind you, good luck with 4253 Ltd, at over 400 shareholders!). I think more railways should be auditing not only what they have, but who owns it. This might just force hiding shareholders into the open, and forewarn the railway of a potential issue ahead.

 

I was thinking specifically of 10 year "fast track" overhauls of 'front line fleets', rather than dragging recalcitrant metal back from totally knackered condition (even if I'm sparing a thought for the brave lunatics souls about to do battle with the Ffesterbahn's Alco!). Apologies, as that was obviously not made clear.

 

35005 and 75079 are progressing. Neither should be years away. 30499 could possibly be accelerated if needs be i

Your post represents only a fraction of the history of this situation. I know enough about that history to know that your conclusions are overly simplistic. I am not going to share that history in public, and so make this post solely so that people are aware that there is a lot more to this than is being presented here and that it was not so simple in the past as is indicated.

I do not know what is happening right now, or even if there is anything happening beyond a foul up over programming the return. I suggest we should await developments patiently.

 

I'm not sure that a running agreement with railway X is automatically torn up if a loco was to be sold, especially if the railway has paid up front to overhaul the loco.
I would have thought that a loco is still under contract to railway X for the remaining period of the agreement regardless of who the new owner is. It's a little like selling a house while having sitting tenants.

 

I see lots of talk about overhaul of NRM locos but I thought I had read that apart from FS now back there would be no overhauls for a while due to more pressing issues.
I guess may have been in SR or RH as RH is the only one I subscribe to and the subscription I bought may dad for SR about 20 years back just keeps running. Eventually normally many months late he passes them on to me.
Anyone know the actual NRM position?

 

My understanding is that they will not fund overhauls, but that certain vehicles in the collection would be allowed to be overhauled by their borrower. The NRM was trying to keep the number of borrowers low because of course each relationship must be managed. It wouldn't be a huge surprise for both to remain where they are and to receive overhauls in due course.

 

Indeed. For example the NRM and Swanage Railway have reached agreement for the T9 to
remain at Swanage in storage, pending future discussions on a new overhaul. I’d imagine there will be similar agreements with the MHR regarding 850 and 926.

If there was no prospect of a new overhaul then 850 would have left the MHR a long time ago.

 

Presumably both Nelson and Cheltenham also have in their favour that, while both are superb machines, neither is particularly special enough to justify being hauled back to York / Shildon for display (in the way, say, the Q1 was).

 

One of the NRM's loan conditions, though, is that items are stored under cover where practical. I'm not sure how this condition can be met with 850 and 925 on the MHR? Perhaps 925 could be a candidate for a loan spell at the Spa Valley instead

 

Unlikely to be any space at the Spa Valley. Margate where the Black Five is, is more likely.

 

850 has been out of action for 7 years at the MHR. So they must have found space in one of their workshops somewhere?

 

850 is in store in the boiler shop. The tender is up the Ropley headshunt

 

I remember for many years the NRM T9 was stored at Sheffield Park, under cover and accessible to the public (at the expense of putting one of our own locos outside). Then it went off to Swanage and as far as I can see is kept either outside, or else in an engine shed with no public access. So go figure!

Tom

 

Not forgetting it went to Bodmin first, got overhauled, and we got 10 years enjoying seeing it running at Bodmin and Swanage.

Currently stored in Swanage engine shed pending overhaul.

 

That would be after it was repaired and ran at the Watercress Line, n'est ce pas?
I remember working our tamper between Ropley and Medstead when 120 appeared. First time I'd seen it in steam. Took advantage of the offer for a ride, of course!
Pat

 

I recall it in steam on the MHR too. Can't say it had the cleanest exhaust I've ever seen, but a magnificent old machine with a very distinctive presence (can't think how else to put it). Just to think .... I might even live long enough to see it cross, or even double head a train with 563!

 

Correct. Originally restored to steam on the MHR in 1980s. Moved to Swanage early 90s as it was more suited to the less severely graded line. Ran at Swanage for a couple of years until boiler certificate expired. Then Swanage and NRM were unable to agree terms for a new overhaul, so moved to Bluebell for storage. Overhauled and moved to Bodmin about 2010,
before back to Swanage 2017. Ran at Swanage until ticket expired 2020. NRM and Swanage have made noises about agreeing to another overhaul, but currently stored in engine shed at Swanage.

 

..... and came back to the Mid-Hants for the Spring Gala in 2013 and 2016

 

The 2013 visit was very memorable as 30120 was put on a Five coach set. One of the most tense climbs of Medstead bank I have encountered but also one of the best for the way that the crew and loco responded to the challenge after the initial slog away from the speed restriction:



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It was great fun. I stepped onto the footplate for the first time about 30seconds before getting the tip and the previous crew had already gone. All fine and very logical except the drain cocks which took me until the outer home to shut