Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

No it's not dear. For such a wonderful steam railway locomotive it's usually the same ticket price as any other Heritage railway loco to travel behind and/or photograph it.

Bryan B

 

Now look here Stinch it’s oh great not oh dear. You know how much I love Bulleid pacifics and you even have a copy of my book! Don

 

@gricerdon Don, you've got that wrong! It was @Stinch who posted that lovely photo of 34072 at Ropley and 21B (North of Watford) who made the 'oh dear' comment.

But senior moments on Nat Pres are allowed I am sure.

Bryan B

 

Oh dear another Joe Biden moment. Must try harder or I will be replaced.

 

I don't think 21B has particularly fond memories of 34070 on its recent visit

 

After last weeks break (its not often Muggin's 'Ere gets a lie in on a Saturday! ) Battle was resumed on LMS van M517317....... and with just four hardy souls on site and risinf temperatures, a leisurely day was had......

First up was to take the north side door of the van, its a big old lump & weighs a ton! So caution was the watch word....... the door stops were removed, and the scaffolding errected so that we could safely get it down to ground level......... that done, and with the thing parked out of the way, next up was to remove the door runner so that the two new longitudinals, fitted last year, could be removed and finally treated and painted before they go back up - cue more manual handling, sweat & swearing, as things proved a bugga to unbolt, never mind get down to ground level!

Once that was all done, over on the south side, Muggin's 'Ere and me Mucker carried on with fitting the internal cladding planks, whilst me Oppo buzzed off the bolts on the outside, before getting them into red oxide.

The south side internal cladding is now all but done - there's a little bit of fettling to be done, but this will be left until the north side internal cladding is fitted, as we're almost certain that that will also need some fettling as well, so we might as well just do it all at the end!

We've made a 'start' on the north side internal cladding......... the first job being, just where the divider sits, and with the Longitudinal now misssing, it gave us a major headache as to exactly where it sits......... it took three of us to eventually work things out, but we're damn sure we've got the position pretty much bob on!!!

It was good to see @Stinch enjoying himself on 506!

So, a few pics from yesterday.......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53886782424/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53886782354/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53886782554/in/dateposted-public/

The north side longitudinal finally into ali oxide!



The south side, with bolts trimmed back and into red oxide.


The south side internal cladding all but complete.

 

257 is Alresford loco Saturday and Sunday.

 

Thanks. We will be there by train and bus as although it’s only 40 minutes by car I don’t have another driver available to come with me as I must have now for all but very local journeys. Can’t get the staff!!! Hope 34072 is in good form

 

The full roster for the weekend is as follows:
Saturday: 34072 on full line service, 41312 on the Alresford - Ropley Shuttle service.
Sunday: 34072 on the Alresford set, 41312 on the Alton set.
34072 should be hauling six carriages as the Royal Wessex dining train is also operating on Sunday (three carriages allocated for dining on the 1pm service from Alresford).
Vintage bus rides are also operating from Alresford.

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Also Steam Punk goings on and a Farmers' Market at Alresford Sat AM

 

Hopefully be down for a Spam fix on Sunday. May even visit the Triple fff Brewery tap.

 

Not sure they're open on a Sunday? (Triple fff that is)

 

Driver thought 34072 was a good loco and smoother than 34070. It certainly sounded nice and cruised up the climbs at linespeed with 5 for 172 tons. Very quiet at the MHR today

 

Looking forward to travelling behind the "Spamcan" over the Alps tomorrow. We were planning to travel behind 34072 at the Swanage Bulleid fest but the delays encountered on the day we visited scuppered that plan.

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257 Squadron arrives at the old A31 bridge with the first Alton train today.

Summer Squadron by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

11 hours later.....


22:00 ex Alresford by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

A superb day of BR(S) nostalgia today. Some great thrash from 34072 up the bank out of Alton.

 

Well, another Saturday dawned atop the hill, and eight like minded nutters gathered to do battle with the troublesome trucks........ our attention was firmly focused on progressing LMS van M517317.....

Splitting into pairs, two of the lads were charged with progressing the two external beams for the north side, which required a lot of sanding to remove any weathering and general crud, by the end of the day, the main beam was into undercoat and the second into primer.

Two others continued with the fabrication of the new south side door, progress was deliberately slow, as things have to be just right, and we only have one chance of getting it right........ by the end of the day, the frames had been routered to accommodate the cladding and cross bearer, and all the associated planks cut to length for fitting once the frames have been glued and screwed togther.....

Me mucker had another lad helping him fit the internal cladding planks on the north side London end, by the end of the day, the bottom row were fitted, and approx half of the country end installed..... the top rows can't be done until the external beams have been fitted, this will hopefully be within the next few weeks...........

That left Muggin's 'Ere nad me Oppo to progress things on the south side exterior....... the morning was spent sealing all the gaps we could find, and there were a lot of them, to try and ensure that it will be water tight........ the afternoon was spent bringing the whole lot into first undercoat......

It was nice to hear the sound of the Bulleid beat climbing up Medstead bank once again in the shape of 357 Squadron!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53901714730/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53901630394/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53900376107/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53901630549/in/dateposted-public/

The new south side door taking shape.


More internal cladding fitted.



Morning prep.....



An afternoons work.

 

It was indeed a cracking day out in the Hampshire Alps today. I visited with my Dad and Sister. So glad we decided to travel today.

We were a bit delayed setting off this morning so we didn't' manage to get to Alresford for the first train with 34072. As we passed Ropley we could see her climbing towards the station.
The next option was the 13.00 departure from Alresford. We had a bit of a long wait so we decided to go on the Aldershot & District Loline bus tour from Alresford around the local area. The bus tours were proving to be very popular today.
Returning to the station we headed to the busy West Country buffet to order some food to take with us on the train. Loaded up with three very generous portions of chips we bagged some seats in the fourth coach back from the loco.
We could clearly hear the distinctive Bulleid chatter as 34072 tackled the bank in fine style.
For the 14.00 run from Alton we had seats in the first carriage behind 34072. The departure was delayed due to a problem with one of the dining train carriages. Finally getting the right away the crew provided a wonderful show with 34072 really digging in for the climb to Medstead. What a sound from the Squadron. This is how a Bulleid should sound! The timing was spot on unlike the Spamcan on the Main Line.
We left the train at Ropley to get some pictures of 34072 and then later joined the 15.00 service from Alresford to get another round trip behind a Bulleid in very fine fettle.
The final departure from Alton at 16.00 was another spirited effort. Below are two videos I took on my phone of the last train of the day. The videos don't do justice to how good 34072 sounded romping up the bank.

Thank you to everyone at the railway for a very enjoyable day out and thank you to Southern Locomotives Ltd for lending Ropley MPD one of their fleet for a while.









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I was in the lead carriage too on the 14:00 off Alton.