Watercress Line Spring Steam Gala: 25th - 27th April 2025

I suspect if you were geared up to do it, you could probably clip, unclip and recap a point for that shunt move quicker than all the passengers could get over the bridge!

Of course, if it became known that that was the intended way to make the move, you'd find the platform for the incoming train (with the T3) rammed with people wishing to get on at Alresford in order to do the rare track!

Tom

 

There were already 5 coaches one of which we were on so the additional 4 made 9 only 3 were added

 

Fantastic gala, good to see it so busy for the Railway. A slight hitch was the alternating use of the platforms and the direction of travel they were for at Ropley. At lunchtime there was a platform full of passengers having to cross over at the last minute to get the train they actually wanted.

 

Should have said unless only 3 of the 4 were added

 

Had a really enjoyable day at the railway. Managed to get behind everything I wanted to.

I was a bit confused by how the Mixed set worked though. I did 3 Shuttles (2 to Ropley and one back to Alresford, where I did a Brake Van ride), but at one point they removed the second carriage (one of the Bulleid ones), then ran with just the one carriage and wagons, then on the next run added a PMV but not reattaching the Bulleid carriage (even though it was attached to the PMV when it was shunted in place). Nonetheless 11456 was a great loco to travel behind during those shuttles.

Here's a few more mobile pictures to go with my earlier ones

 

I echo the words of those who have complemented all those at the Mid-Hants who have contributed to this event. What to me looked to be a complex timetable that had to be changed at short notice when 30506 very sadly had to be taken out of service, seemed to run pretty well from my viewpoint. A few short delays that looked to have been very much reduced when I watched the last two trains cross at Medstead this evening; although I didn't spend a lot of the day constantly checking the time.

The fact that my interest was limited to 41312 and 35oo5 did nothing to lessen the enjoyment from spending my day mainly at the usual very welcoming Medstead, apart from a return trip to Ropley (back behind 41312 ) to welcome big brother @gricerdon back to hard core gricing after he'd been off the main line for a few months. But in the last two days Don you've travelled behind both of the only two 100 mph plus Merchant Navy pacifics that survived into the heritage era!

A very tiring day, I need a very good night's sleep to think about visiting the Bluebell tomorrow.

Bryan aka Wedgie

Two very rought edits below.
The light had dramatically crashed for the first photo below, the 17.00 Alresford to Alton.
So I'm not sure what caused the nice shine along the top of 35005's boiler. Probably great deal of elbow grease from those who turned the loco out in such superb condition!




Below. Only showing this close cropped edit of 35005 on the 8 coach 13.45 photo ( I need to do a great deal of work behind the loco) because of the Ocean Liner Express Headboard.
It gives me two MNs in one; 35005 and 35012 'United States Lines'. So when I have got the coaches looking as I want them to (the caption will briefly mention this when I use it), I will put the photo next to one of my last timing logs of 35012.
Which was in February 1967, on the up Club Train (17.30 Weymouth, 19.15 Southampton). Over 60 mph up Roundwood, 86 mph maximum afterwards and a 77 minute net time on the 98 minute schedule.
That is the sort of link between 1960s timing logs and heritage era photos that I'm looking for all the time as I continue to write my SR 1960s steam loco memoirs book.

 

"8126:
I would guess the bean cans are there to stop water and/or crud getting into the slidebar oilers. Whether there is some feature of 52322 that makes it particularly susceptible to this, I don't know."

Thanks for the replies about this.

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Yet another fantastic spring gala from the Mid Hants!very well done.Too many highlights to mention but Saturdays climb to Medstead with theT3 was both noisy and amazing (quite outrageous behaviour for such a elegant old lady!) although I noticed very little coal left at Alresford and after finishing her shunting duties she scurried off to Ripley fof more coal delaying Can Pac by ten minutes!

 

Another very busy day today. Arrived just after 11.00 and the field at Ropley is very full. Trains are packed again.

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It didn’t seem very busy yesterday and we got seats easily on all four trains we were on and places were easy to find on the Kings Cross bridge and in the yard. Maybe the secret was allowing plenty of time and careful planing such as working out how the stock for the non stop was going to be formed. I even had time for a doze on this at around 1 pm!

An excellent day and my first full bash of its kind for many months and I am glad I went. Many thanks to all at the MHR

Don , now returned to the main line but operating with care

 

The Star of the event is attracting the crowds again:





52322 on the freight at Alresford (now with added spark arrestor on the exhaust):


CanPac waiting to haul the express service:


We are now seated in the front coach behind 35005 ready for the Bournemouth Diversion recreation. It looks like she is taking a load of 9 carriages today.

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Enjoyed yesterday at the MHR.

I still think the set reforming and passenger re-shuffling was a little bit unfriendly to the 'normal' passengers (of which there seemed to be plenty, including lots of families), but everything did all work out in the end and mostly the timetable held up well.
Hopefully the team can consider whether there are better options that could be employed in future (e..g only reforming towards the beginning/end of the day when it's a bit quieter, or avoiding having to empty trains on P2 at Alresford).

The trains behind 563 and 35005 were pretty packed, the others possibly less so. The worst was possibly when the passengers from the 8 car arrival into Alton with 35005 all got turfed out and then fit themselves into 4 cars if they wanted to get the next train back south.
Travelling on my own, it was often a choice between having a seat or getting a photo before departure.

Well done to the MHR team for an excellent selection of locos. The loss of 30506 was obviously disappointing, but didn't feel so bad with so many other quality locos available.
563 was definitely the star, with very noisy climbs up the banks. Fantastic to see it put through its paces, a bit of a far cry from the comparatively flat Swanage route.