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

The fires were between Medstead and Alton. The up goods stopped a couple of times for the crew to deal with them. Everything was roughly 30 late after that.

 

There were also earlier fires between Ropley and M4M but a number of us lineside were able to extinguish them without causing much, if any, slippage on the TT

 

Eagle-eyed denizens of Nat Pres may note that 52322 is sporting a fire prevention device in this picture taken on day 2

A class on the freight by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

I wondered when I attended on Friday if it felt way busier than I'd been used to at the Watercress because my last few gala visits have been on Sundays instead and maybe the difference was that I've usually gone on quieter days, but it sounds from everything written on here like this was just an exceptionally successful gala.

Highlight for me was certainly the T3 - its last run out of Alton on Friday night was an incredible experience from one of the windows in the front coach. I've found it very entertaining on Swanage's hills so had high expectations but it exceeded them. What a beautiful and enthralling engine it is. 52322 was great up the bank to Medstead too but didn't quite live up to 563.

The timetable slipped by 20-30 minutes while I was there, which I didn't think was too bad for a complex timetable, big crowds to manage swapping trains and a couple of fires (which looked at least like they were inside the railway boundary - or at least the one I saw between Alresford and Ropley was - and quickly dealt with).

Great choice of guest engines, very well driven, and a nicely imaginative timetable, thanks to everyone who made it happen.

 

I must say it is quite impressive that the majority of delays were caused by lineside fires despite the complex timetable! Clearly all the moves very well planned out.

 

Action from the lineside today. Very glad to have finally seen the T3 in action! A top gala from all involved at the line:

 

We had a cracking day out on the final day of what has been one of the best Galas of recent years.

Everything seemed to work out really well for us. Arriving at Ropley just after 11.00 we had to park on the far side of the field. Fortunately the rush at the ticket office was gone by this time so we swiftly picked up our tickets and boarded the packed 11.40 service with the T3 for a lively run up to Medstead. There were really large deposits from the exhaust coming in through the windows.
We changed services at Medstead to head down to Alresford to get some food before the hectic lunchtime rush. We took our chips to enjoy on the front half of the waiting Express service. We had to grab some seats as the train filled up quickly again. Later the T3 arrived with the four coaches that would form the rest of the set for the express. The departure was delayed due to reports of lineside fires again. But what followed was the highlight of the whole event.
Running behind schedule we departed Alresford with a gentle start. No Bulleid slipping today. Further up the line 35005 was encouraged to work harder as she chattered away towards Ropley.
CanPac was eased a little before entering Ropley. Then as we approached the station she was opened up in magnificent style to thunder past the yard and boiler shop.
The sound from 35005 was superb as she relished the challenge of taking 8 up the bank and the looks on the faces of the people watching us pass through said it all. Bloody brilliant!
At Alton we caught the 14.45 departure with 52322 for an equally impressive (and very noisy) climb back up the bank.
Leaving this service at Ropley gave us time to get an ice cream and browse the stalls. The three of us spent a fair bit on the Urie Locomotive Society stall. My Dad bought himself a baseball cap, my sister snapped up one of the teddy bears and I treated myself to one of the excellent hoodies. It was also good to chat with the nice lady on the stall. I really feel for the society with the unexpected withdrawal of 506. They were really looking forward to running her with the T3 at the Gala. Hopefully the T3 can come back again when 506 is back in action.
We also purchased some items from the Southern Locomotives stall: three of the high quality 34058 badges and a print of 34072.
Our final trip of the day was a round trip on the last shuttle service to Alresford behind 11456. Retuning from Alresford we had our first trip in the Queen Mary Brake van. A very enjoyable experience behind 11456 in perfect weather conditions and a great way to see the railway.

We ended the day with a nice cuppa as we watched the locomotive's returning to Ropley at the end of a superb Gala.

Thank you to everyone involved with staging this excellent event. The three of us really enjoyed ourselves. The express with 35005 brought a smile to my Dad's face as it must have brought some memories back for him of his travels behind steam in the 1960's . The dementia that he has is taking so many memories away from him so it was great to see him really happy today. I think we have also converted my Sister over to steam gala's. It was the first one that she had attended and she really enjoyed it.

Like the CanPac event in March there was a wonderful atmosphere around the railway.
Congratulations to all involved for delivering one of the most successful Galas in recent years.


Here are a couple more shots from the final day of the gala:






Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

There was the added comlication

There was the added complication of removing a coach to make 3 to add to the 5 in P2

 

Reference 52322. We saw the spark arrester being fitted when we arrived at Ropley on the 0935 on Saturday. On the same day it worked the 1445 Alton and went steadily up the bank at 16-17 mph then drifted to a stop at the summit. Antone know why?

 

Fantastic event, 563 is an absolute picture and even this Brighton die-hard has to admit it's one hell of a machine.

Some photos and a video below;

 

I think it was 33 years since I had last visited the Mid-Hants, so can safely say a visit was long overdue. Managed to get a run behind all the locos and a very noisy run up the bank behind the double header.
CanPac was somewhat dismissive as you can imagine on a minimal load, but looks fantastic.
The T3 was clearly a highlight, an incredible looking machine, a work of art on rails and an absolute privilege to see in steam. Sadly I didn't get a run up the bank behind her, but it was just amazing to see this loco up close.
I will try and return again a bit quicker next time! The railway looked brilliant with very friendly staff too, who clearly were proud of their railway.

 

I like your 35005 Bournemouth Belle photo. I did actually photo other than 35005 and 41312 (see below for evidence!). One of the few times recently that I've seen the train from Alton waiting at Medstead for the up train to arrive. Would have been better for me if it was 30506, 41312 or even 34072 arriving from Ropley; well, dreams are allowed, I hope! But it was a steam loco arriving as the Mid-Hants must have had a magic wand (and some late nights re-planning) to be able to update a complex timetable to still provide such a magnificent gala over the three days after the S15 so sadly had to be taken out of service. Get well soon 30506!

Bryan

 

Not quite correct, all 4 coaches of the T3 service were added, it was the rear (5th) bulleid coach that was removed from the CanPac set and then gets added to the mixed set to make it 2 coaches for the run to Alton.
All very well organised and done without a hitch.

 

A couple of shots from Friday and Saturday. A moment of delight and vanity to see the Meat Van arriving at the leading end of the freight rake with the A class - prime position to be in all the photos. (With thanks again to the Wagon Group for their assistance in getting it running.)

 

Possibly because it was held at the down home signal while an up train arrived, the token was cycled through the instrument and the road set for the down to proceed to Ropley. The down home was moved further from the loop points, closer to "Thank Christ Bridge", a year or 2 ago.

 

Me too, though wasn't the Belle an all-Pullman train? Shame there wasn't a Royal Wessex headboard to hand. Never mind, one can't have everything! It was fantastic to see and hear 35005 at the head of 8 green Mk 1s "over the Alps". Video to follow in a few days, when I can crank my antiquated editing PC into action

 

OK thanks.

 

Thats great thanks

 

Yes the Belle was all Pullmans and I still haven't found any records of it going over the Alps in steam days - on diversion I only ever timed it using the Portsmouth direct route. If it did go over the Alps I suspect it would have needed a pilot or banker. I will check again t0 see if it did go that route - I will need that information for my 1960s SR Steam Loco memoirs book.

But, who really cared during the Gala. Certainly I wasn't bothered, possibly because I got the United States Lines Ocean Liner Express headboard on Saturday - 35012 of course!

And as for a Royal Wessex headboard, the Mid-Hants had one /the use of one in September 2007.

Bryan

 

Although not steam sadly, this Facebook page has an image of the Belle on 8/5/66 with double headed 33's

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157660458392933&set=p.10157660458392933&type=3