Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Now says all sold out
I will be on the l5.00 Sunday afternoon service with my wife for a late birthday gift

 

I will look forward to shoving you about on Sunday.

 

Slept well last night and woke this morning feeling good after a very busy two days at that superb Mid-Hants Gala last weekend.

Needed to leave home not long after 06.00 to have a half chance of negotiating the busy southern half of the M25 and just about managed that re the traffic.

And the Mid-Hants is currently top of my short list of SR based heritage lines to visit as they have the right locos (for me) operating on appropriate rolling stock and often with route discs that suit me too. Thank you muchly Mid-Hants, very much appreciated. And thanks for the info given here (and over the phone from the Mid-Hants yesterday) confirming that 30506 was booked to worked today and probably not over the coming weekend.

So after a visit to Ropley to check that 30506 was operating as per the roster and to get my day ticket, I stuck exactly to my plan for the day. With the weather only partly helping! My plan also included a return from Medstead to Alton on the 11.0o Alresford, 12.00 Alton.

My usual low res and very quick edits below. Three different route codes identify the 11.00, 13.00 and 15.00 trains ex Alresford.

Hoping to fit another trip into the Mid-Hants before this year's normal services end across 'my' heritage lines.

Bryan

 

Any indication as to the next loco to be back in steam? Wadebridge? Aware that the Ivatt's ticket expires next year.
Any ideas?

 

The consistent message I have been getting from the volunteers when I am down at the Mid-Hants is that 34007 is on a 'fast track' to getting back to service - both on the Mid-Hants and on the main lines.

There will be others here whom I am sure will be able to comment on that. And maybe even give an update, which will be very gratefully received by me.

So thank you in advance.

Bryan

 

I spoke to a volunteer in the Shed during the Engineering Open weekend who said that 34007 and 92212 were on fast track schedules.
34007 is due back in 2026, at first only operating on the Watercress Line for a few years as she is required due to the shortage of motivepower at Ropley, with Main Line operations coming later on. 92212 is a contract job for LSL.

 

It is only because I was chatting to a steward friend about today's CME and he mentioned it means he misses the SNG AGM, and the cost of a cab ride that I looked at the SNG packages.
Very well done that most seem to have sold out, but they seem to be at a price point even above FS similar offerings.
But £500 for a cab ride, when half will be tender first seemed a bit eye watering, as did the diner tonight which appears to be about the price you would pay for an all day Saphos trip behind the loco.

 

I was hoping that my wife and I wouldn't be manhandled

 

Yes, the prices do seem rather high. But if they are selling (very well done as you say) then the Mid-Hants must have got it right - and if so then I'm behind them in using the visit of the Sharp Pointy Blue machine to generate as much income as they can to keep that lovely railway operational.

Bryan

 

I am not sure how half the journey being tender first affects the experience? But yes while it is expensive they seem to be selling well, which is a good thing.

 

Expensive or reflective of the costs and the value of the experience?

 

Expensive - yes. Reflective of costs - yes. Reflective of the value of the experience - depends on the individual.

 

More often referred to as the Blue Snowplough.

 

Brilliant!

Bryan

 

If you painted yours blue, you’d have one, too. Think of the money you could charge, Bryan

 

Blue Steve? Good gracious no.

They have to be in the same grime covered 'green' as in the 1960s. And I've never got into the debates about which shade of green the Bulleids were/should be in, as I never saw that back in SR steam days.

Bryan

 

I always thought 35005 looked better in blue. I still think that.

 

Another great day for the railway again today as 60007 drew the crowds to the South Downs. The traffic jams in Alresford this morning were quite something as people arrived to travel behind the blue A4. The station car park was full so we were directed to the park and ride car park allocated for this event in Arlebury park. The field was filling up fast when we arrived. The guy minding the car park told us that the buses allocated for the park and ride were caught up in the traffic jams so we opted to walk to the station.

There was a long queue at the station for the 13.00 service which we joined even though we were travelling on the 15.00 train. The station was a hive of activity. After making it to the ticket office we were given the red wristbands for the final trip of the day and tried to find a position to get some pictures of the very popular blue streak. It was great to see a wedding party enjoying themselves on the 13.00 service.
After a short delay the A4 got away about ten minutes down with 41312 giving assistance at the rear.

We headed to the West Country buffet to get some lunch before our trip later in the afternoon. The restaurant was doing very well again. We enjoyed our chips and sausage rolls and cups of tea (we also kept our special 60007 cups produced for this event) and then headed to the shop where I snapped up one of the great new 35005 CanPac hoodies (highly recommended).
Shortly afterwards 60007 double headed with 41312 rolled in with the return leg of the 13.00 service and it was then time for us to board the 15.00 train.

We were away on time with 60007 lifting her full six coach train away from Alresford in fine style. 41312 provided assistance at the rear.
Arriving at Ropley we were greeted by a large gallery of people waiting on the down platform.
We stopped for water and to pass 35005 on the other service.
60007 sounded great climbing from Ropley to Medstead as she was being worked harder than she was at the Autumn gala. We passed straight through Medstead where there was another audience on the platforms.

Returning from Alton 60007 was double headed with the Ivatt Tank and going up the bank the plucky Ivatt was making most of the noise.
We returned to Alresford on time where the locos were swiftly detached from the stock.
60007 was once again the centre of attention as she was surrounded by the crowd of passengers at the London end of the station before heading back up to Ropley for disposal at the end of an excellent day.

Thank you to everyone involved in the event which was very well organised and went very smoothly. It was very impressive to see so many people attending this event. Another very successful event in what has been a bloody brilliant year for the Watercress Line.

A few low res shots from the day below:









Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

But you can’t have a blue snowplough without it being blue., can you

 

Are you having a conversation about snowploughs with the wrong Bryan Steve?

Tom