MHR Restorations and Overhauls

This is where I thought about having the Maunsell Gala next year as 541 would be available and along with 850, 925, 825 and/or 847, 30777 and 31806 with 31874 out of service. That would give you a representive of each surviving Maunsell class. However it seems that according to Steam Railway this year is the 50th Anniversary of mass withdrawal of Maunsell locos so I guess that could make sense for it being this year.

I'd quite 30926 to visit the MHR again to go with 925 should 847 not make it. Not sure when the last time 2 Schools Class locos have been in steam together was. Must have been during the last days of steam.

 

Repton could go I suppose but she'd be of no use whatsoever, she was withdrawn from service in 2010.

 

Maybe this is the main reason why the MHR hasn't put any visiting locos on the Events page of the web site for the gala

 

I thought she was still going on the Whitby services although maybe I'm getting confused with 825. Oh well I'll still be going anyway.

 

Sorry to give you 2 pieces of bad news in 1 day but 825 doesn't to the Whitby runs any more either. I don't think she's being to Whitby since having out of frames boiler work in 2010.

 

Blimey I'm really out of the know about the NYMR at the moment doh.

Anyway I saw the latest Cheltenham Blog the other day and she is now so close. Can't wait to see her at Railfest (bought a ticket today) and then ride behind her at the Autumn Gala.

 

How far down the overhaul que is 41312 and how much work does it need to return it to working order ?

 

*post deleted*

 

Edit - message no longer relevant.

 

I believe I've heard that it is privately owned but not by John Bunch (I also stand to be corrected!)

There are 5 locos being overhauled by MHR at the moment (76017, 75079, 34105, Cheltenham, 30506), and I suspect that CanPac may appear on the list soon. Then there are 80150 and 34058 waiting in the wings, and probably 34007 will need an overhaul by the time that lot is finished. I don't hear anything that suggests a start on 41312 is likely soon.

 

Thanks Rumpole and Colin, I've deleted my post as I got it wrong and the added info I gave was therefore irrelevant.

 

Is E828 not being worked on too? Certainly in pieces at the moment.

Mark

 

I was told some months ago that 41312 is in good condition. The bottom end of the loco won't need to much doing to it because this was done towards the end of her last ticket. The side tanks are also in reasonable condition and they won't need removing. I was told you can remove the boiler without removing the sided tanks. So no work would be needed to be done to them. Let's hope we will she her enter Ropley works after one of the other locos is finished off. 41312 would of been the ideal loco last weekend with the Alton train only working a three coach train.

 

sad to see the scrap line at ropley, even 73096 is now turning a bit shabby on shed. If the lagging is still under the boiler cladding many years of exposure maybe taking their toll on the head shunt collection.

850 was working a 3 coach train this weekend, very gingerly operated !
45379 however was run like a class 5 should be and sounded great on 5.

 

41312 is owned by John Jones i believe.

 

Frankly there isn't much point opening 850 up beyond first valve when the load was only 3. The only time it made any noise was shunting the crane and the 3 car set at Alton Sunday morning.....looked quite odd sandwiched between crane and carriages!

 

45379 had six on with the RAT on Saturday night, Nellie 5 on today

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Trying to think what is in the headshunt at Ropley apart from 41312, JB locos Bodmin, 31625 and 31874, both in red, bits of 499, Sir Fred, Douglas?
I'll look on Saturday evening when I am on the Belle. Without being too political, I presume Bodmin, 73096, 31625 31874 are going to recieve minimal if any attention until they move. The ivatt is a lovely loco, but having been behind it one autumn saturday evening when it took us over 2 hours to get from Alton to Alresford after repeated slips on Medstead bank, it might be considered a "fair weather loco" only!

 

Unfortunately that is the problem with storing locomotives in the open, hence why Can Pac went to Eastleigh.

Deterioration can be kept at a minimum if the locos were covered in high quality tarpaulins, however that is very much the business of the owner and railway to sort out and i guess the owner of at least a few of the engines at Ropley doesnt care too much about protecting their external condition in readiness for when they leave to pastures new in a few years.

I know that cladding is only thin metal plate and can be remanufactured, but it is a shame to see once gleaming engines deteriorate.

To take a case in point 34105`Swanage` had a beautifully finished air smoothed casing when first restored, not a kink or dent in sight and it stayed pretty good throughout its 10 year running life, however its period in store from 1997-2010 meant that a lot of it is now fit for the scrap bin because of corrosion.

 

I had a wander round the yard at Ropley during the spring gala, and the youngsters were cleaning 73096. The numbers, lining and crests are fading and the paintwork looking patchy and thin. It looked like it had been over-cleaned.

 

How can you over clean a locomotive? Surely if it's dirty you clean it. I would say that it's more like 10 years of sun, rain and hard work.

It certainly could have done with a re-paint towards the end of it's time but that would involve a lot of money that the railway wouldn't have recouped. I would have liked to see it in black again as the class do look fantastic in BR mixed traffic livery.