Mid Hants Railway - A Weekend With Calbourne 12th and 13th May 2012

What a wonderful loco W24 Calbourne is. There seemed to be a good attendance today for this event.

 

I couldn't agree more! She looked at home in my opinion, even if she was with a DMU. In my video of her at Bighton bridge, she made an incredible noise up the bank (annoyingly the wind was in the wrong direction!), easily rivalling 60163 Tornado dragging a 'dead' A4 and 7 Mk1s up there last Autumn.

Talking of which, here is the link to my video: W24 'Calbourne' on the Mid Hants Railway 12-05-12 - YouTube

I hope to see Calbourne again in a couple of weeks at Swanage, will post a video if I decide to head down.

James at SVN

 

Rathers a smart and strong little engine with smaller driving wheels than an M7 she certainly managed the same load as 53 a few weeks ago as a 2H unit is equal to 3 Mk 1 coaches.
Heres Saturdays results for those interested,
W24 Calbourne At the Mid Hants Railway Saturday 12.05.2012 - Linesidephotos by David Warwick | SmugMug
David

 

A good set, David. I especially like the last three. I'll be there myself tomorrow.

 

A superb little loco indeed. I cannot remember if I have or have not travelled on her before on the Island (I don't think I have) but what a loco. Superb sound and picked up speed without any effort. The weather was fantastic and the loadings seemed pretty good. The fact that they allowed for transfers from either 45379 or 850 to 24 at Alresford was also excellent planning.

I just wish that she was given the opportunity to attack Medstead bank. Would have been absolutely fantastic.

A great end to my weekend (I'm working today unfortunately). Swanage on Friday with the diesels and 80104 (or is that D80104?) followed by Calbourne at the MHR. I am now strongly considering another trip down to the Purbecks to see her again. As long as the weather is as good though!

 

W24 is a wonderful little loco and she was most impressive up the 1 in 80! She certainly made more noise than she did when I had a run behind her on the IOWSR. Had a good day yesterday and saw the MHR at it's best. Friendly, helpful volunteers and some smart work from the loco crew on W24 and the p-way guys when dealing with the lineside fire between Ropley and Alresford yesterday afternoon.

45379 seemed to be having some problems on the round-trip we did with her. She was shut off a couple of times on the climb from Alton to Medstead and rolled to the summit at Medstead. Injector problems perhaps?
A few shots from a great day on the MHR:

 

Had a great day today and agree Calbourne is a great loco. Although not sure what happened on 15:30 shuttle as the Hampshire Unit was fired up (didn't half vibrate and mack a racket) and 24 was taken off at Ropley and moved in front of the wheeldrop shed and the Hampshire Unit then moved off but when I caught Nellie, Calbourne was back on the Hampshire Unit.

Uploading pictures now.

 

All of Saturday and Sundays pictures are now all together . Not so much sun today .. http://linesidephotos.smugmug.com/L...Hants/22937198_HcBnvW#!i=1842951979&k=mqndPZT
David

 

Here are my pictures. Mid Hants Railway A Weekend With Calbourne pictures by DanHill1991 - Photobucket

And a few favourites

 

Had a quick couple of trips on 24 today,it's the first time I have ever seen it and the first time my dad had seen it since 1963,was really nice to see it,a truly wonderful loco,thanks to all for arranging the event,with the lack of (most of the) loco's at Swanage diesel gala I decided to spend just the one full day down there and stop off at the MHR on the way back to Yorkshire today,very glad now that I did so!

A couple of shots are on my site:

Flickr: 56074 Kellingley Colliery's Photostream

Cheers,
Mark

 

No problems with the 5 or water level. You must have been talking about the 1355 ex Alton. She wasn't shut off, merely eased back so as not to exceed 25mph with a visiting driver being conducted over the line for the first time, hence a slightly earlier shut off at the summit and slower roll over than normal.

 

Merely logistical as the run round of W24 would have caused a problem with the acceptance of the 1543 up service from Alresford and then departure for W24 was prior to the 1556 Up departure from Ropley, so the move was simply to put W24 on the other end.

 

Thanks for clearing that up Fozzy. Good to hear 45379 was on top form.

 

Another point to add to this, is that W24 was classed as a 0P power classification by BR whereas the M7 is a 2P(?) machine. Could the M7 have hauled another coach or two? That's for another thread... At the end of the day, both locomotives 'flew' up the bank with their respective loads and both made great noises. Well done to the MHR again.

James at SVN