Mid Hants

Looking at Visiting next week during the midweek. Realsie its Pepper Pig, but hopefully don't get crowded out by kids. Where would be best to park, and will it be possible to have a look around Ropley?

 

Meet Peppa Pig here at the Watercress Line from 29th October to 2nd November 2012 | Watercress Line

A crowd of kids at a Peppa-Pig event? Surely not! <BJ>

 

Well, at least the engines won't have faces on!

 

When we ran a Peppa Pig event at the Gwili in 2011, it proved to be very interesting operationally -I think the working timetable for that weekend still holds the record for the most round trips we've run in a day. It turned into a bit of a 'jazz service' to move the crowds, with tight turn-arounds and some unadvertised extras running too. Great fun!

Hope you enjoy your visit to the MHR, lil bear.

Cheers,

Phil.

 

At Churnet Ppper Pig proved more popular than we had envisaged, even when the heavens threw it down! We managed to cope but certainly surprised a few qith how popular Pepper has become.

I'm looking forward to a visit as I haven't been MHR since Bittern was launched into service in 2007, but I couldn't travel sadly so my last trip was a Thomas event back in the 90s when the N class was running as James and 73096 was Henry.

Surprised no-one from the MHR has commented yet, as they are normally quite active on here?

 

Not sure of the parking arrangements for Peppa, I assume the field next to Ropley will be used, as per Thomas. Alresford is normally fairly full mid-week with general traffic. You can park in side streets close to M4M as well, normally not a problem even during galas! Access via the A31 side of the railway, not station approach. As for Ropley, I'm sure if you ask and let the staff know you are a volunteer on another railway you should be able to have a nose. The yard is normally quite interesting!

 

I asked today at Ropley station about the field at Ropley and I can confirm the field isn't open. I would think most customers would use the car park at Alresford. I'm not sure about the parking at Alton station for this event. Could be a good idea to phone the MHR about parking if you don't want to park at Alresford. I hear Ropley yard should be open unless they are moving locos or rolling stock around the yard.

 

I reckon in the UK Peppa Pig is outstripping Thomas the tank engine for kids popularity.
my little one is completely obsessed with peppa pig, it's not just a girl thing either.

However I think that any railway event will need a bit more than two blokes in a felt costume to sustain a long term peppa pig weekend on a Preserved railway. Maybe if some enterprising characters could create a peppa pig house, car, bus and some of the other creatures, it could be a nice little earner for them !

 

I wonder if someone will come up with something for "Sean The Sheep"

Regards
Chris:

 

That appears to be the general consensus amongst a number of businesses. In terms of preserved lines, Peppa is also cheaper to run as there are less licensing costs and you don't have to hire in a certified Thomas!

As for my visit, park at Alresford if I can get there early? Otherwise go for M4M and board there?

 

The car park at Alresford was certainly full this afternoon, despite the poor weather - felt sorry for whoever was in the Peppa suit, the probably got wet as well as sweaty. If you want to park at Ropley there is a small car park in front of the shops at the bottom of Station Road

 

Thanks for removing all that rubbish Peter. Now back to topic. I hear next year this event will be replaced by wizard week again and Peppa pig will be moved to another date.

 

One thing to mention, although the website loco roster has 925 and 31806 as running throughout the week, this weekend and today 45379 was running in place of 925. I think it was partnered with 31806 today, didn't see it but the other loco certainly sounded like the U, it definitely wasn't a three cylinder loco.

 

925 was late back from GCR so not yet ready, it may run later in the week, but for the moment it will be 45379 and 31806.

 

That's because peppa pig is an emerging market, Thomas is already globally mature, if not in decline. Peppa Pig brand is being promoted overseas and hyped over here.. 5 more years it will be a global mature thing and prices may change.
but as i said, in a growing market, jump on the band wagon... He who creates the peppa pig car, bus, inflatable house, picnic area, shop etc etc and starts adding them to the "peppa pig weekend" attraction circuit has good money waiting, The template exists at peppa pig world in Southampton.

 

Thanks to the guys at MHR for a good day last week. Parked at Alresford and got on the first train behind 45379, OMG what a noise. Just as good as we remember her at CVR. Then went to Ropley to see if I could have a look, and one of your older volunteers was very welcoming and happily showed me around. Saw all the work going on with 76017 34105 and 75079. After this went for a ride behind 31806 and again enjoyed it, this time in the afternoon sun. The girls in the cafe were very helpful and polite too, despite getting annoyed with the number of people ignoring the "No Pushchairs in the Cafe" sign. All in all a good visit, at a very reasonable £14. Only upset was the crash on the A34 that delayed me on my journey home. Other than that thanks for the warm welcome guys

 

The trains (and Alresford) were certainly very busy during the week, I understand that the number of passengers was some 30-40% more than expected so counts as a success!
Lil Bear - glad you had a good time! We had 45379 on the Watercress Belle on Saturday and she certainly made a nice sound climbing out of Alton! Cheltenham did run on Friday, I went up to Chawton Woods to take a phot, she was 15 minutes down, so was motoring as she came past, very satisfactory noise indeed.
Always found the shed staff and volunteers at Ropley very helpful, even though they don't neccessarily know that I am a volunteer myself.
Cheltenham in Autumn | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Early morning on Shed | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Night on the footplate | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Black 5 in Autumn Sun | Flickr - Photo Sharing!