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MHR Autumn Steam Gala 2014.

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by green five, Mar 4, 2014.

  1. Hampshire Unit

    Hampshire Unit Well-Known Member Friend

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    Huh, last time we had 5224 on the Belle it ran very low on water ad we had to do a hurried run round at M+4Mon the first trip! The worst loco I can remember for cooking was "Black Pudding" eerrr, "Prince." I had soup surging all over the hob!! That was a few years back though, when I used to cook on the Countryman, just after it was set up. Back to 2014, the Castle sounded great today!
     
  2. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    I don't remember 5224 being like that though. 4270 was jumping about like it had a lump in it's axle box.
     
  3. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Well, don't hire a 56xx for your dining service!

    Though I can see a new commercial opportunity , "The Teetotal RAT". All the benefits of feeling wobbly on your feet of a normal RAT, but you can drive home safely afterwards!

    Tom
     
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  4. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Here's a few pictures from yesterday.

    Brilliant day all round, punctuated with bits of sunshine too.
    Absence of double heading was noted, as well as the heavy loadings of trains.. indeed Ropley was like a concert venue when 4270 on the freight came through.. probably a thousand people there.. to get on 1450 and it's autocoach as the next train :)

    6960 and 5029 were definitely competing in the noise stakes, so very good running (not speeding or thrashing.. just good running, good engine management too not much in blowing off, whacking stock etc).
    The surprise was in the workshop.. 75079 with cladding on, whilst 76017 looks quite a bit further behind.. and the boiler shop looks like a real works.. with boilers from half a dozen locos in there, 828 seems to have come on a bit too.

    Everything run pretty much to time, no dramas everything as per plan.. how often does that happen ?
     

    Attached Files:

  5. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    A few more from the workshops..
     

    Attached Files:

  6. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Here's a few videos from the day..

    Last train of the day from Alton to Ropley (filmed from front window towards Alresford over the hill.. tender first).. 15 mins (at 13mins there's a bit of a strong slip), but a very steady (and loud) climb once past the loop outside the station.



    also front window of the Autotrain from Alresford to Ropley.
     
  7. Nexuas

    Nexuas Well-Known Member

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    Are the visitors hanging around for a while? Will any be in use this coming week?
     
  8. chrisj94

    chrisj94 New Member

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    Probably crews trying to drive it in midgear up a hill, I thought that was standard procedure...
     
  9. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    According to the updated MHR loco roster 850 & 925 are handling the Half Term services and 850 and 92212 are working the Wizard Weekend services.
    5029 is staying at Ropley until the end of November. She might be used on Footplate experience courses.
    I guess the other visitors are off this coming week as the MHR does not operate many public services in November (only RAT's and Dining trains).
     
  10. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    I hope to sort through my videos and pictures properly from this great event tomorrow as I have some time off this week. Here are my two favourite pictures from Friday: 5029 med sunset_2.jpg 5029 clag rop_2.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2014
  11. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    Let me, if I may, get this straight.

    I am not a great fan of the GWR. I'm not a fan of the weird extraneous brass upturned funnel thing they insist on putting on the top of their boilers. I don't like the frankly weird front bogie on a King. I get frustrated by the fact the damn things usually don't fit outside their own patch. I think they were lazy designers as most of their tender engines look basically the same, just a bit bigger / smaller than the previous one. I don't hold much truck with the way they seemingly set out to be different just for the sake of it with some things.

    But...

    Sitting in the front coach behind 5029 on the climb from Ropley to Medstead yesterday. Wow, that thing put up quite some show.

    So, I'm not going to forsake my preference for Nelsons, Schools' and the like just yet. But for about 10 minutes yesterday afternoon even I, someone who generally has little truck with Swindon stuff, was impressed. It's a damn fine machine.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Photos can be found here - http://railwaygalleries.smugmug.com/MidHants/Autumn-Steam-Gala-October-2014

    Video to follow...
     
  12. Hurricane

    Hurricane Member

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    75079 is having all her cladding made before the boiler comes off to go into the works, this means when the boiler is ready it is a simple case of going to the container to fetch the cladding. There is numerous other jobs being done at the same time.

    76017 is going back together but has everything in storage from last time it was used, as you may have seen in the boiler shop the boiler is nearly ready. However with the winter approaching and a relative surplice of motive power why rush…..
     
  13. campainr

    campainr Well-Known Member

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    If by correct you mean historically accurate then yes indeed!

    http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrag2450.htm
     
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  14. siquelme

    siquelme Well-Known Member

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    I would like to also pass on my thanks to some of the brilliant volunteers working at the gala, in particular we met a lovely chap in the boiler shop (used to be an H&S engineer) and made for a really enjoyable time.
     
  15. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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  16. Hampshire Unit

    Hampshire Unit Well-Known Member Friend

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    Here's one from today especially for Duty Druid, part of the Mid Hants wagon group who was riding this train today!
    [​IMG]Autumn Goods by Arle Images, on Flickr
     
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  17. 6029 King Stephen

    6029 King Stephen Member

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    I went there today, had a really enjoyable day, capped by taking the 16.10 out of Alton when 6960 gave the best ride I've ever had from Alton Station up to the top of the Alps, possibly the best 10 minutes I've ever had on a heritage line. The noise was quite spine-tingling. Thanks to all the footplate crew for that performance. And thanks to all the organisers and volunteers, it was excellent all-round.

    The only suggestion I'd make for next time is to get some bacon-buttie vans in for the stations, you could starve to death at an MHR gala!
     
  18. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    Nice photo Steve.
     
  19. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    I have to second that.. In the queue at the refreshment hut on the hill at Ropley it listed a big range of sandwiches.. and a big queue..
    after each person was served, the salesman walked out and crossed another filling of sandwich off the list... when it came to my turn.. 1 from the front... 5029 was whistling from the outer home and so the call of the wild dragged me to the footbridge one more time... I went home a hungry hunter of steam.

    MHR would do well to go on a reckie party to Sheffield Park... and take the idea back to the goods warehouse at Alresford..
     
  20. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    We appear to have taken the exact same photograph, at the exact same time, from the exact same location, even to the position of the rods/steam escaping... just different elevations....
    Right down to the position of the tender wheels on the point work..
    great minds eh ?

    [​IMG]
    _S2420079.jpg
     
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