Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

I don't think he should have been walking in the 4ft.

 

While recent posts in this thread have commented on the shininess of the railhead, linear scrapyards and whether there were stations in Oxfordshire painted in SR Green.

We don't necessarily do a very good job of disproving the stereotypes.

 

My question about green stations was meant to be rhetorical and very much tongue in cheek. The average car (or any other type) of enthusiast has almost as many weirdly fixated conversations as you'd find here, but they are not portrayed in quite so harsh a stereotypical way. The portrayal of railway enthusiasts is at times (and it was in this program) gratuitous and therefore somewhat offensive. Portrayals such as this one on Sunday would (if the character was of an ethnic minority for example) probably be considered discriminatory.

 

Your Roving RAT Reporter's notes on operations last Saturday evening.

The 33/2 was acting as super-shunter, bringing the RAT stock into Ropley from Alresford.
We were surprised to not be top and tailed, as is often the case with the very early and late season RATs, but presumably this was because the railway had been running all week.

BR Class 33 - 33 202 by Tim White, on Flickr

Sherwood Forester backed onto the RAT stock as 41312 sat over the pit.
There certainly weren't any (at least obvious to us) traction issues, which would vindicate the decision not to top n tail.
We were the only train out in the evening and ran back into Alton pretty much bang on time, a good omen for the forthcoming season

Black 5 45231 - Sherwood Forester & Ivatt 2MT 41312 by Tim White, on Flickr

47 579 was sat ticking over in the yard. Does this mean the Vac brake work is complete?

BR Class 47 - 47 579 by Tim White, on Flickr

Cheltenham was sat idle in the yard along with the Std 4

Schools Class 925 - Cheltenham by Tim White, on Flickr

 

I seem to recall that Top Gear used to mock car enthusiasts. Any hobby by its nature attracts obsessives. I am not sure that when complaining about the portrayal of obsessiveness, while some people are complaining about railheads being shiny, really strengthens the objection to the portrayal of railway enthusiasts as being obsessive.

But for example the portrayal of football fans is more often than not about hooligans rather than non-hooligans, I am sure that most rugby fans aren't repressed boorish beer swilling thuggish ex public school boys etc.

I do agree that the media go in for crude lazy stereotypes - but that is across the board - every academic is eccentric (apart from 'sexy academic'), every student a dosser, every person on benefits a cheat, every migrant a job stealing benefit cheat, and so on and so forth.

 

I do my best to keep time. We had a couple of minor issues to cope with, but overall pretty straightforward. Was slippy in a few places, but managed without sand, or loss of time. I think we were 1 min early finishing.

47... Vac not complete. Sorting a few small electrical gremlins before connecting up the exhausters. Mechanically all complete except for the vacuum bag dummys. Does it good to be run up at least once a week.

 

Anyone able to give a steer as to loco roster this weekend please?

 

45379 has the centre drivers out for a frame crack to be welded. 92212 has centre drivers out for turning. Likely 45231 and 925, but in truth it could any combination of two out of the 4 available ... 45231, 41312, 925 and 76017. Probably know tomorrow for sure.

 

Many thanks. Mustering a group of 4 for Saturday.

 

Re 92212. Surely, all of the drivers have to be turned at the same time.

 

Watching itv weather tonight. It’s going to be sunny but cold. Should be good conditions for loco exhaust in photos.

 

Everyone did in the 60s, health and safety hadn't been invented then.

Never seen photos of steam specials from that era?

 

Oh Joy! Looks like there's a fair chance we'll need to scrape ice off our cars before leaving for home Saturday night

 

Best put a can of de-icer in the car then!

At least the ale will be nicely chilled to perfection for the paying punters on the RAT!

 

Yes. The others were turned in situ on a wheel lathe, but it turns out that modern wheel lathes have interlocks that dont like flangeless wheels!

 

Just like Network Rail. As you know, they don't like flangeless wheels either.

 

MHR was on TV again today on one of these rich people buying houses programmes. They were looking at houses in the surrounding area of the MHR. The presenter visited the railway to have a go at driving 92212. Not sure when it was filmed though as 4464 Bittern was sitting in the yard! 925 and 850 also featured and so did Mr Bentley again teaching the presenter how to drive and fire the 9F. There was also a bit about the apprenticeship scheme.

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does anybody know which two locos are working this weekend hoping for 925

 

76017 and 45231.

Andrew