Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Does the Mid Hants have any plans to double the line from Alton Station to Butts? The space is there and relatively clear, and it would have a benefit on turnaround and train frequency. It could even be described as relaying 2 miles of the Meon Valley branch!

 

Do the bricks match any other buildings on the railway, could some be saved for reuse/maintenance?

 

Yes, this is a long term aspiration

 

Saw this piece in the PW Blog today.
https://preservation.watercressline.co.uk/blog/entry/sat-p-way-blog-2nd-feb

Corrina was right in a way.
Packing track with lying snow should never be undertaken unless an emergency.
Introduction of snow into the ballast will lead to voids when the snow melts.
Leading to irregular top of the rail and probable twist faults.

If undertaken while it is snowing and just thinly lying then you might get away with it but if deep enough to leave 3" deep footprints you have a problem.

I have been on Big railway Tamping shifts that have been cancelled due to this.

 

And I was always taught never to leave jack handles in the jacks when they are not being operated.

 

Butts Bridge is no more!

Understandably the Alton Herald are taking a keen interest in the reconfiguration of Butts & have engaged the services of a Drone Photogarapher - pics are on social mediocity - which is where I've nicked 'em from!.....

 

Rest In Pieces bridge 52.....

 

Well that’s well and truly answered the earlier question about the remains of Butts Junction signal box!

 

A few photos from this morning I took from the main road.

 

Where's the aerial shots you said you were going to take by shinning up a lamp post?.................

 

absolutely, not so many years ago they'd have been told we need improve the road you must shut. á lá Ashburton

 

At least part of the old structure is being retained, and the new bridge could actually look quite decent (if artist's impressions are to be judged by.) The previous (no longer current!) bridge was hit by lorries on a regular basis, which disrupted services, I remember being stuck on the Watercress Belle waiting for to get back over the bridge after a lrge vehicle had clouted it. The Mid Hants will have a nice new bridge capable of holding two tracks.

 

Not a very good comparison, and those days are longer ago than you realise. It was 26 years ago that I went to a GCR gala cut short at Rothley by bridge works on what’s now the A46 outer ring road.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

not long ago to me, I rode to Ashburton before the roadworks.

 

Sit-rep from my Ropley spy, who apologises profusely for the lack of any updates lately!

In his defence, he has been a tad busy......

Any way, here's the latest from the Gee Gee's mush, as these are his words, not mine!

Also the images below aren't mine either.

But as he says, if you want to see 499 join 506 in traffic, then donations of cold hard cash are more than welcome, along with physical labour, or just by joining the society, would be a boon!

506 – that bloody ashpan!! With the boiler in the frames, there is absolutely no room to hang the completed thing, so it had to be made and assembled in sections. 2 front side pieces, 2 rear side pieces, front section for the front damper door, section for the rear door, 2 floor sections plus all manner of weird angles and bracing pieces. The only drawing we’ve got is the cross section, so most of this had to be done by Barry and Steve Gault thinking, measuring, thinking again, measuring, breathing deeply and going for it. It has never been anywhere near the frames until now so the fact that it nigh on fitted bar a few minor tweeks is nothing short of a miracle…..and testament to how good the boys are! Probably allow another 2 – 3 weeks and that ‘little job’ will be done!

499 – the mild weather through January has actually enabled us to start catching up with where we want to be. The centre casting is now virtually riveted in, just 14 more to go which we’ll do on 1 good day. There are also 2 rows of bolts to go in then we move on to either hanging cylinder blocks or riveting/bolting the motion brackets back on.

506's ashpan



Riveting on 499's centre casting

 

Dave,

Just to add to your post above. I’ve put a link to the 499 appeal web page and also to their main web site.

http://www.urieloco.co.uk/resources/499-Appeal.pdf


http://www.urieloco.co.uk/

 

Blimey, just like buses, you wait for ages then two come along at once!

But to be fair to my Ropley 'spy', he was waiting for the OK to publish a pic from the person who took it.

Also, a bit of a further update on plans for 499 this year - but these are probably dependent on cash flow...... so below is what I've been asked to divulge.......

The ULS are aiming to have the frames of 499 finished later this year then move on to the boiler and next tender (825’s chassis).
If funds come in faster we can sub out more specialist work to speed up the restoration.........

Now back to 506.......

A couple o pics to whet the appetite......

506's tender tank being lifted & turned last week - photo credit Richard Bentley.


And the cladding creeping along the boiler - photo credit - ULS.

 

Many thanks for the updates DD. SInce the loco blogs have sadly dried up of late I've been wondering about progress. I am joining the ULS anyway so that will sort out that problem. I do miss the blogs though - it's not always obvious from trips to the line how much work is going on.

 

Yes I miss the loco Blogs too. We are now 7 weeks into the year and the last Blog was from early December. It is such a shame as a few years back they were almost weekly and were very informative and kept members who are unable to attend the railway on a regular basis up to date on what was going on at Ropley MPD.
I can only hope that maybe sometime they will return, the PWay department by contrast now put out regular updates on the lines infrastructure and make interesting reading