Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Both photos are taken today.

 

The bridge is not the only thing that needs finishing, S and T has to be re-commissioned, the fly tipped rubbish has to be removed and vegetation cut back (the flail has not been able to access the Butts Bridge to Alton section) so even if the bridge is handed back on time there will be a delay before running scheduled services. A real pain tin the proverbial.

 

Even given the extra work involved the project managers really messed up on the time estimates to do the job. Judging from the recent pics there is still a fair way to go yet. They haven`t even painted the steel bridge or finished the facing brickwork of the retaining walls yet.

I would be surprised if the project is finished by Christmas, but reopening to Alton is not likely until the early new year I would guess. I hope the MHR receive adequate compensation for this delay.

 

The bridge will not be painted. It has been constructed from a weathering steel that requires no maintenance, and the design was that preferred by the planning authority I believe. The facing brickwork is cosmetic.

Not running from Alton simplifies the task of advertising the Santa services for the railway.

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Isn't it amazing how civil engineering jobs that might have been completed during one or two weekend shut-downs in the past nowadays take a year or two and usually over-run. Motorways that used to be constructed from scratch over a couple of years now take three or four just to be modified by being downgraded to "stupid" (they're certainly not "smart") ones. Complete railways used to be built in a couple of years whist HS2 seems to have been going on forever yet no part is even close to being started let alone looking like a railway.

Grumpy Old Man

 

Thanks for the clarification regarding the bridge painting, i believed it would be painted because of the artistic impressions shown on the website showed a nice green painted structure. I realise that the brickwork is cosmetic, should hopefully look ok when complete.

 

Regarding Medstead, as another one of the platform mob, I can definitely say that we've been dealing with a lot more people (though I've spent much longer working it as a terminus than I did as a through station!) and as a station our ticket sales are almost certainly at the highest level they've been in our 151 year history!!! But 35 minutes has, at times, felt excessive especially when the run round is completed in little over 5 minutes most of the time, or less than that. Often we'll have a train ready to go, with everyone on it, some 10 minutes before departure so we just stand around twiddling our thumbs, watches and whistles until we get to time -30 seconds. I should add that this is by no means a criticism of the situation - it's what the railway has deemed as appropriate in the circumstances, hopefully striking a reasonable balance between trains run and operating costs.

I got called upon at short notice to work a turn at Alresford Yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised at how busy it was! Given it is the end of September, and the weather was a bit changeable (It rained a bit when I was cycling up from Alton to Medstead before I got a call from the Alresford P.I.C.), it was quite encouraging. I copped a quick look at the bridge when I was passing along the North side of the green, and I was wondering if I was mistaken in seeing track on the new embankment?

 

Might have been a mirage.

 

Certainly interesting to compare this job with the Bewdley bypass bridge installed in 1986. The SVR was severed for just less than 6 weeks, and it was done during the period starting at the end of half term and ending in time for the first Santa trains. See https://www.svrwiki.com/Bewdley_Bypass_Bridge

 

I had a conversation a week ago that implied track laying would begin "soon" so yes, it probably was track!

 

I would imagine the new section of formation will need time to settle as will the bridge, so with that in mind, as the season is nearly over, it makes sence to delay re opening until the start of next season, the Santa's might be effected as they will only be running from one end, but as long as the railway does not make a loss on it they should survive until next year, how are the numbers looking for this season, compared to expected takings ? I would imagine that takings will be down, but hopefully so should cost's as long as they don't exceed the bottom line.

 

I gather that there has been a substantial loss in revenue compared with previous years, though I wouldn't wish to comment any further.

 

The thing with the Santas is that the marketing folks have to be selling tickets now - and so they can only do so based on what is known for sure at this point, not what is hoped to be the case in six weeks time - if they sold tickets from Alton and there turns out to be another delay, there will be a lot of very unhappy children - so it's better to play it safe. I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of Santa customers come by car anyway, so Alresford would be just as convenient as Alton.

 

Timings and dates are up for the Satan specials:

https://www.watercressline.co.uk/product.php/137/santa-special

Someone elsewhere mentioned the new bridge is a bit too high.

 

Better too high than too low.

 

A new marketing direction, I gather?

Noel

 

It's certainly an accurate title.

 

As regards Satan Specials, when you think of it, Hoards of excitable screaming kids, having melt downs,
Parents who are most likily not faring any better, or some mothers, having had one sherry to many telling Santa they have been a very good girl and poor Santa, who is now getting all hot under the collar. whilst the eves and goblins are running amok
yeap sounds like hell on earth,
then you have some driver and fireman, who look like they wouldn't seem out of place feeding the fires of hell its self, I can remember one family, ( my brother) when their kids were young taking them on a Santa special, one I was firing, I invited them onto the footplate whilst we were waiting time, and his wife said, if you don't behave I will get Martin to feed you to the engine they behaved .

 

A huge number of people enjoy these trains every year and in the process make a huge contribution toward keeping the railway viable. Less Bah Humbug required.

As to the bridge being too high...you dont want to believe or repeat everything you see online.

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When our grandchildren were younger we took them on the. Santa specials every year sometimes in deep snow and freezing cold coaches. They always enjoyed it