Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Great news, Looking forward to seeing and hearing 50027 Lion storming up Medstead bank again. With any luck the diesel gala will be back next year.

 

Good news Dave

 

Excellent news was there the day it failed glad to see it closer to being able to work again,
Hope when the lines reopen to Alton , Lions ready for action,

 

Any news on when the line will reopen to Alton?

 

The MHR website was updated last week with this info. about the bridge work:

"There will be no steam trains operating to or from Alton station until the end of 2019 due to work being carried out as part of a large highway improvement scheme. We will still be running trains from Alresford to Medstead.
The Watercress Line will remain open with temporary service changes to its railway services between Alresford and Medstead until the end of 2019, while a new, multi-million pound infrastructure project is underway."

I wonder if it would be worth the MHR running a Steam and Diesel Gala over the Christmas holidays to celebrate the re-opening if it does happen before the end of the year?
Celebrate the return of 50027 and have a grand finale for 92212.

 

When was the original planned reopening? I thought it was before the school summer holidays. Even the Butts Bridge roadworks website still states the works will take 6 months to complete, yet 10 have elapsed and still no firm date for reopening the line.

 

We always go at the end of the year or on 1st January so hoping it will be open for Christmas Leave

 

I seem to remember 19th July being mentioned. I think 'epic fail' about covers it.
As I mentioned before the continued road diversions and aggro for residents are the real pain. Its looking as though 24/7/365 is pretty likely, isn't it?
Pat

 

Originally the planned re-opening was scheduled for the summer (end of July/August?). In June this was then revised to September. The completion date was then revised to October due to problems being encountered. The most recent revision now states the end of 2019.
I heard in September from a couple of volunteers that there were plans for a reopening Steam Gala in October featuring a special excursion coming in off the Main Line using a very famous locomotive but this was scrapped due to uncertainty about the actual completion date. A colleague at work who lives in Alton keeps asking me how long the work will go on as he has been hearing from locals that it won't be finished until next year.

 

The last I heard was that the site was supposed to be handed back to the railway at the end of October, but would then need 2-3 weeks of work to recommission and test all the signalling etc before any trains could run - but it's the end of October now...

 

Well the 2o out at the last gala didn't get half as many complaints as other railways that dared to use diesels during a gala.

 

Actually it looked quite nice......

D8059 enters Ropley by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

So what's going to happen first - the reopening to Alton or Brexit?

 

Exactly, both can coexist, its a shame the many moaning else where could ruin something for the few.

 

As of about 17:15 this evening, the work appeared to be substantially complete. It's known that the track is already laid, and the facing brickwork on the abutments appears to have been progressing very well indeed. I don't think it will be quite ready for a handover tomorrow, but certainly it won't be long now. Then, as Nick says, it will take time to recommission the section, and there will need to be all manner of tests run before it will be reopened to the public.

All remaining services this year will use the truncated line only, as far as I know at this stage. A believe a large re-opening event may be planned for early in the 2020 season, but I cannot be certain and would not wish to be quoted on that.

 

Too late, you just have been!

 

The latest from the Butts Bridge contractors is here:
https://www.buttsbridgeroadworks.co.uk/single-post/2019/10/30/Butts-Bridge-Update-Autumn-2019
Word from on high suggests that we may get access for a flail soon, to deal with a season's worth of unrestrained nature.
Pat

 

Would be interested in seeing pictures of it before and after the flail...

 

50 027 was undergoing testing on the pit road yesterday when I went through on the Co. transport - later saw it move under its own power back to the yard.

BUT, there's still a lot of testing to do before it can be considered for a loaded test run!

A couple of pics from last night.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49008160388/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49008899867/in/dateposted-public/