Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

The kids at Butts were great....about 10 minutes before the VIP train arrived the teachers must have warned them that the dets were going to go "bang" because they all started shouting "BANG! BANG!" every 30 seconds or so! A big cheer from them when the real dets went off though!

 

Old and new.....

Farewell to Bridge 52 by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

Re-opening! by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Some of them even turned up as a train!
Great atmosphere at Butts Bridge yesterday. The kids were all cheering when the crews of 60103 & 30925 whistled.


Sent from my I3312 using Tapatalk

 

I loved seeing the children there. And what an amazing response from people in Alton who must be so used to seeing the trains week in week out all turning out in force to welcome both Flying Scotsman and the Railway itself back into town!

 

There is a picture of Alan Titchmarsh on the footplate of Scotsman at Alton on page 4 of the i paper today. Not sure if the reopening is featured in any of the other papers.

Sent from my I3312 using Tapatalk

 

He gave it quite a plug on his programme on Classic FM this morning!

 

I've spotted a couple. <BJ>

The Scotsman https://www.scotsman.com/heritage/a...-reopening-of-historic-railway-line-1-5090826

The Yorkshire Post https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/her...way-line-alongside-flying-scotsman-1-10257585

 

Alan Titchmarsh is an odd choice of person to have open it and to be honest the mere sight and sound of him is enough to trigger me, but if it gets publicity for the railway and a few more punters along then I can't complain. (Just don't force me to watch him on TV, listen to him or read him).

30925 is looking good. Its paint was looking very sorry for itself last time I saw it.

What is the latest news about the coaches from the Bluebell?

 

As I understand (and this is supposition from me, not from the horses mouth), only one line is blocked. Southern and Thameslink - who operate the passenger service - have chosen for their own operational reasons not to operate a reduced service over the single line, but that doesn’t stop others doing so. So I believe that a one-off move of the coaches is possible over the one remaining operational line, assuming that the current wet weather doesn’t make the situation worse before they are due to travel.

(Meanwhile, if Bulleid coaches are your thing, they are in service in their natural home all this week )

Tom

 

Alan Titchmarsh is our Patron so a very natural choice to do the unveiling.

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

Ok, he seems an odd choice of patron. Is he the only slightly-famous person who lives in Hampshire?

I suppose I should be grateful it wasn’t Pete Waterman, he’d turn up to the opening of an envelope.

 

What is your problem with Pete Waterman?

 

I had a chat with Alan Titchmarsh many years back after a cab ride on 9F Black Prince. He knew a lot more about the workings of steam locomotives than an average celebrity. I'd say a steam fan...

 

Dennis the Menace put paid to any progress on the troublesome trucks atop the hill yesterday - which is probably just as well, as Friday turned out to be one long day!

The school kids at Alton were brilliant & provided entertainment to one & all.

A few pics from the day.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49539167461/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49539162011/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49538679218/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49538685968/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/49538691628/in/photostream/

 

Dropped in Friday and Sunday en route to and from stewarding the Valentine White Rose.
A shot of FS on the 1415 service from Alresford on Friday in awful light (surprised with the need for banking) and a couple from the stupidly wet day yesterday was. After far too long on my feet Saturday and the driving conditions abandoned any plan for a ride so I could get home.
It was nice to see the lineside trespassers kicked out back behind the hedge by an MHR member of staff (just visible in his high viz) about the time the train was leaving Ropley. I guess they did not get a shot in the end.

 

I believe Alan lives (or used to live) in Medstead, so he qualifies as a "local". He seems an amiable, pleasant chap anyway so I'm sure he will be welcome whenever he wants to call in to the station buffet for a cuppa.

 

He's moved from Medstead. Out of respect for his privacy I won't name where he now lives but he still qualifies as local to the railway.

He's media gold dust and given one of the main jobs of a Patron is to help secure you media coverage, Alan seems a sensible choice to me. Especially true given the comment above about him knowing a bit about the subject.

 

The MHR YouTube channels video of Bridge reopening.

 

Nice video, you can just about see me and Duty Druid. Will's drone (used for that video) now has a natty hi-vis coat on


Scotsman on the Bridge by Stephen Morley, on Flickr
Nearing the banner by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

I he was in Beech rather than Medstead, certainly that was where his wild flower meadow was. Now lives near a film producer friend of mine.