Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

We've already done that - they're hard on, but swing quite happily with a lump hammer!!

 

Today I visited the MHR for the first time under the COVID-19 timetable, and wow, what a great day it was. We were on the 11:00 Alresford departure, and found S15 506 at the head of the train. Personally for me this tugs on the heartstrings, as my first ever visit to the MHR as a toddler in the 80s had 76017 & 506 on the trains.

To start we had 506 working the gradient from Alresford to Medstead. On arrival at Alton we had 35 minutes to relax and the footplate crew made themselves available to the passengers to answer questions about operating the 100 year old loco, or banter about coal pusher and operator!

The break at Ropley was fabulous! We grabbed a pasty at the T-Junction, watched Cheltenham bring the Countryman through non stop then as we walked across the Handyside Bridge while 41312 created a storm taking the Alton set back to Alton.

One thing Dad and I enjoyed was the fact we got to spend time at every station without rushing to change trains, something 'Alresford' passengers get to enjoy.

Attached are a couple of videos I shot - with Instagram in mind so are in portrait.

 

Two pictures of service trains, one from yesterday and one from today

Cheltenham at Wanders by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

41312 and a tractor by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Great news today from the railway.

The MHR have been awarded a grant of £250,000 from the Heritage Lottery Emergency fund.

https://preservation.watercressline.co.uk/news/entry/the-national-lottery-heritage-fund-support




https://www.facebook.com/264188103617160/posts/3302218039814136/

 

Glad to see 53808 got there safely.
Hope its not too long before its out on trains,

 

I don't suppose anyone knows what's running on Sunday at all please?

Not been since 2018 and not seen 506 or 30925 in her new livery!

Cheers in advance,

 

I don't know, but both of those were running last weekend, so it's likely that at least one of them will be this week.

 

https://preservation.watercressline.co.uk/roster

506 & 30925

 

Has 53808 been steamed at the MHR yet? Plotting a trip for my birthday in October and would love to sample the 7F over the Alps if possible. Great news of the lottery grant, very well done.

 

I enjoyed their lastest video, more location based then loco based.

 

Some nice pics from Green Park MPD there. Any chance of borrowing your time machine

 

Sorry for slow reply, cheers for that.

Was lovely to finally see the S15 for the first time and Cheltenham does look stunning in the dark green.

 

Whats the progress so far on the other S15 ? the one owned by the Eastleigh loco group, it seems to have been under overhaul for ages, is there scope for the smaller groups to work together to help each other out ? once 499 is running, I would hope that the urie boys can help out those working on the other engines, ideally, should 53808 stay on the line, I would hope the urie group get involved with helping the S&D group with the mechanical work, on that loco, whilst the boiler shop do the boiler .

 

Interesting to read the news story in the new Steam Beano about the mystery benefactor for 34007. £100,000 donated for her overhaul. I wonder if this will alter her position in the overhaul queue?

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Hopefully a plan can be formulated that could bring 34007 forward in the overhaul queue. What we don't know at this stage is if the £100,000 promised is conditional on an overhaul starting soon or if it gets put into the 34007 fund anyway, so the MHR can spend it when the time comes.

I believe a pre overhaul assessment inspection took place last year, so obviously something is happening behind the scenes.

We will as Simon Baggott states in the article have to wait until an official announcement is made, but the thought of both the oldest original Spamcan and the youngest running together is an enticing one.

I'd love to see 34007 outshopped in Malachite green and 34105 in early BR livery

 

Wadebridge has been bubbling under the surface for a while, several wheezes suggested to get her back up and running sooner rather than later, so I think the will is there...anyway, hope she will come out in BLUE!! PS Not authentic I know, but would be a treat

 

Yes. It shouldn't be too much of a job. The loco had new tyres when restored so probably they will just need turning on a wheel lathe. A valve gear, cylinder refurb and axle box overhaul should suffice as well as the obvious overhaul of the boiler and steam fittings.

Replacement of the ashpan should be straightforward as 34105 needs one also, so two of these can be built together, this time with the required dampers!

 

If I had a pound for every time I’d heard “shouldn’t be too much of a job” I’d have enough money to pay for the serious overhaul which inevitably then ensues …

Tom

 

Indeed. Those who do know will make an official announcement when they are able to do so.

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Well yes, I know what you mean. I'm sure though that the job certainly won't be as big or onerous as that on 34105 that needed a new middle cylinder and a massive replacement of the air smoothed casing following years of open storage in Ropley headshunt.