Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

When the MHR operated the Green Train Rail tours rather a lot of regular passengers boarded at Farnham and Aldershot. My Dad and I were among the regulars who boarded at Aldershot and it was the busiest we had seen the station. There were a lot of shocked Green Train customers on one occasion when 60009 was hauling a Countryman ML excursion. Due to a crew "misunderstanding" with the paper work, instead of witnessing the A4 slowing down to pick up the customers we watched as she was opened up in some style and stormed past us. Thanks to some quick thinking from the guard he got in contact with the footplate crew and told them that Aldershot was a pick up point. A swift brake application was made and a few of the rear carriages were still in the station which allowed the customers to board the excursion.
We were lucky with this trip. On another occasion with another misunderstanding on a SD excursion with 30777 we absolutely stormed through a station on the GWML which was a pick up point. A guy in our carriage loudly exclaimed "Bloody hell! We were supposed to stop there. Look at the poor bu**ers waiting for us on the platform! At least they had a good run past"

Perhaps in the not too distant future we might see 34007 stopping at Aldershot to pick up Rail tour customers.

Sent from my I3312 using Tapatalk

 

Have you ever been involved with planning railtours? It sounds like it!

Cheers, Neil

 

Changing the subject when will the MHR reopen? Just 30 miles from us and 35 minutes via the M27 and M3. We supported them last year when allowed to and really got steam withdrawal symptoms now

 

No just stewarding on them, so I guess I have experienced some of the issues first hand.

 

On the roadmap, limited reopening might be in stage 2, after 12th April, depending on infection rates, new variants, completed risk assessments on social distacing (which the MHR has done before) and volenteer availabilty?
It may not be achieved by 12th April, hense why some railways are being cautious confirming dates.

 

Quick update:
https://www.watercressline.co.uk/
"March
We can confirm that Day Out With Thomas has been moved to 29th May to 6th June 2021. Tickets on sale soon!"
Pat

 

Due to Thomas Moving the First Major Event would now be the Spring Gala on the 30th April - 3rd May, though there may be Standard Travel before then, though have to wait till closer to time

 

Since the topic of special events has raised it’s head. It’s only around nine weeks until the Spring steam gala and there hasn’t been any news regarding visiting locos.

 

Blimey, give them a chance.

I'm getting so desperate to see a steam locomotive in action that if the Thomas weekend was the only event available I'd quite happily attend. <BJ>

 

Will the track be there and the s&d moved into a siding to allow it to open! I don’t think the extending and moving will let them
Be open yet for some time. And the point on visiting locos I don’t think that will be allowed as moving is not in the rules for covid

 

I would expect an announcement about locos in the next week.

Track works coming along very nicely.

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

I really know I shouldn't but...

Yes, there will be track at the MHR. It is still there and hasn't been folded up and put away.

Engines don't normally get covid, nor are they known disease vectors.

 

It is not essential to move an engine just so some people can see a different engine. That isnt essential the lorry driver could spread covid. Railways should use there own engines

 

Right, so a gala with hundreds of people from different areas - ok
Locomotive being brought in by a lorry driver - not ok.

How exactly do you imagine things like food are being moved around the country? Does your local supermarket manager blink twice and twitch his nose when the shelves are empty and then the food magically flies in?

Work harder on the trolling dude. You're not even trying anymore.

 

Well I hadn't realised that the Covid rules were that specific that they mentioned items directly related to railway vehicle delivery.

PS. Gwilli/South Devon seem to have managed to move a loco. . . .

 

Absolute wibble

 

One would hope that by the time of any steam galas taking place, the covid virus will be a bit more under control. If it isn't, there won't be any point in holding galas!

 

What if it was Kilmersdon?

 

If you are calling COTF a troll, then why are you and others feeding him?

 

The Mid Hants has experience of holding a Covid Secure gala.
I'm not sure if any other railways ran one last year?
So as long as the restrictions allow for a gala to be held I would have confidence that the Mid Hants could run it safely.