Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Network Southeast Toothpaste?

 

Jaffa Cake livery.

 

In the words of the inimitable Dugald Drummond (when asked what colour he wanted his house painted): "Tar the bloody place all over!"
Pat

 

I've nearly finished editing all my footage from the Mid-Hants Autumn Steam Gala and this is the penultimate episode:



It features the Somerset & Dorset 2-8-0 and CITY OF WELLS.

TTFN,

Ron.

 

Early or late version?

 

Late would be better behind 27. A nice 6 car dual braked, electric heat set would be grand!

 

Mmmmm!

 

So when do we get to repaint the loco in NSE?
[Edit, smilies added to avoid lynching]

 

27 is in NSE.

 

I think the reference was to Wadebridge!

 

Ah. Then possibly once @Bikermike has donated more than anyone else to the overhaul, then they can request a livery

 

I'd heard it was going to be turned out in BR Blue of the 1948 variety

 

I'd love to see Wadebridge in Large Logo banger blue and yellow ends. It would really suit the shape.

 

Here’s hoping for Bulleid green livery. It’s the oldest surviving unrebuilt Bulleid, and this livery has never been seen on the mainline in preservation.

Cue all the comments about livery being irrelevant and the paint is just a protective coating!

 

To me, the most exciting aspect of Wadebridge's return to the main line is that it will be based in the South of England along with its support crew. As has been discussed at some length on one of the threads relating to main line activity and tours, LSL and West Coast seem to want to avoid their own locos being away from their bases at Crewe and Carnforth respectively for long periods. This means that tours run out of London (or anywhere south thereof) have become largely reliant on locos owned by independent groups. Bahamas, for instance, ran several trips out of Victoria last Summer and a further series is planned for 2022. Most of the 45596 support crew, however, live in the North of England, so it is a big ask for them. I assume that it is a similar situation for 6233.

Thankfully, Clan Line is being made available for a few trains besides the British Pullman and Ian Riley seems prepared to send his Black Fives literally anywhere in the country where there is work (with hopefully 35009 joining them one of these days), not to mention 61306 , but as someone who has often bemoaned the lack of opportunity to travel behind main line steam in the South of England, I am delighted that one of the problems which operators face - namely a shortage of locos based down here - should be alleviated somewhat.

Admittedly, there are other issues including finding sufficient crews with the relevant route knowledge and the density of services over some parts of the network, but if 34007's return to the main line hopefully inspires operators to run more trains in this neck of the woods, I am sure that ways will be found to address these other problems

 

The only possible fly in the ointment though will be that when it's required for mainline work, 34007 won't be available for MHR services for that period of time, plus the time it takes to do the positioning runs. unless the tours start at Alton, and return to Alton, Similarly i would love for a larger engine, than say the Uboat to be mainline certificated at Swanage, that can haul a decent tour rake, starting from either Weymouth, or Swanage to london, in the morning, then being turned and serviced somewhere in the London area, to return early evening, allowing time in london, for passengers, running up the main, and returning via the Portsmouth direct, What ever the future is for steam in the South East, there is a wealth of destinations, that could be used, Salisbury, Yeovil, The Kent Coast, Eastbourne , Hastings via Rye and Tunbridge,

 

Speaking of 27

Diesels everywhere this evening

 

The next thing to sort out will be a lack of suitable coaching stock!

 

So that Swanage based engine can be a similar fly in their ointment?

 

Annnnnnnd, we're BACK atop the hill!!!

After an enforced break for Xmas & New Year..... though some one did ask if we were going to be there New Years Day......... yesterday saw us gather en masse - 6 of us in fact, it should have been seven, but one wimped out when he opened his curtains & saw the wet stuff coming down - light weight!!!

Still, after the customary brew or two & a catch up, it was time to set to - we really didn't care that it was wet,windy, cold & miserable, we had some troublesome trucks to tame!!

First on the hit list was SR Pillbox Brake S56506, where we carried on from where we left off last year....... the cabin needed a deep clean ( the BV has been in traffic for nigh on 10 years now....) so one of our number set to with a strong bleach solution & took all day to give it a thorough deep clean - you can see the colour of the paint again now!!

Meanwhile, another of our number set to draining the axleboxes of water & topping up the reservoirs, followed by checking all the brakeshoes for lipping - four were found, so were removed, the lips ground out & the shoes refitted.

That left four of us to tackle a job we'd been putting off for a sunny day...... (sic!)....... namely refitting the vac cylinder to PalVan B 782114 it turned out to be an absolute ballache and the rain was getting heavier & where the cylinder sat, there was a steady stream of water running off the roof, making us even colder & wetter than we wanted to be!

Still, by the end of the day it was on & operational, or so we hope having given it a manual test...... so another job, jobbed, but we also noted that the safety brakets undrneath were loose & the London end has both buffers depressed...... jobs for next time, if we can find out where our stock of spare buffers has buggered off to!!!