Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

West Coast Railway, including some of the ex MHR Mk 2 stock.

 

But earlier in the thread it was suggested that WCR's focus of operations is in the north. Unless they have spare rakes of coaches, won't they be in use up there? They're surely not going to keep coaches where there is (allegedly) a shortage of locos in regular use. One-off ECS repositioning moves would be very expensive I would have thought.

 

WCR tend to have a set of coaching stock based at Southall for use on RTC and Steam Dreams tours in and around London and the South anyway don't they?

I guess things also depend on how Wadebridge is used on both the MHR and the mainline. Also whether the loco will be air braked for wider availability or not, or if the loco will have an operating agreement similar to that of 6201 prior to withdrawal or 60007 and 71000 when they both return to traffic.

 

I think it was stated when the mainline ambitions for 34007 were announced, that the loco would be primarily be used first and foremost on the mainline and be available for MHR services when not.
I would suspect that the loco could possibly spend periods at Stewarts Lane alongside Clan Line as Chris Ellick the MHR engineering manager also has connections with 35028.

 

It seems a bit odd. to me at least, that, with a potential loco shortage looming (see earlier discussions) the Mid Hants is willing to prioritise the overhaul of a loco for main line use. Taking their eyes off the ball?

 

34007 will take a good few years anyway. I suppose with 499 (and maybe 75079) being done within the next 2-3 years to replace 30925 and 53808. That brings me on to the next question will 92212 return to the line upon completion of its overhaul which could be done by the end of the year?

 

It's up to the sponsor, surely?
Pat

 

As for stuff that should be done soon, its likely to be 75079 and 35005 hopefully, but depending on when they return to traffic will see if there is a loco shortage due to 925 and the 7f coming out of traffic. 499 is coming along but is probably behind those two, however I know a lot of people are looking forward to seeing her steam

The next engine to come back into traffic though will be Peckett 1788, though this engine will have much less use than any other steam engine on the line, this engine is planned to be back in traffic by the 28th May in Peckett Green Livery

 

34105 must also be complete in the next few years I'd have thought too.

 

Work is stopped on 34105 until ownership issues are resolved, so completion will depend on how quickly those issues can be sorted out.

 

The overhaul was stopped last year IIRC as there is a problem with establishing the ownership status of some of the shares in the loco. The MHR don't want to do all the work on 34105 for the loco to then disappear to another location after completion. Hopefully the situation will be sorted soon.

Edit: Ghost was writing pretty much the same as I was writing my post.

Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

There is usually an RTC set and an SD set based at Southall during the regular season.

 

Ah ok thanks Ghost and Green Five, hopefully the situation can be resolved soon.

 

I understand from a post on wnxx the Riviera Mk1's were moved from Eastleigh yesterday (16 coaches) to their new home at Burton on Trent.

 

499, and 75079 will still be at least 2 years away, unless both are more advanced than seems, but 925 and 53808 Will , unless they get extensions be coming out towards the end of this year, ideally, if they can be given 12 months extensions, on limited steamings, that should buy time, hopefully 35005 and at least one of the others might be ready by then, as regards 34105 the ownership needs to be sorted out before any work can commence, and if its as vague as i have heard it is, it might not be completed, for several more years, because ownership is not clear as to who owns what shares, either by mistake, or by design, its made it very hard to tie down who has what shareholding, in some cases, not every shareholder actually recieved share cetificates, or then gifted them to someone else,

 

Yes i see in the latest published MHRPS accounts that they own 26.6% of the shares in the loco. That leaves a lot of shares in the hands of others who may have other ideas as to the future of the loco.

 

And those of us who were around at the time, can guess who's hands those shares might be in, certain two names, who have family connections , yet its unclear, who actually paid for those shares , nothing from back then is ever as clear as it may look

 

I have been looking through some old Railway Magazines and have found something very interesting if true.
The January 1964 RM page 198 states that on June 17th 1963 whilst hauling the Down Bournemouth Belle, 35002 "Union Castle" was removed from the train at Woking after a copper pipe on the Loco came into contact with the conductor Rail causing short circuiting.
The article in the Locomotive notes states that the "Belle" was worked forward by Urie S15 30499 which was reported passing Basingstoke running 47 minutes late!
Can anyone from the MHR and/or the Urie group confirm that this actually ocured.
I have never heard of this happening but as 30499 and 30506 were both withdrawn in January 1964 from Feltham shed it is possible although I remain rather sceptical.

 

This whole situation with 34105 seems bizarre to me (almost frustratingly so), as they started the overhaul sometime ago, yet now apparently have issue with finding all the owners of the engine in question? Surely I would have thought that would have been sorted out and nailed down before beginning the overhaul in the first place, and especially seeing as it seems to me they've done a lot of work up till now on it, to have to halt everything on it just seems a great shame to me. Certainly as it sounds as though the MHR could potentially be short on motive power in the near future.

Can only hope this gets sorted out pronto, for surely there must be some paperwork or other form of evidence to account for who owns the locomotive.