Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

After a naughty girl by the name of Eunice blew through last weekend, thus scuppering our plans, normal service was resumed atop the hill yesterday......

Though small in number, which actually wasn't a bad thing, after our usual brew & catch up. it was time to resume hostilies with the troublesome trucks!

Palvan B782114 was the first on the hit list..... some derusting & red oxiding was needed under the solebar, so one hardy sole who actuallly enjoys doing that, set to! The rest of us then set about removing the duff buffers from the London end, these came off with little or no resistance for a change!!!

Once the buffers were off, the exposed area's were sorted out & red oxided. Then it was time to try and source two good buffers out of our collection...... as luck would have it, at the first time of asking, two were found AND had the correct spacings for the bolts!!!!

It was then the task of getting them from behind the paint sore, to the top end of the yard where they needed to be....... thankfully no trains were running & the PWay were elsewhere, so out came the rail skate & the buffers transfered one at a time.

After lunch, the headstocks were cleaned up & the backs derusted & red oxided.

Others set to work on LMS van M517317......

We're still trying to work out exactly what works need doing to it & the more we look, the more we're finding...... we've even had a count up of the nuts and bolts, of varying sizes that we're going to need..... a lot is the answer!

Just the one pic this week, showing the duff buffers off the Palvan - no idea why I didn't take anymore......

 

I was very interested in the latest YouTube video of Ropley.

Can anyone provide an update on progress with SDRT loco 53808, and whether it might be available for the SDRT members special train next Sunday?

 

Query arising from MPD video 21. Clearly visible on 75059's nearside frame were arcs behind the positions of driving and coupled wheels. Are these scoring on the frame, or just crud lines?

Just for a few seconds there, the shot of a disembodied saddle tank, before the camera panned back, had me wondering if Ropley were undertaking a secret commission for a rich Corris member!

Perhaps a better microphone for Mark next time (or just clip it to his cap!)? It wasn't coping too well out in the open.

Fantastic update. Who'd have expected an 08 to be the gleamingest loco!

 

The saddle tank is from the Peckett owned by the S&DRT, 'Kilmersdon'. (Have to be careful uttering that name in these parts, I know!)
Pat

 

Once is OK, Just dont say it 3 times

 

Here’s a link to Dave Franklin’s photo web site. With a few photos taken from Ropley showing 35018 British Indian Line and 34105 Swanage at the far end of Ropley yard back in the early 1980s

https://www.nightrail.photography/Preserved-Steam/Scanned-Transparencies/i-6p2p6F9

 

Kilmersdon, Kilmersdon, Kilmersdon.

 

Nooooooo He's doomed us all to Hell.
I'm sure the person with the Peckett fetish will be along , soon ,

 

Just adding to the suffering of The Inhabitants of Hell

 

The Standard Travel Timetable has been released on the website, its different to how it was before.
Train services restart on the 19th March with a 1 train service

 

Actually it's pretty much the pre COVID rover timetable rather than the curated COVID timetable with specific train and seat.

Biggest difference I can see is that almost all ALS departures are standardised on the half hour.

 

It were a bitingly cold day atop the hill yesterday as the faithful gathered for operation Palvan......

The Palvan was the main focus as it needs to be made fit for traffic, so the newly sourced buffers were lifted into place with a hydraulic hoist, bolted up & then smartened up.

Underneath the van, some derusting & red oxiding took place ready for painting next weekend.

Elsewhere, some more prep work took place on LMS box van M517317 with ply sheeting being removed from various places, sadly revealing rather spongy timbers - hopefully with the ply now removed, these will dry out sufficiently to be saved, otherwise we're looking at firewood........

Sadly muggin's 'ere wasn't there to help out as I was out along with @Hampshire Unit 'playing' the the 7F & the troublesome trucks - I think we'd both have preferred to be atop the hill for the day, as we would've been able to seek warmth & a hot brew as and when!

To say it just seemed to get colder as the day went on is an understatement, despite all our running round trying to herd cats (sic) - but at least the gallery enjoyed themselves & the crews played a blinder, which more than made up for us freezing our nuts off!!!!

Some pics from the day......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51921594933/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51921503676/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51921599018/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51920533637/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51921595858/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51921500611/in/dateposted-public/

 

This weeks video looks at one of the railways Wickham trollies.

 

Saw it earlier, fair play to Will for shining a light on something that’s unsung, yet essential.

 

Having ridden in this the other week I can confirm it is a splendid vehicle....an article on this will appear in the next Mid Hants News

 

Isn’t it alluded too there could be an opportunity to ride in it at some point?

 

It is, and all being well there might...

 

A two minute clip of the Mid-Hants Railway in 1996:



TTFN,

Ron.

 

Just checked and it has now been added to the Steam Gala page - rides in the Medstead yard on the trolley should be available Saturday and Sunday of the event.

https://watercressline.co.uk/spring-steam-gala/

 

Yesterday atop the hill started out chilly & windy, and later on warmed up although witha stiff breeze - or was that because we were working up a sweat, that it felt warm?.....

Any road, there were two targets in our sights yesterday..... namely Palvan B 782114 & LMS Van M517317. but other troublsome trucks also came on to the radar in light of last weeks charter.....

The Palvan was top of the list to finish off, as its due to be shunted into the rake in a few weeks time, so the buffers were given a coat ot black gloss to bring them in line & work was started underneath, finishing off the red oxiding & then applying dark grey undercoat - by the end of the day, we'd exhausted our supplies of red oxide, undercoat & gloss, so hopefully the midweek guys will remember to fetch some tins of each & finish the job......

Elsewhere, on the cattle van, the vac cylinder was isolated & bunged as it seems to have a reccuring problem of dragging brakes....... also it was reported by the guard that a vac pipe on the two plank was hissing, even though he was getting 21" on the gauge..... the two plank is coupled to the cattle van & it was discovered that the vac hose on the cattle van wasn't right - it was too far down the swan neck, this was rectified & so hopefully the problem has now been solved......

After that, work commenced on the LMS van..... namely stripping out the internal timbers on the corrugated ends to see what state they are in, a simple task by definition, but not practise - rusted screws & bolt heads both proving to be headaches, but progress was still made - the timbers that we think we can salvage seem to be in better nick than the side ones & on initial inspection, the corrugated ends seem to be in pretty good nick, but in need of derusting,cleaning up & painting.

We had planned to start taking the northside door apart, but ran out of time & also realised that to do this, we have to remove the country end northside timbers first!

Some more pics from last weeks charter.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51931011975/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51930725164/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51936333174/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51931011115/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51930724069/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/51929409727/in/dateposted-public/

Stored timbers drying out after being stripped the other week - how many can be saved remains to be seen.....



Country end timbers being removed to reveal the corrugated end in pretty good nick.



London end ones.





Northside London end timbers removed after having the bolts blown.

Note the fire fighting equipment sitting on the deck!!!



A gratuitous shot of the GPV basking in the afternoon sun!!