Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Would love that to happen.

 

Don’t forget to add a Bulleid light pacific to that line up to make the perfect S&D gala.

 

30925 has a couple of unrelated issues today but completed the day .
First was a leaking pipe repaired on shed during the lunch layover ,then a non working injector at Alton before the final trip to Alresford .

 

A pedant writes: Good, or even excellent, but without a 2P, 'perfection' is unattainable!

 

Well, we were overdue for a mention of a 2P.

 

Just something else for the train engine to push up the hill
Pat

 

From everything said about 'em, it's amazing they were built as late as they were, let alone lasting into the (early) 1960s!

 

My loco for today

 

I can't quite make out if you are smiling in this shot...
"Cheltenham" at Easter by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

It did look good

To be fair, 41312 also deserves a mention. I thought it looked very impressive hauling a luggage van and 3 green coaches.

Well done to the Mid-Hants Railway ....and to the weather <BJ>

 

I

I was

 

They say summer comes soonest in the South & it certainly did yesterday, as three like minded souls gathered atop the hill yesterday to resume trying to tame some troublesome trucks........

Various items were on the to-do list, but after a brew & a breakfast bap all round, we had a small diversion to make....... namely to assist in the tarping of the Maunsell Ironclad BTK in the Meon.....

So off we set looking forward to something a little different & also in the Knowledge that we were assisting in keeping a society assest in as good a nick as it can be!

Lets just say, the exercise took a lot longer than envisaged due to helping retrive bits of it from the bank!!!

Sooo...... after a late return to the yard & an extremely late lunch, we set to on the to-do list.....

We'd been set a challenge by one of number - could we get the London end vent off LMS van 517317 without having to cut the bolts/screws off?.... challenge accepted! & by the end of the day, the vent & its backing plate were off with only two screws being lost!!

Another on the list was to put a 2nd coat on the newly fitted Oleo's on the Shoc van - nice & easy & it was also decided to bring the bit of the solebar they sit on into line, as it would look daft to have two freshy painted buffers stick out the proverbial **** on a fish! So job, jobbed & it'll look just right when it joins the rake for the up coming gala!

Next job was to remove more of the floor planks to that more of the chassis could be sorted & painted with red oxide - so bolts were either persuaded to come loose or were ground off & punched through, the latter being the more popular given most were rusted solid & all to try & preserve as many timbers as possible........ which unfortunately didn't happen, as most were either riddled with woodworm or full of mould, or just crumbled when you got hold of them! Though two half decent ones were kept as templates!

Once the timbers had been removed, accessible areas were given the wire brush treatment & then red oxided - some areas were left, as they will need the attention of the angle grinder with wire brush!!

All in all a busy & fulfiilling day, as we all left happy but tired.

A couple of pics of yesterdays service trains which were well loaded & good to see @Stinch again!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52010535146/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52011048310/in/dateposted-public/

The freshly painted buffers & solebar on the Shoc van.



The inside of LMS van M517317 with the vent & mesh removed, didn't get a pic of the outside, as the tarp went straight back over!


One of the woodworm infested floor timbers, with a glimpse of a mould infested one, also with woodworm - how the hell these were still intact is a mystery!!



More of the chassis in red oxide, though we yet to get underneath & sort that out.....

 

A few taken whilst helping with lineside strimming near Wanders /Rookwood lane today

41312 at Rookwood Lane by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

"Cheltenham" on a bank holiday Monday by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

41312 at Bowers Grove Lane bridge by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Some advertised diesel running for Vintage Vehicles weekend. On the Ropley diagram Sat/Sun (21/22 May) only. Friday is only a 1 train (steam) service.

 

Three 2-8-0 locomotives on shed at Ropley yesterday: 53808 and two visitors for next week's Gala 2857 and 48305.

 

Great to see which way round both visiting locos are facing.

 

Crack-a-lackin! 2857! Here I come!

 

Wonder if they’re reminiscing about their time in a certain scrapyard in South Wales?