Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

No and in the dark you can see if it ejects a lot of hot cinders.

 

2999 at Alresford last night

Lady Lit Up at Alresford by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Show 'em how we Swindonites do things 2999!

 

Chuckle. I think it did last night. I'll let others expand on it.

 

Looks like the crew are huddled together to keep warm on a cold winter's night - aah, the romance of Swindon steam

 

Did it turn most of Hampshire to a burnt-out wasteland? judging by the sparks it appears to throw, but I bet the crew were frozen coming down the hill tender first, Oh the delights of Churchward era GWR,

 

Reading elsewhere that they had a few "teething troubles" with 2999 last night. One of the steam lights services left Alton nearly an hour late due to problems encountered with the Lady of Legend on the tender first positioning move. I fear it may be creating the wrong kind of legend in Hampshire. Hopefully things will improve.

Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

Probably not the right sort of clientele to be kept waiting an hour either. Not like a bunch of us at a gala.

 

Oh dear

 

If that was the 'party train' then apparently the clientele contributed by pulling the cord just as the train was about to get underway again. And as to the state they left train in, and the alcohol-fuelled abuse, I think we would be better off without their custom.
Pat

 

It were a F F F Fresh morning atop the hill yesterday as five like minded souls conviened in the comfort of the mess room for a brew and breakfast before venturing down the yard to our workshop van........

There wasn't a to-do list as such, but we had unfinished business from last week!

One of our number got volunteered to sand back some more cladding planks in the relative warmth of the CCT......

Top of the list was to weld together two lengths of 2" angle iron, and then cut the length to fit where the life expired angle iron was, so that we could then start trimming the floor planks to suit.....

Muggins here carried on with taking the main northside door runner back to bear metal - all fine & dandy until the wind picked up & the temperature dropped thanks to the wind chill.

Amongst other things the top beam on the north side was assessed, even though its not load bearing, it will need a section replacing due to being sopping wet & therefore rotten!!!

By the end of the day, the main door runner was almost cleaned up, the new piece of 2" angle was in place with bottom door guides trial fitted - small steps, but imprtabt ones!

For some reason I didn't take any pics this week, probably due to having too much fun........

So here's some of last nights steamy lighty trains.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52541454487/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52541916216/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52541916471/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52541915946/in/dateposted-public/

 

There is an excellent video on YouTube from the Southerner channel covering Fridays services. Stills below from the video show the fireworks from the exhaust of the Saint. Link to video also attached.




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Slippy conditions tonight...if you look carefully you can see a class 20 or two at the back of the train

Saint Rinbow by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

At least something different, was shown in the MHR video, could be most of the party clientele are well behaved and enjoyed it?.
No doubt the MHR management are seeing how it pans out and if to continue with the party lights trains?.

 

A mention about 34058 on the Southern Locomotives website:https://southern-locomotives.co.uk/News/news.html

Seems like a collaborative restoration agreement could happen, which if it comes off will be great news for both organisations and 34058.

 

Links have been posted in a couple of threads to the SLL website saying that there is news about something to do with 34058.
Yet on the webpage linked to, there is no mention of 34058!

 

It is there:

 

Probably need to refresh the page. Happened to me earlier.

 

If it were fresh atop the hill last Saturday, yesterday it were kin freezing, being -4 when we pitched up!!!

Still, after a warming brew & brekkie, it was time to carefuly wand our way to our workshop vehicles at the end of the yard..... gaining entry was 'fun' as both locks were frozen, and as it turned out, the hinges,making opening doors interesting! After we'd finally got in, the locks & hinges were given some WD40 for next time.

After that, two of our number set themselves up in the CCT with heaters and got on with the ballache that is sanding back cladding planks to bare. The three of us left seemed to have picked the short straw as we were out side....... but still, LMS van M517317 beckoned....... well, once we'd managed to convince frozen ratchets that they really did want to release!!!

That done & the tarp moved out the way, any lumps of metal or wood sitting on the floor planks were got out the way, as we needed to lift the floor planks to remove the angle irons as the plan was to fix these in place, so that the floor planks could be trimmed to fit, allowing for for bolts etc....

And so the fun began..... the cold making things slower than we'd have liked,but as planks were lifted, angles removed, holes drilled, and then bolted into place it gave us the chance to spot potential future problems and discuss various work arounds for when we eventually start to refit the cladding.....

When the angles were finally in place, it was a case of measuring each plank on the country end to allow for the above, but more importantly allow for a breather gap.

That basically took us to the end of the day, plus the lads in the warmth of the CCT had amde in roads into the mountain of cladding that needs sanding back!!

A few pics of yesterdays goings on.....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52556964345/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52556792599/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52556043837/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/52557037063/in/dateposted-public/

A frosty yard.



One of the angles, unseen, bolted into place.


Country end floor planks, now level and with a breather gap.

 

The kids had fun tonight on the 1555 departure from Alton with 7F 53808 performing well in the sub-zero temperatures. We passed the 1540 from Alresford at Medstead with 47579 leading and the GWR Saint 2999 on the rear.

On the return journey we passed the Saint at Ropley with no sign of the 47, assuming it had been left at Alton. Didn't look for it once we got back to Alton, but decided to drive over to close to Medstead and Four Marks to watch the next trains pass.

I was then very surprised to see the 1800 from Alresford with the Saint leading, but with the 47 tagged on the rear. I've no idea how this happened, the 47 was either left at Ropley outside the station on the previous run and then attached again, ran light loco and we passed it at Medstead without me realising, or someone picked it up like a OO model!

If anyone on the ground knows what happened it would put my mind at rest.