Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Wow, can’t believe it was that long ago.

 

And no sign of the S and T cabinet that is now on the embankment!

 

From the same gala in 2012

M7 at sunset by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

I was on the RAT last night, and we only did Alton-Ropley. Understand that there were some problems at Alresford. Anyone have the details?

 

Not sure what has happened but the timetable for today has been changed: the scheduled shuttle service is not operating. Now only a one train service between Alresford and Alton. The service change came up on the Watercress Line twitter account yesterday.

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I didn't think I heard the train last night- admittedly only got back from visiting relatives later in the evening.

 

It were a slow day atop the hill yesterday, with just four hardy souls in attendance......

Me Oppo & his mucker were busy with paint brushes........ namely flattening back the door runner for LMS van M517317, and bringing it up to 2nd undercoat, and then doing the same under meat van to the area of the chassis where the vac cylinder sits, before they got the gloss out and got going on the meat van buffers and under frame.....

That left Muggin's 'ere and me mucker to work out just how we were going to extract the remains of the securing bolts for the roof hoops on the LMS van, that we'd hacked off last week, without damaging the external baton which impedes their removal.......... a lot of head scratching and debate followed before we were brave enough to attempt the removals........ thankfully our chosen method worked, and what was left of the badly corroded bolts were removed - and given the amount of corrosion in the bolts, it also means that the original holes they occupied are now larger than they were - this means that we now need collars with a thin flange for the new bolts to sit in........

After that it was time to finally get round to working out the amounts of different sized bolts we're going to need to final fit everything to the van, as most of the bolts currently holding things in place, are only temporary....... throw in the fact that we still have more holes to drill of various sizes, and fit things we haven't even made yet, and its easy to see why it took us the best part of an afternoon to figure out more or less what we're going to need & there's a lot of them!!!

Sorry, no progress picks - just totally forgot!

But I did find time to pick up the camera..........

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Doesn’t time fly these days. It only seems like yesterday since 30053 visited the Railway but this wasn’t the first time 30053 made a visit. You need to go back to 1993 when it made a visit and then again in 1995. Also worked a photo charter on the 1995 visit and was renumber as long lost classmate 30479 for a photo charter. Did any forum members attend this photo charter? It would be great to see some photos from the photo charter.

 

The Drummond Society seem to be making progress with 30053's overhaul at Swanage.
http://drummondlocos.co.uk/tales.htm
Hopefully the website will be updated soon and the loco will be back working various galas and photo charters.

 

It would make a lot of sense, given that the LMS apparently studied a set of LN class drawings when the Scots were being designed! (The GWR having refused to let them see the Castle class drawings.)

Going off topic here, but I've sometimes wondered whether BR should have transferred the Nelsons to the LM region in the 1950s. The LM were apparently short of top-link express locomotives, whilst the Southern was over-supplied with Bulleid Pacifics; but although the latter were offered to other regions, they were reluctant to take them on due to their idiosyncratic features. The LNs were so similar to the Royal Scots that you'd think LM crews would have been able to cope with them, and it might have been another means to achieve a more even distribution of class 7 motive power. Perhaps the idea just never occurred to them?

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We’re off into Whiffery country (and nothing to do with the Mid Hants) but would an extra non standard (to the LMR) 4-6-0’s have made any difference? For an example how easy would it have been to modify the tenders to fit water scoops?

 

Would they have modified the tenders or just given them new LMS / BR designs with scoops?

Also, it is confirmed that the Scots were based on LN drawings or is that a myth? I swear I've heard suggestions that it didn't actually happen...

 

Good points but again what’s this to do with the Mid Hants?

 

Well obviously it's determining the historical alternative reality accuracy of a scenario where Lord Nelson is restored to operation at the Mid Hants but has to go for a period without its tender and so the Mid Hants borrows a tender from its out of traffic Black 5 or Standard 5 or Standard 4 until 850's tender is available. Wasn't that obvious?

 

So what livery’s it going to be then?
I’m all for LMR Crimson

 

Yesterday atop the hill was one of those days that went backwards right from the get go.......... and all thanks to the bakers not opening on time!

By the time we'd had breakfast, we were already late on parade, and were struggling to get going, and given the predicted weather forecast, inside or under cover jobs were top of the list.......

Out of the five like minded nutters gathered, one drew the lucky straw working in the warmth and dry, and out of the wind in the CCT, carrying on with getting the internal cladding planks for LMS van M517317 into second undercoat, though it seems we've now been relegated to using Leyland paint, as that's all that was available....... not a wise move as its probably the worst paint you can use....... that's if you can call it paint, as its horrible to use, doesn't apply well and takes an age to dry, and the finish is not good - thankfully it's only being applied to planks that once inside will never be affected by the weather!!!

Two others had the 'fun' job of starting to refit the brake rigging to the meat van......... there were still some bits to clean up and fettle before they were trial fitted, taken back down, greased, and then final fitted.

That left Muggin's 'Ere & me Oppo with the job of refitting the two refurbed roof hoops in the LMS van......... turned out to be an absolute ball ache, as the roof had sagged, not by a lot, but enough to throw the hoops out of kilter......... thank god for acrow props!!

It took the best part of the day to get them up & bolted and screwed into place, during which time, we had rain, wind, hail, some snow and sunshine - all that was missing was thunder and lightening!!!

In amongst all this, @Dunfanaghy Road paid us a visit on Urie business, all will be revealed at a later date......... was nice to meet you Pat.

On top of that, it was good to see 506 out and about for the first time this year, looking and sounding good!

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We're hardy souls who turn up regardless of what the weather throws at us!


The brake rigging going back together on the meat van.



The first two refurbed roof hoops back on place.

 

An S15 in the rain sort of day today

 

Another cracker from Will and the team…

 

Imagine if those lines had not been axed, would they have prospered? but it shows what the MHR can do with suitable engines and stock, I agree with Will, there's something magical to just sit on the station bench after the last public train, taking in the sights and sounds, when out of nowhere a clank as the signal clears, bells ring and out of the gloom, comes the belle, you watch it roll past, then disappear into the gathering. dark, then all is still again.

 

There was a reason I once changed Manors at Arley one SVR ASG at 4 in the morning for those same sort of things Martin!