Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Steam Illuminations service continued through storm Darragh. The talking trees at Alresford did suffer a bit of damage though.
Took this as the last service returned to Alresford

Reflected Glory by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

I'm somewhat of a purist and you don't need me to list the numerous reasons why this isn't an authentic recreation of the steam age, but I really like this picture - so full of atmosphere.

 

Some of what happens on heritage railways is intended as an authentic recreation of the steam age, but a large amount is not, for various good reasons.

 

Hats off to you for lying in puddle! I still think you’re nuts

 

Very little I would suggest as everything is too clean or too well cared for. At least from how I remember it.

 

I'm sure you can appreciate that there are good reasons for railways portraying the environment as being a bit better kept than at some points in the railway's history!

 

Indeed I do, but proves that a "recreation" can only go so far.

 

To be fair Simon, I wasn't actually IN the puddle, merely lying on the damp platform!

 

It looked from my standpoint like there had been an unfortunate occurrence, and we would be needing the services of Hercule Poirot. I wondered if somehow we had merged with the murder mystery trains!

 

Tickets now available for the return of 35005.

I have booked on the first public train on March 21st. Pity it’s not May 15th a never to be forgotten night celebrated each year by the few of us who were there apart from one who has gone to the engine shed in the sky. Sadly two of the footplate crew are also no longer with us but the fireman still is

 

Sorry this is posted on the wrong thread. Maybe the mods can move it

 

Yes, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. If railways completed recreated the 1900s or 1930s or 1950s or whatever era you pick, I don't think they'd be attractive enough to Joe Public in order to attract enough passengers for them to function as charitable businesses. Imagine trying to convince a family that they should come and have a day on a steam railway, that couldn't take card payments, where they were required to change their decimal currency into shillings, that they couldn't use their phone to take photos or entertain the kids, that the food on offer was limited to the cuisine on offer 100 years ago - I don't think people would come.

At the end of the day, railway services in the 1900s or 1930s or whatever were, fundamentally, railway companies operating services with the locos and stock at hand over the routes they had responsibility for in a way that was designed to bring money in to allow the railway to operate and invest in its future. You could make the argument that, as that is what heritage railways are currently doing, they are recreating (at least in spirit) what historical railway companies were doing a century or more ago

 

Have we missed an update from the Duty Druid?
Or were they blown away?

 

While "in the day" there were specials, I think that this argument for specials like train of lights, Santa, etc. is a bit of a stretch.

The pre-nationalisation companies were commercial bodies running a public service; the extras were about gaining marginal revenue to boost profitability.

 

That wasn't the point I was trying to make. The point I was trying to make was that a 'normal' running day on a heritage railway, while you could nitpick about whether the loco or stock or condition of the platforms are as they would have been 100 years ago or not, are actually doing a good job of recreating the 'spirit' and 'vibe' of what a railway system operated by steam would have been like. Plus we shouldn't critique them too strongly for making what are, ultimately, sound financial decisions for part of the year in order to make sure their coffers are full enough to be able to run the services that are closer to the 'spirit' and 'vibe' of steam-age rail travel

 

On that, I violently agree. Especially when @Jamessquared has effectively shown how mixed the visual identities were across eras, undermining the idea of there being a “pure” BR c 1960 image (other companies and eras are available).

 

Me too Don!

WEDGIE aka Bryan aka etc etc etc . . . . . . .

 

I can confirm he is still alive as I spoke to him Saturday night and had a whats app exchange today!

 

Does anyone know the latest is on the status of 73096?

 

Currently waiting for it's turn in the overhaul queue. With 35005 outshopped early next year hopefully 73096 might slot in to the Ropley MPD overhaul schedule.
At the moment it is behind 34007, 75079 and 499 in the queue. 92212 has also returned to Ropley for the current overhaul to be completed.