Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

We were late, and trying not to be.

 

Just to clarify… no S15s were harmed in the making of this noise, or the subsequent departure from Ropley. Indeed Barry (ULS engineer) said he’d enjoyed the departure (with the 47 trying to keep up) though he did ask if I needed any 3/4inch bolts for the chimney

 

CanPac events start inside a week.

Anyone here connected with the Mid Hants know when a timetable for the 21 March will be issued please? I'm planning to stay on after Don and I enjoy a return run on the 11.00, the first public train. That will certainly bring back memories of that incredible night on 15 May 1965. And I'm rather hoping 34072 will still be at the Mid-Hants before it heads to Swanage, and will also be working on 21 March.

Bryan

 

I am also attending on the 21st with my Dad and Sister. We are travelling on the 13.00 departure with CanPac.
Going by the current website info the blue two train service is in operation for this event with CanPac on the Alresford set. I think earlier on the thread it was stated that 34072 should be on the other set.


Edit: here is the earlier post about the roster for the CanPac event:
https://www.national-preservation.com/index.php?posts/2907403
Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

I think I heard a comment at Ropley today that next weekend was the final one for 34072 on the Mid Hants.

Cheers, Neil

 

One from today, 506 on fine form.

506 at Arleside by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

LatestWTT for 21st indeed has 2 train service, 35005 on Alresford set 11:00 13:00 15:00 and 34072 on Alton set 10:50 12:50 14:50

 

It would seem Dear Reader, that Spring hasn't yet sprung, the grass hasn't riz & the bird ain't on the wing......... to say it were a tad parky atop the hill yesterday! Yes that strange ball was back in the sky, but the wind that blew had a nasty bite on it, so much so that painting was out of the question, as it was just too cold!

That meant Me Oppo had himself & most of the other lads continuing with wagon exams, and later on, sorting out the brake blocks on BR std 20t brake B953701, as the blocks had lipped & needed grinding back.

That left Muggin's 'Ere & Me Mucker to spend the morning in the warmth of the mess room doing a load of paperwork , after which our brains ached, but it was something that needed doing & we were 'it' as no other bugga could do it !

So after that, the afternoon was spent pottering around the LMS van, working various things out, and realising that there's more to do on the van than meets the eys, and until the weather improves, progress is going to be slow...........

No pic's of progress, as there's nowt visible to show at the mo....... so some pic's of the passing trains....... which leaves me to say to @21B, I generally tend to know when you're on the footplate, just from the noise the loco is making, so you could say, 'I was expecting you!' and, yes, I suppose, they're 'OK' photo's from last week of the S15.......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54390529058/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54389424457/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54390301521/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54389425082/in/dateposted-public/

 

In reply to my email MHR told me 1345 and 1545 ex Alresford. How is entry to the 35005 trains going to be controlled if other trains are mixed up with them?

 

Several firemen have told me I use less steam than others. I think with the S15 especially the trick is to balance the steam usage between cut off and regulator focussing first on how well the steam is exhausting, not how well it is admitted. The loco will then pull very hard whilst using less steam. The consequence though is lots of noise. Ah well can’t have everything I suppose

 

An S15 only has three regulator positions. Shut, start (pilot valve) and fully open. With any intermediate position the reg handle gets too hot and I don't wear gloves.

 

I found several sturdy gauntlets lineside today, obviously neither were yours!

 

The Alton set/shuttle leaves Alresford at thsose times- what date are you going?

 

Fully open is hopeless on a Urie S15. It simply fills the steam chest and overwhelms the exhaust passages (which have no internal smoothing for flow) with the result that there is tremendous back pressure, the exhaust goes muted and the engine uses more steam for less pull. I find that about 2/3 regulator is the best and then drive on the reverser. That does mean that the handle is roughly in the middle of the backhead right above the door . I usually have a thick cloth to hand!!

 

What the difference between a Urie and a Maubsell S15? Both 825 & 841* were generally driven on full regulator on the NYMR. 1st valve was pretty useless except for starting as it was too small. Cut off was usually 45-50% going up the bank with 7 on. but could be wound well back on the easier grades (c20%)
*841 morphed into 825 with the different chassis having the same boiler.

 

We are on the 1100 on 21st

 

The Maunsell ones were "Ashfordised". Boiler pressure went up from 180 to 200psi (though I think in time they all standardised on 200psi); cylinder diameter went down from 21" to 20.5"; valve travel went up from 5-1/8" to 6-9/16" and valve lap increased from 1" to 1.5" (on a N15 / King Arthur; I assume the S15s were the same); larger cylinder ports; larger diameter steam pipes, "improved draughting" (as per Bradley); deeper ashpan, Maunsell pattern superheater; different cab profile to fit the SR combined loading gauge.

Someone (might have been Clive Groome) once told me that if you had a semi-fast passenger or van train, the Maunsell ones were better, but if you had a big slogging unfitted train, the Urie ones were better. Which I suspect makes sense.

Tom

 

Thanks Tom.

 

Off topic, but with the bits from 830/841 is there still the potential for another being brought together, or has that now been shelved indefinitely?

Chris

 

Going back a good while, the boiler from 830 was being actively worked on, ostensibly as a replacement for 825 when it became due for overhaul but the conversations I had indicated that 830 could be overhauled in its own right as an alternative way of keeping a loco available. However, the passing of the boiler smith ( Roy Haines) put a stop to the boiler work. Together with the passing of Chris Parrish, suspect the whole idea has been abandoned but I don’t know.