Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

I am the right Bryan the other one is an imposter.

And I have the Snowplough to prove it.

 

Sadly I have to report it isn’t the Ivatt. The grate fell in just before we were due off shed (cast rocking grate and the back section broke in three). So, to start with until we know what the rail conditions are like, it will be D8059 on the the rear.

 

Tom, yes, I've just started to think that too! Never mind, I'm always open for a bit of humour - my species of dinosaur are known for that.

Bryan

 

Oh dear. The cash comes into one pocket and almost immediately goes out again from the other pocket.

I just hope that 41312 can be sorted and got back into service soon. As I think that leaves just 35005 and 30506 now available for hauling normal service trains.

Bryan

 

Oops. My original comment was aimed at Ploughman but I managed to get the wording totally wrong. Later comments were aimed at The Gricing Owl not realising my original error.
I’ll crawl back into my hole now.

 

There are spares in stock, just being a one piece casting you can’t put it in with the engine hot, and it didn’t break until we were moving the loco onto the pit. Still at least it didn’t break out on the road, and the A4 managed quite happily without any help at all in the end.

 

No traffic jams today,a nice sunny afternoon and a nice run to Alton and back.

 

After last weeks 'fun' at the gala, it was back to day job atop the hill yesterday!

Currently we are still awaiting our next troublesome truck to come into the yard, which it is hoped will be this coming week.....

Soooo...... in the absence of something to tame, it was a day of odd jobs & maintenance - two of the guys had the task of wagon exams now that the rake is back in Bennett's for a short time, the milk tank was top of the agenda after a report of a loose axlebox cover after the gala.

Unsurprisingly 5 out of 6 boxes were full of water, but which box had a loose cover wasn't exactly clear, it took the two lads all day to do the exam on the milk tank, probably due to being a bit rusty on the process, and also frequent breaks due to passing trains......

Over in the yard, the BY van C has all but reached the end of its stay in that yard & we were asked by the midweek lot to help on a few jobs, but the one that took time wasn't even on the list, namely a sticking south side guards door, which isn't good, so after time spent looking at why & where it was sticking, a method was worked out as how to remedy it & hey presto, the door now no longer sticks.

Muggin's 'Ere somehow ended up with short straw of the day, namely removing two tarps from our intended victim so that it can be moved, a straight forward job normally, but not this time due to the amount of nylon string used and the complexity with which it had been applied - it took most of the day to to undo someone's overkill!!!!

As mentioned, frequent breaks were taken due to passing trains, and the A4 is a real credit to those that look after her, she looked & sounded good, and her trains were full of happy travelers!

Some pics from yesterday.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54849645065/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54849606778/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54849576904/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54849594944/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54848471382/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54849595169/in/dateposted-public/

And a few more from the gala.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54847874223/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54847864434/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54847930560/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54840263252/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54841449985/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54841123571/in/dateposted-public/

 

60007 is departing the railway and heading back to Crewe on Thursday morning:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U64266/2025-10-16/detailed

 

A grand day at the MHR yesterday with 60007 and 35005. Sun didn’t play ball until late in the day but happy with what I got.

2025-10-12 LNER A4 60007 ROOKWOOD LANE - MID HANTS 932 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-10-12 LNER A4 60007 NORTHSIDE LANE XING - MID HANTS 971 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-10-12 REBUILT MN 35005 ROPLEY - MID HANTS 898 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

2025-10-12 REBUILT MN 35005 NORTHSIDE LANE XING - MID HANTS 989 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

 

And a further request form me if I may please.

I hope to be getting a call back from the Mid Hants this afternoon, but just in case they get operational etc matters to deal with, it would help if anyone could let me know:

(a) Is 30506 still booked to be working on 15 and 16 October (Tomorrow and Thursday this week) please, as the website hasn't been updated from the SNG dates for last weekend.

(b) And picking up brother Don's request, (which is partly lost in his post above), are the locos booked for the 18th (Saturday) known yet? 35005 and 30506 would be ideal.

And Don, if you read this post very soon, I am just about to email you!

Thanks in advance,

Bryan

 

Yes and No - that is, 30506 is booked for 15/16, but locos for 18th not yet known.

 

Nick, many thanks. I have also just had the call back from the Mid-Hants . 30506 stays on the updated roster and that the weekend roster will be available Friday afternoon.

Bryan

 

With invaluable help here and from whoever was on the Mid-Hants enquiry 'phone line yesterday, for which I am very grateful, I had yet another great day with the S15 in a sort of BR 1960s condition - being numbered 30506 is such a hit with me!

I needed the weather exactly as it was today. Light wind and dull overcast, as the specific photo I went there to get was to be taken looking down, and the wrong side for the sun. And the dull day gave very even lighting with almost no shadows.

The photo I wanted was the S15, primarily a goods loco (but they did also handle passenger trains) passing the goods siding complete with crane and old wagon. I had two goes at that (11.00 and 13.00 ex Alresford) and this one is 30506 on the 13.00 with my Nikon 28-300 mm lens at 28 mm. On my Nikon D780. One day maybe it would be nice to get a goods train there - but for a charter it would need to be held there for maybe 15-20 minutes as there is just one very precise phot spot to get that shot from. And anyway I think most photters prefer action shots from the lineside - and why shouldn't they, superb results are obtained with such photography.

As for the route discs 30506 is carrying, I can't immediately place it as a via Alton routing - anyone got any ideas please?

My second shot below is of the 15.00 Alresford, with the Rookwood Lane Bridge area (part way between Ropley and Medstead and Four Marks) seemingly living up to its name!

If CanPac and the S15 are both out this Saturday I may well go down there again - with diversions for me as the A3 is shut both ways at the M25.

Bryan

 

I think the loco roster will be confirmed later/tomorrow. It might be the Ivatt on the Alton service though.

 

Could that be the Ivatt and 30506 please? But I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

That will see me down for a two train all steam service - albeit with me having to sort what route discs to put on the front of my car as the A3 is shut all weekend both ways at the M25.

And talking of route discs. Big Al, in another place (but not the House of Lords), reminds me the route discs on 30506 yesterday could well be from the days the loco worked from Feltham where it was based long-term. Nine Elms to Woking via Richmond and Chertsey on a parcels or freight could cover it. Stupid of me not to think that, but I was very tired last night. But that is really great for me as it enhances the story when I add the double page of 30506 in 2025, to my 1966 farewell to the class in my BR SR 1960s steam memoirs book. 1966 because one was kept to run a farewell railtour in January that year. So I have a bit of time until my designer gets to that chapter. Maybe opening up the chance of me emptying my piggy bank and buying sufficient places to make a 30506 goods train charter viable to prioritise spending a considerable time at Medstead and Four Marks station . To shunt and to make the above shot available to those of us who like to incorporate the relevant infrastructure that the Mid-Hants and it staff and volunteers have spent time and money to lovingly recreate - such a shame not to use it now it's there.

Oh, and my second shot. The birds are Pigeons and not Rooks!

Bryan

 

Sadly, based on the last few weeks it’s more likely to be 35005 and 41312. But we shall see later.