Mid-Hants Railway | Watercress Line | Spring Steam Gala 24th-26th April 2026

I haven't been having much luck with accessing the forum over the last couple of days but now I can get on I would belatedly like to add my thanks to everyone involved with operating another superb Gala.
We visited Friday and Saturday and really enjoyed ourselves. As others have said 73156 is a cracking loco. My favourite loco of the event closely followed by FR No.20.
Highlights of the two days were:
watching 73156 storm through Ropley with the Freight (Fri), Travelling behind 73156 on the last round trip of the day (Fri) listening to that crisp exhaust beat, travelling on the last steam run of the day (Sat) on the Miniature railway behind Ivor which featured parallel running with FR No.20 climbing into Ropley and the crews exchanging whistles and a very spirited run behind 30506 on the last round trip of the day on Saturday when she was bedecked in the special ULS 50 years headboards made in the style of the S15 Commemorative Railtour from 1966. I think the crews and the old girl thought they were on Rail Tour duty going by the pace of the runs up Medstead Bank!