Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

This Dear Reader is a very hard post to write due to the nature of yesterday atop the hill, as those gathered over breakfast were in a buoyant mood and looking forward to the day ahead and making strides with our workshop PMV.......

However, the mood was soon dashed as we made our way to the bottom of the yard and finding things that shouldn't have been there, ie power tools....... the first thoughts were 'what had midweek been playing at?' but we soon found out the cause - our workshop CCT had been turned over.

That meant Muggin's 'Ere somehow found himself responsible for having to deal with it, so bang went any plans & up went the stress levels!

Muggin's then spent most the day either on the phone or waiting for it to ring meaning any actual input into getting the PMV back was minimal, never mind any shots of the Ivatt or S15......

Plus getting past from pillar to post between Hampshire Constabulary and the BTP did me nut in, but we got there eventually - never mind having to keep the Bod on duty updated!

I won't go into detail as to what we found, but suffice to say the scumbags who did this have severely impeded our ability to work, thankfully they didn't manage to take everything which meant we could get bits done, but what we couldn't do was make the CCT secure until CSI had paid a visit & pay a visit they did, which surprised us all! But then again she was a closet steam fan thanks to her dad.

Once she'd done her job the lads cracked on with making the van secure, on top of that a bit of progress was made with the PMV, two panes of glass were refitted along with the beading, which is definitely unique to each window opening, and some bracing was added to the backs of the fitted ply sheets.

See, even in the face of adversity, we can still get things done!

Now, to be serious for a minute, the scumbags who did this will be lucky to get a tenner at a car boot per tool, but at a rough guesstimate, it's going to cost us circa 4k to replace all that's been taken!

This is where the Mid Hants Wagon Group needs you, more than ever as we're a self funded group and something like this is a massive shock to system, as well a hit on our finances!!!

We will have our sales stand in the waiting room on the down platform at Medstead with plenty of goodies on offer including pre loved (god I hate that term!!!) model loco's wagon's, carriages & even buses, along with cast iron wagon plates and our limited edition coal wagons "A Curtis "of Alresford & "Charles Archer" of Alton & I'm sure there's a deal to be had for the two..... plus I'm sure there'll be other stuff you never you knew you needed until you saw it.

BUT if none of that tempts you, we will will welcome any donation large or small to help us replace the numerous power tools we've lost & if you mention when handing over any hard earned it's to replace what we've lost I'm sure the lads on the sales stand will thank you over and over, as we know you love to see our freight train running & that's why we do it.

Anyhoo, it was nice to see @21B trundling past on the S15 with a friendly wave & little did he know what Muggin's was have to deal with. And for once I did actually manage to pick the camera up, but not until the evening, so a few pics from then.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55554313695/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55552901947/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55554026603/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55552903502/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55553927731/in/dateposted-public/

The second of two windows to be fitted, making the body sides more weather proof......



The bracing fitted to the backs.

 

@Duty Druid it nice to see you too. I had no idea what was going on. How dreadful. As you say…scumbags.

 

That's awful, the scrotes not caring about anyone else, just to get a bit of cash for themselves.
( Being in a group who had a pile of non ferrous components taken a few years ago, I know just how you feel.)

Neil

 

@Duty Druid - Sorry to hear that awful news.

 

That's terrible. Is there a way of contributing directly?

 

The latest YouTube video in the loop is now available to watch.

 

https://watercressline.co.uk/special-days/ivatt-farewell-weekend/

 

We have booked on the final run on Sunday 24th. The discount code issued at the Gala for the Ivatt Farewell event is not valid for the final train but it works on all of the other trains for 23rd and 24th January. Seating is limited for this event (appears to be 78 seats available in standard class and 78 in first class for each service with 41312).

Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

After last weekends exertions and the subsequent deluge of emails flying around as the group gets to grips with working out what we've lost, Muggin's 'Ere needed a day away from the yard!

So, yesterday was a day spent ballast yomping during the gala.

@5801 apologies for not replying sooner, but I've been waiting for our group Chairman to get back from a holibob, so that anyone who wasn't able to visit our sales stand atop the hill over the gala, can if they still wish, contribute to our fighting fund..... our bank details as as follows.

NatWest

Mid Hants Wagon Group

Sort code 51 61 09

A/c No. 70028419

And please put power tools as the comment, thank you in anticipation.......

As I type, I have yet to hear as to how successful our sales stand has been, so at this point I will just say a big thank you to anyone who came and saw us and contributed to our fighting fund as without your support, we can't do what we do!

So, a few picks from the yomp....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55568433771/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55568434596/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55568587529/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55568843010/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55568434176/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55568543043/in/dateposted-public/

 

Done. I hope things are looking up now.

 

Is anyone able to confirm what is running on Thursday at the mid hants? Had a look on the website but no information relating to this week
Thank you in advance
Matt

 

4247 is rostered to run both Thursday and Friday in addition to the 150 unit.

 

Thank you much appreciated

all the best
Matt

 

It's that time of year where you just don't know how many layers to put on...... having seen the forecast for yesterday, Muggins 'Ere opted for the lesser option, got into a nice soon to be warm car with heated seat only to reach the other end wishing he'd opted for sleeved garments, as it was a tad on the fresh side atop the hill!

Still, the day did warm up, eventually.

So, after the usual excellent breakfast baps from Loaf, banter and a catch up, it was time to do battle with the workshop PMV....... me Oppo & Matey had the task of trying to remove the country end, south side doors intact........ cue lots of banging & crashing as everything resisted!

Still, by the end of play, the doors were off, the steel work was cleaned up and red oxided.

Two of the lads were tasked with checking the state of the underside of the roof, this involved the use of sanders - even more noise!

They're investigations revealed that the roof is basically sound, but a few areas will need attention.

That left Muggin's 'Ere & Me Mucker to made a start on the new doors for the London end, except communication was proving difficult inside the van, due to the amount of noise being generated, meaning we couldn't hear ourselves think! So in and out of the van it was, measuring & checking things for the Nth time, yes we know we keep doing this, but we've only got one shot at it to get it right, plus our method of construction is different to existing...

Once happy with what we were doing, it was time to cut the first sheet - a simple task, but made more difficult thanks to lowlifes helping themselves to the tools we need!

Hand sawing takes ages....... still, we fashioned the first piece, and then the fun began...... If you think hanging a door at home is a ball ache, try hanging a lump of wood in the air to see if you've got things right, with nothing to support it, and then hold it up to fresh air in the hope that it looks right on the hinge straps!

Well, that's what Muggin's & Me Mucker did, and even though it took us a long time, do you know what, we did it!

After that it was a case of drilling more holes and fitting more bolts where they were needed.

@5801 and to anyone else who has contributed towards replacing the missing power tools, on behalf of the whole group, I'd like to say thank you very much for your generosity.

We aren't out of the woods yet, as we're still in the process of working out exactly what's been taken and it's replacement value, but we will get there soon enough.

Didn't manage to pic the camera up yesterday, as too busy hanging lumps of wood up to fresh air, so a few more from that Saturday.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55578924143/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55577782812/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55579228480/in/dateposted-public/

Progress.