MHR steam galas March & Sept 2009

That is twice you've had a dig about 88. Does it really matter?
It's the only loco in prussian blue and she looks fantastic. End of the day they both sound the same when riding behind them, if it really spoils your photos so much, why not make them black & white or sepia?

I also notice you had no problems taking photos of 30075, a non british loco in a british livery used for shunting hauling a rake of coaches. Surely that should be just as bad in your eyes?

I rate you highly as a photographer, but it's little remarks like that that irritate me.

 

Here's a couple from yesterday.

First time ive been to the Mid Hants in ages.. excellent impressions and a nice long ride between stations !
Everything was around 10 minutes late and slipped towards 20 by the end of the day, but ended on time.
No failures.
Only down point was Ropley shed, really it reminded me of Barry Scrapyard when I was a kid.. sad thing is.. I remember these working.. but I wasnt alive in 68 !

 

I totally agree that it looks great. But that's not the point it'd probably look great in Apple Green or SR Olive, it's all wrong!

It was never in that livery... What next Bulleid coaches in chocolate and cream!

Of course this all depends what you want from your photography. If you're after historical accuracy (i.e. correct trains with correct stock etc) then unfortunately 88 doesn't cut it, whereas 53809 is awesome.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't phot 88 (I think you'll find a phot of 88 at Swanage on my website) it just means my preference is for the one in the correct livery. As for the fake Yankee Tank,at least it's in the livery for what it's trying to recreate.

All this is just my opinion and I'm more than happy for others to disagree!

A slightly different angle is that if railways bring in locos that are historically accurate for the lrolling stock they are likely to make decent money fromt photocharters. A charter with 88 at the MHR wouldn't attract anyone, one with 53809 would sell out in rapid time.

 

Can I ask why 30075 was only hauling 2 coaches at the gala? These USA Tanks are capable of more than this.

 

You can only get two coaches and the USA tank in the head shunt at Ropley. You may have seen them stabling the loco and two coaches there between the down service trains.

 

I forgot to ask. Did anyone manage to photograph 92212 & 850 together on Saturday late afternoon?

 

There's a good video clip of the gala taken on Saturday, even my Dad and I have been caught on camera from about 6:00 onwards watching the Super D tender first. I'm the one with the red top on the ladder and my Dad is standing next to me in the white jacket, fame atlast lol!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha29Pihn4e4

 

I totally agree that 88 looks fantastic. I normally prefer engines to be in a prototypical livery but as no engines survive that can carry S&D blue and be accurate I think that the WSR made the right decision when they put 88 in blue. If 88 were in black then the experience of seeing prussian blue would be limited to models; excellent in its way, but so much better on a full size engine!

Looking forward to the WSR gala!:smt023

Regards

 

Yes, I have nice video shot but not sure when I'll get a chance to unload it from the camera and onto the web - no promises...

 

The decision to put it in Prussian blue was the owners who are the SDJR trust not the WSR.

 

I think that the idea of this was to give the punters a glimpse of a couple of locos which normally reside up 'the headshunt of doom' - of course there will have to be a new name for this now given the recent news on 34105 and 76017

 

I was there on my first visit to the MHR on the Saturday and tried on each run past to see what locos were in "the headshunt of doom" - does anyone have a full list ??

Thanks in advance

 

N Class 31874
U class 31625
S15 30828
S15 30506
USA Tank? 30076

 

Did you enjoy your weekend on the Super D, then? How did you find it?

 

Standard 4 No. 75079 aswell?

 

It took a couple of trips to get used to it, but I enjoyed the experience (luckily the weather was dry). I was getting some nice sounds out of it too. Pain in the a*** having the lever for the drain cocks on the fireman's side though.

 

Hi - unrelated but... little film I made at Alresford of the Gala on Sat 12 Sept, might be of interest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-MblDDQvk

Cheers Geralldus

 

I actually quite like the new look site although I think they should have a Southern Loco on the banner rather than Bittern. Don't get me wrong its a lovely shot and looks good. I just think a bullied would be more fitting (and that coming from a GWR fan).

I've always thought the MHR site is the best around for updates of all the loco overhauls and maintenance works. I just hope that this continues.... its certainly something that was always very well done under Tony's helm. I'd certainly like to see more sections like this on other Railway sites.

 

The tansition from Tony Woods Mid Hants Website that grew and grew over the years to the one we all knew and loved wont be a quick fix and Tim Beere who is the railways Marketing Manager has rightly in my view elected to change the site from Tonys version to a new format.
It will make a new start for it and will enable the Mid Hants to be informative one hopes to the same standard that Tony acheived and also allow Tim to do his job Marketing the railway by using the site.
Time will tell .Tim Must keep loco rosters up to date where possible as he has just done so on Saturday .Ropley is only a free phone call up the line to ask the Bobs whats avaliable.

 

I think the difference will be that Tony is a hands on volunteer involved in restoration and crewing the locos who used to take his camera with him. This, plus his skills as a narrator and a webmaster, gave the locoshed side of the website an intimacy and immediacy which, IMO, will be hard to replicate if it has to rely on the webmaster now having simply to pass on contributed material. The general site will remain as it always has, simply a medium to advertise events on the MHR.