Fire at Mid Hants

This is second hand information via Facebook - but I've just heard that there has apparantly been a fire in the C&W and boiler shops at Ropley. This must be truly devestating for the guys at the MHR, especially coming so soon after the complex was opened, and I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing them the very best, and hoping that the damage isn't too severe.

John

 

I have just heard that there is damage to the boiler shop, 2 coaches (LNSWR & Mk1 I believe), a loco tender and a diesel shunter, and that the fire is now under control. No other news as yet.

 

Oh god, awful news. Let's hope the damage is not too severe.

 

Just been told that the loco tender is that of the U class, and the 012 shunter which was being repainted.

 

The fire has just been reported on the local BBC news, the video shown seemed to show that the seat of the fire was in c&w section of the new workshop. l hope that its not as bad as it looked on TV.

Gary

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-10770490

 

A local rag report here. It'd probably be wise to avoid commenting on the headline balze up.

John

 

Only a Ropley - Alresford shuttle service......

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/News/Latest/View/210

 

i, and i'm sure everyone at the NNR, feel that this news is very sad. as has been said i hope there isn't too much damage.

Josh

 

This is exactly the sort of silent fear I think everyone involved in preservation, especially of rolling stock (which is much more vunerable to fire damage) has and it is dreadful whenever it happens. My deepest sympathy to those at the Mid-Hants and may I add to the hopes that damage is as limited as it could be.

The other, wider concern must be that this is, from the top of my head, the newest carriage & boiler workshop in the country, was part Lottery funded and hence is almost certainly fitted with the best possible fire warning and suppression system and hence if something similar happened elsewhere, it could be much worse.

Steven

 

A colleague at work just told me as it was on the local news this morning. Very sad news. At least no one was hurt.

 

I was taken for a tour around both the new C&W shed and boiler shop less than two weeks ago and was very impressed with the facilities they have there. It almost makes me feel quite sick to think that this fantastic facility has since been subject to fire damage after all the recent work that had been put into completing it. My sympathies to the railway and I very much hope the damage is both not too severe and repairable.

For the information,from memory, during my visit the C&W shed had an LSWR(?) coach, Mk1 and Class 12 shunter, together with the freshly painted tender for the U. The boiler shop had a Urie boiler (S15?) and that from 76017.

 

Sad news, good luck to them for the clean up.
Do we know how it started?

 

Very sad news, with this incident and the Bluebell's recently surely this must now be a wake-up call to all preserved railways that some sort of sprinkler system must be installed in their carriage works/loco works to protect those vital historical artefacts.

 

That is a real shame, and in new facilities to boot! I hope that it is all sorted out asap. as has been said, at least there were no injuries.

My best wishes to all

 

I know of a preserved railway carriage works where certain employees still smoke indoors in total breach of not only the railway's rules but also smoking in the workplace regulations. Bearing in mind the value of the vehicles housed in that works & the presence of much timber ,sawdust,shavings etc. it is a recipe for disaster. I would presume that the railway's directors are not aware of this going on as the onus is on them to oversee health & safety issues.

Bob.

 

Well there's no point keeping it to yourself; if you havent already (and dont want to name and shame on here) you should at least fire off an email to the railway concerned.

Chris

 

Another report with a different picture here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/news/uk-eng...ver.com/click/here.pl?z3011427730&z=950244209 It must have been very bad looking at the picture.

 

How gutting! Really sorry to hear! Hope everything works out ok and that damage is to a minimum!