Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

I did the track inspection to Alton and got the Ivatt back to M4M with a well laden 4 coaches behind. I played "mnd the buggy" in the Guard's compartment, the Ivatt sounded wonderful working up the bank. Jake Butt was the alert guard. Here is the return working back to Alton


41312 passing Bennett's siding by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Well, it's Sunday again, so it nust be time for my ramblings on what the nutters in the Saturday gang got up to atop the hill yesterday..........

As it happened, there were five of us in attendance, and we seemingly had a productive day......

Two of our number had the job of jet washing all the remaining crud off the steel Highfit, and with the wind blowing, to say they got a tad we is an understatement, but they got the job done! So next time around, they'll be getting out the angle grinders and red oxide.......

Over on the LMS van, a job that's been on the to-do list for some time, is to lift the flooring planks to get the ends and under sides into dollop, so one of the lads picked up the baton with this one and started to remove the planks in the centre section, mainly becuase they were not obstructed bt acrow props and the like........ these were proving difficult to lift, as the temporary bolts were proving stubborn bugga's, so matey came and gave him a hand once he'd got one side of the shorter north side external beam into undercoat......

That left Muggin's 'Ere to get the south side cladding into second undercoat........ once that was done, Muggin's & matey tackled the paint work on the exposed chassis...... it looks a lot better now!!

@Deepgreen that Blog picture was taken on one of our photo charters about 5 years ago, and was taken by the driver whilst the gallery were getting into position, hence the open door!

@The Gricing Owl I believe the driver of 34072 yesterday was Dave Wiseman.......

Some pics from yesterday of the passing trains......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53914979617/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53916317800/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53915869481/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53914980162/in/dateposted-public/

The Highfit finally jet washed.


The smaller longitudinal now into undercoat ready to be refitted next week......

The central floor planks having been treated with dollop, and basking on the deck of the Atlas.....



The central section of the Chassis in the process of being smartened up!

 

A selection of my photos from a very pleasant trip last Saturday. If the driver of 34072, who kindly put a Bournemouth -Waterloo headcode on for the last Alresford to Alton train, wants any of the photos from Saturday, I can send via email, or I can put them on a small flash drive and bring that down on my next visit - I have a good number of small capacity ones I used during the work on my Short-eared Owl book. The same for the crew of 41312 of course!

A bonus on Saturday was getting 34072 with a West of England headcode.

When I get time I'll put the relevant photo alongside my timing log of that loco on 13 August 1964 and post that here.

My day was started and ended at Ropley, with the rest spent at Medstead and Four Marks - that is my usual bash to the Mid Hants. With a day rover ticket purchased of course.

Bryan B

 

Service 1 + shuttle today, 1788 on the Shuttle with 506 on the full line service

Storming out of Alresford by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Afternoon,

Does anyone know what locos are likely to be running this weekend?

Thanks

Andrew

 

Saturday 34070/47579, Sunday 506/47579

Subject to the usual...

 

Nick, presumably you mean 34072!

Is it normal to steam the Bulleid pacific for just one day? Or does 30506 need a day not working tomorrow?

No real suprise that 41312 won't be operational, that seems to be doing a lot of turns at present.

Bryan B

 

Yep, that was a typo!

Both the Bulleid and the S15 will be out tomorrow evening on the Diner and RAT.

 

Many thanks, that sounds like an interesting day - have to think about that.

Bryan B

 

They say that only mas dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun........ maybe it should be reworded to include the like minded nutters of the Saturday gang who gathered atop the hill yesterday, and spent the entire time being baked by the sun!!

But that said, we'd much rather be up the yard taming troublesome trucks, than sat on a beach somewhere..........

As it urned out, a few of the lads continued progressing things on the steel Highfit, out with the wire brush attachments on angle grinders to remove any stuff that the jet wash hadn't managed to, and then getting it into red oxide.

Over on the LMS van found Muggin's 'Ere, Me Oppo & Me mucker..... first up was to get the main longitudinal beam back in on the north side........ after helping get the damn thing in and into position, Muggin's 'Ere left them to get it bolted into place, as I was tasked with sorting out the south side cladding......... more sealing was required, as the undercoating the previous week had shown up where it more was needed, so the paintwork was flattened back, and it was then out with the sealant....... that took all morning, as did getting the main longitudinal in!

The afternoon was spent applying undercoat, and it was so nice to be using decent paint again. The other two fitted the second longitudinal, eventually, along with the door runner........ there was a suggestion to han the door back on, but was pointed out that that would hinder the fitting of the internal cladding planks as there will be more holes to drill........

Still, despite the heat, it would appear that we had another productive day.........

Some pics from yesterday - it was nice to @21B enjoying himself on the footplate!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53930689671/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53930933873/in/dateposted-public/

Teh steel Highfit progressing.



The two longitudinals and door runner back in situ...



The view from the rear.



More sanding and sealing.....



Afterwards......

 

It would seem dear reader that Mother Nature enjoys toying with us....... after last weeks wall to wall sunshine atop the hill, yesterday was the complete opposite in so much as being more than a bit wet, so everything we had on the to-do list went out the window!!!

So, over a prolonged breakfast where we questioned our sanity for actually being daft enough to get out of bed at silly o clock and venture to the yard......... it was a case of finding things that we coukd actually do in the dry...... ahving a tidy up and a sort out suddenly became a popular choice!

To that end several of us set to inside the LMS van, whilst a n other headed into the workshop PMV to clean up various nuts and bolts from the steel Highfit..... at least we were in the dry but us being us, we still ventured out to greet the passing trains @Stinch nice to sse you enjoying yourself on the Ivatt.

It was whilst we were tidying up the van, that some jobs that could be done inside the van came to light...... one that has been on the back burner, was fitting the final two country end roof hoops, which two of the lads tackled, and Muggin's 'Ere thought it a good idea to start filling in the holes in a section of internal cladding, a job that morphed!

That left me Mucker to sort out our collection of nuts and bolts, a job suited to a damp day....... and probably one he wished he'd never started! But by the end of the day, they were all sorted, and we can now see what we've got, ans find them with ease. How long they will stay that way is another matter........

The country end roof hoops now refurbed and fitted - that just leaves one remaining on the London end to do......


A section of internal cladding neatened up, once its painted you wont see it!

 

So, another Saturday, and another gathering of like minded souls atop the hill yesterday.......

Plans were slightly thwarted upon the discovery that we idin't have a lot of paint available to us as it would seem someone forgot to order it.........

At least Muggin's 'Ere knows how to eek out paint and make it go further only problem being, we needed both red oxide and undercoat........using the trick of the trade enabled both paints to go further than they would have, but the lads working on the steel Highfit were in dire need of undercoat once the red oxide ran out...... but Muggin's needed it for the LMS van!

Still, being resourceful a search of the paint store produced a pot of paint that had the look of undercoat, but the label had been painted over...... regardless, it was applied to the Highfit, and it does look like undercoat!

Elsewhere, the centre section of the chassis on the LMS van that need to be glossed, was and another trick of the trade used, meaning that in the afternoon the floorplanks could be final fitted, which they were in the afternoon.

Also, a couple of the lads cracked on with fitting the internal cladding on the north side, and just as they thought thery were done, realised there were yet more bolt holes to drill!!!

The section of internal cladding that Muggin's tidied up last week recieved its first coat of undercoat, as I'd left just about enough for the job........

Whilst all that was going on, Muggin's 'Ere got the south side of the van into first gloss!

So, after what could have been a disaster of a day, it would seem that we achieved quite a bit........

Some pics from yesterday.......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53963283889/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53963414905/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/53962957131/in/dateposted-public/

A large chunk of the steel Highfit into 'undercoat'.......



The south side of the LMS van into first gloss....



The cladding section now into undercoat.



Another section of cladding fitted.

 

Rare shots of Hampshire not on fire, if 506’s exploits today are anything to go by…

Simon

 

Presumably why a diesel turned up at the bottom of my garden this afternoon attached to the Sunday lunch train.

Don't know where Dave found the sun on Saturday, was very dreary all day down this end of the line

34072 and 506 on Saturday night.

Up and Down at Ropley by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

34072 in Bighton Cutting

34072 in Bighton Cutting by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

1788 leaving Alresford
Ropley Shuttle leaving Alresford by Stephen Morley, on Flickr

 

Yup, the 3pm from Alresford got nixxed by the Fire Brigade, presumably when 506's train gained a class 20, which we passed at Mesdstead on the last train to Alton. A difficult afternoon handled well by the staff at Alresford at least.

Despite the forecast of thunderstorm and endless rain, we baked in the sunshine at Ropley and around Alresford. The only minor snags being the above late return to Alton, and a lack of volunteers to run the shop at Alresford or provide drinks of any kind at Ropley… is that normal for a Sunday, as it felt like an opportunity to make some money missed and a standard gripe that there's no sign of watercress anywhere on the Watercress Line…

Simon