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Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by NightRail, Jan 11, 2017.

  1. Hampshire Unit

    Hampshire Unit Well-Known Member Friend

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    Nice chap, does a good line in Bishop and Actress jokes
     
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  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I was on 541 with him yesterday, was interesting to talk about the 7F and WSR, amongst other things. The jokes were fully down to their usual standard ...

    Tom
     
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  3. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Yikes!

    It would seem that someone has plugged my Ropley Spy into the mains & recharged his batteries, as he's been minded to put quill to parchment again!!! :Saywhat:

    Anyway, the worlds & pics below are his not mine. ;) :)

    "A HUGE welcome to 53808, the ULS engineering team is delighted to see her join the Watercress line fleet and look forward to seeing her working alongside 499 and 506……….except, 499 ain’t running yet!!! Is 2022 still the target I hear you cry, damn right it is. For those who I haven’t bored with this before, there are 3 factors which have put this date firmly in our sights:


    • Centenary of the end of the LSWR
    • Centenary of the completion of Feltham yard
    • (frighteningly) half centenary of the ULS!

    Like every other loco project we have been knocked back by the pandemic, but since lockdown was lifted we’ve got stuck in and things are really starting to come together.


    The front end rebuild continues and is currently moving at quite some pace. Both motion brackets are in situ, the L/H one held up with accommodation bolts. Work recently focused on the R/H side; firstly a number of the fitted bolts were ‘persuaded’ in with Stratton’s favourite tool, more recently it has been fully riveted. I believe there are approx. 4 more bolts to go in then we’re finished. New running plate to sit above the cylinder blocks has been cut, profiled, drilled and countersunk for both sides. The missing valence sections, including the curved pieces which sit in front of the blocks, have been recovered from storage and cleaned up ready for final fit. Holes in the top of the blocks are now tapped ready to take the running plate. On the R/H side, the inner angle on which the running plate sits has been riveted to the frames. 2 cylinder covers had to be sent away for specialist weld repairs, these are back and along with the other 2 have been machined. R/H rear and L/H front are on the blocks for safe storage, no doubt the other pair will find their way up over the next couple of weeks. Inside the frames work has started on cleaning down the stretchers and horn blocks.


    Boiler 799 moved into the boiler shop just before lockdown so sadly went straight into a couple of months of inactivity. We couldn’t do anything meaningful upon our return either as everything had to be unravelled before we could gain safe access. All now done, a couple of the guys have begun needle-gunning the outside prior to the boilershop foreman carrying out his inspection and assessment of what needs doing. We’re hoping to have a much clearer picture sometime during September….no pressure Sam!!!


    There you have it, short and sweet but believe me there’s a lot of work involved in these few paragraphs. Bank hol weekend promises good weather so you never know, I might be sending another missive to the Druid in a few days’ time.


    ….and finally. I have said many times that the ULS is very much part of the Watercress Line family. It’s been so encouraging to read the many positive comments written about the railway on NP of late; thank you all so much for your support, I hope you realise just how important it is to us. You all play a part in giving everyone the drive and the energy to do what we do and the determination to push for the success we all want to see; together we can achieve great things."

    P1490788.JPG

    P1490801.JPG

    P1490865.JPG



     
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  4. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    I guess the Members and Shareholders open weekend planned for 12th/13th September has been scrapped as it has disappeared from the website today?
     
  5. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

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    The members and shareholders weekend has indeed been cancelled. It was felt that it would not be possible to open the doors to the works in the way we have in the past and that with the AGMs postponed some of the point of the weekend had been removed


    Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk
     
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  6. KristianGWR

    KristianGWR Member

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    A small selection of shots filmed last Sunday, featuring 30925 'Cheltenham' and 41312 in action. Enjoy :)
     
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  7. 6960 Raveningham Hall

    6960 Raveningham Hall Member Friend

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    At 3pm this afternoon Yesterday channel (155 on my Sky system) are repeating the episode of ‘Train Truckers’ when Allelys delivered two visiting steam locos for the 2018 MHR Autumn Steam Gala.
    I think the locomotives were 7822’Foxcote Manor’ and 5199 Large Prairie Tank.
     
  8. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    I see in your YouTube video you went to Hampshire Hunt bridge. Can you still access the bridge by way of the path between the two houses.

    thanks
     
  9. gricerdon

    gricerdon Well-Known Member

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    Yes
     
  10. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    Cheers one of the few places you can get a reasonable photo of 53808 or 30925 coming up Medstead bank from Alton.
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2020
  11. Britfoamer

    Britfoamer Well-Known Member

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    Had tickets booked for Sunday 30August, stayed in Winchester for a few days on the way back from the IoW jollies. Wonderfully organised day, 11.00 out of Alresford, 14.00 return, stay over at Ropley and a quick hop to Mestead all included in the one ticket. 30925 as motive power to boot! Our morning train was well loaded, the Alton start morning train with 41312 was reasonably populated, however, not so the afternoon one. The Alresford afternoon departure I estimated about 50%. Pix below: P1120594.JPG P1120598.JPG P1120599.JPG P1120601.JPG P1120602.JPG P1120603.JPG P1120605.JPG P1120607.JPG P1120612.JPG
     
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  12. BristolCastle

    BristolCastle New Member

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    We just hope that its safe enough to stand on there, not sure how left that bridge will stand for!
     
  13. KristianGWR

    KristianGWR Member

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    Just be prepared to fight the tree on your way in ;)
     
  14. gricerdon

    gricerdon Well-Known Member

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    Also very muddy and the view down the line is quite restricted
     
  15. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    Last time I went by the path that access the bridge I noticed the path was becoming blocked by adjacent garden hedges. Does anyone know if the path and bridge are a public right of way.

    thanks
     
  16. Robin

    Robin Well-Known Member Friend

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    The Council's Public Rights of Way map is a useful way to check.
    https://maps.hants.gov.uk/rightsofwaydefinitivemap/
     
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  17. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    Looks as though it isn't a RoW. Thank goodness. What does EB mean?
    Pat
     
  18. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    FB = Footbridge

    Cheers, Neil
     
  19. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Bloody coach bolts - or rather the Muppet that knackered the threads tightening them up!!!! :mad:

    Yesterday, it was decided to take the south side boards off the two plank, in readiness for prep & painting....... four out of twelve refused to play ball, so brute force was applied with a spanner & set of mole grips...... we got two out of four, the other two flatly refused to play ball, due to said knackered threads & also not being true, so a cat in hells chance of getting them off with brute force....... thank god we had the use of a cordless angle grinder - job done!! :)

    Elsewhere, atop the hill, more progress has been made with the Gunpowder Van - the rain lip on the new section of roof on the southside has been formed, some missed welds have been sorted & ground back, and areas inside that have been bought up to undercoat inside, have now ad their 1st coat of gloss.

    There was also a safari up to the Meon to see what was what with the Sealions, with the country end one being worked on, as we know there is some play in the brake linkage........ well after a lot more chiselling of welded on crud & a good dosing with sump oil, more bits have movement, and afer a lot of chasing of the linkage & being able to work out what seems to link with what ( its worse that the Matrix underneath!) we think we've now identified just what is stopping the brakes from coming off!!!:Jawdrop:

    A couple of pics of the service trains yesterday.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/50311470657/in/dateposted-public/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/50311470002/in/dateposted-public/
     
  20. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

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    When you get it all freed off you will find that the blocks fall away from the wheels at the handwheel end, but the other end will have almost no visible movement. Apply sole of boot to block and see what happens!
    Pat
     

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