Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

You've never worked there then.

 

When it first opened i did, weed clearing at weekends mainly, but certain personalities started taking over at the time, so stopped going there, but the w/ends i spent there i enjoyed and there was blue skies as well.

 

That would have been the summer of 1976, right? When we started work at Ropley, putting in the loop and clearing all the lupins from the Up Platform. Notorious as one of the hottest and driest summers on record, until recently. (The Govt even had a Drought Minister!)
Pat

 

Did you have to hand over all your lupins to Dennis Moore?

 

not always, I've know it freezing, wet, cold , dust blown, in fact every type of weather you can imagine, i've has sunshine, rain, wind and snow, all in the same day, just on one round trip on 30506, one day in March, left Ropley, le, sun was shining, so driver and i thought, we won't put up the storm sheet, got to Alresford, and the heavens opened, we got soaked, whilst we put up the storm sheet, then the wind started, left Alresford in gale type conditions, rain coming in sideways, turned to sleet by Ropley, half way up Medstead bank that turned into snow, got to Alton in a blizzard, that seemed to follow us up the bank, back to Ropley, we got back to Alresford, still snowing, then by our last trip of the day, the wind had died down, snow stopped and there was blue skies .

 

There's a proper term for that - it's called "Medstead and Four Marks"

 

I see that Bahamas has arrived , Any news on when 53808 is likily to be steamed and undergo test runs ?

 

There will not be any news, but rest assured the loco is working fine!

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

Is Bahamas likely to undertake any running on the line outside of the Gala?

 

Watch for an announcement in the next few days.

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

No, he's not in this bit.

 

So no braised Lupin in Lupin sauce on the West Country Buffet menu this week then...

 

Can someone please explain about lupins to the uninitiated?

 

It's from a Monty Python sketch, in which Dennis Moore is a highwayman who steals lupins instead of money.

 

Can I just congratulate everyone involved in the successful grant application, that has resulted in the Mid Hants Railway being awarded £600,000, to help the railway through the coming months.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...ved-by-103-million-investment-from-government

 

Yes a certain contributor to this thread was very happy when I saw him today. £600,000 is better than a load of lupins any day! (However there are some lupins me and my colleagues planted in the Alresford Station Site Enhancement Team planted up by the water tank)

 

No gathering of like minded nutters atop the hill yesterday, as work got in the way for a lot of us, and others were helping prep 506 for next weekend, as well as 53808.

I still made it to Ropley, as I had people to see & things to do......

Elsewhere, the Urie lads were busy on 499 & in the up yard 50 027 was being given some TLC & 47 579 was on tick over...... whilst the main shed was a hive of activity, not entirely sure what was being worked on, but there was a lot of grinding/polishing of metal going on - and over in the boilershop, stays were going into Can Pac's boiler - I think they managed 48 by the close of play.......

Was nice to see the trains well patronised.

Some pics of the goings on.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/50449962353/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/50450660771/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/50449964308/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/50450833252/in/dateposted-public/

 

All that metal grinding in the workshop was the roof panels from 08288. A few of us 50027 boys have started to pitch in to help get the gronk out and blue asap so we can turn our attention to the next shunter!

Did feel sorry for the cleaning gang on 506 though who had to move outside when we start work due to all the blue dust being created. Spent at least an hour afterwards cleaning it up best we could!

 

My video and a few photos of "Cheltenham" in service on Sunday. The new livery looks very nice!

 

Evening all, just a few queries, I am intending to visit the railway this Saturday (actually at the gala) and the Sunday but I am intending to visit public vantage points. Can anyone please tell me how to reach Hampshire Hunt Bridge (between M4M and Alton) and Rookwood Lane. Any other easily assessible public places as well will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards
Ben.