Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

A bit of out the window sound recording behind the T3 on Monday, working the 14:50 from Alton just after a sudden downpour. I hope you enjoy it

 

I can’t get the video to run; it’s frozen on the opening scene.

 

Likewise.

 

It’s just a sound recording - no pictures.

Tom

 

Thanks. That’ll teach me to read the description from the poster in future.

 

Thank you for your very kind comments Peter.
They have really brightened up my day.

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I asked because have not yet had a ride behind it, and the Mid Hants is a lot easier for me to get to than the Swanage. I could do this weekend if the T3 will be running but I would not bother otherwise.

 

Yes sadly (due to domestic commitments) I have missed the chance to experience the MHR steeper gradients behind it as well.

 

Yes, it could be tricky, especially as you hit the shrave cutting Many the time, engines have picked up, and you just hope your momentom carries you over plus at that point your firing against the injector, and you have to be careful with your water, but tender first, its not as much of an issue, as it would be smokebox first, but you still want to leave some space to be able to keep it quite in the stations,

 

We spoke with the T3s rep who was on the footplate on Sunday - and looked very fetiching in his waistcoat, tie and bowler hat. He said it was staying for another week at least to make use of the wheeldrop for some work on the bogie.

 

Another busy day at the railway today for the VE Day 80 event.

Alresford had a good display of period vehicles and a ukulele band in attendance playing songs from the time. The two minute silence was also observed at 12.00.
35005 was in charge of the main service trains while an 08 shunter handled the shuttle service. We had two excellent round trips behind CanPac which was sounding very nice at the head of six carriages. On the second round trip at 15.00 we enjoyed our sausage and chips meal on the sold out dining service.

The T3 563 was in the wheel drop shed. Passing the open roller door of the boiler shop we could see the boiler of 506 receiving attention.

Thanks once again to all at the Railway for a good day.






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It was a slow day yesterday, but it's an old day now (Atop the hill)........ with sincere apologies to Tull for the blatant misquote! And, yes Muggin's 'Ere has got his ticket to see them on tour next year!

Indeed, it was a slow day with just three nutters on site, due to the jobs on the to-do list...... Muggin's & me two muckers.....

First up was to measure up for new floor planks on the steel highfit..... it's all well & good just measuring up what's left of the salvaged planks, these are deemed only good enough as bearers for the crane grab when it is reinstated on the wagon, but the more we thought about things, and noticed various aspects of fitting them - they sit in channels of C section on the internal bodysides, above the solebar, and are fitted via a recess in the top of the C section & then moved along....... so after much discussion, measuring & working out, it was decided that the best way forward, would be to go for the same size planks that we've newly installed in the LMS van, allowing for a breather gap to try and avoid the build up of crud........

Next job, was one we've been putting off, for no apparent reason, on th LMS van...... the fitting of the new end roof hoops on either end, both inside & out - you csan't fit one without fitting the other, as holes have to drilled out & everything bolted up as you go on one side, then then taken apart & then repeated the other way round, before evrything is bolted together!!!!

The whole process took the entire afternoon, but it's another small step towards completeing the van....... there's still some fettling to do to the internal hoops, as when they were made, they were a snug fit on either end, but since we've squared the van off with refitting roof hoops, replacing bolts etc, they're now nowhere near snug, meaning that we need to fashion new extensions to them!!!

But that's not a problem as we kept all the off cuts & me mucker has already fashioned the extra's - all we need to do now it fit them!

You could say we learned a lesson yesterday...... not to jump the gun, so to speak, but to wait until things you've taken off are back on before making anything new to replace expired.......... But, just remember, we're going through a massive learning curve as this is the first wooden bodied van that we've actually had to do a full overhaul on!!!

It was good to see the trains well patronised with lots of happy families, so some pics from yesterday, along with the final few from the gala & some more from the charter........

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54511887568/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54511624831/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54511887258/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54511888233/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54511887473/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54511984500/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54506209465/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54506126108/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54506042484/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54506042709/in/dateposted-public/

The new roof hoops fitted to the country end of the LMS van.

 

The loco roster has been updated for the weekend.

Saturday:
35005 is on the Alresford set, 47579 is on the Alton set.

Sunday: Watercress Festival timetable in operation: https://watercressline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Watercress-Festival-PTT-2025.pdf

35005 is on the Alton set operating between Alton and Ropley only, 47579 is on the Festival shuttle service between Ropley and Alresford.

We are visiting for the Festival.

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47579 is topping and tailing with D8188 on Sunday

 

So, another Sunday, it must mean that like minded folk have gathered atop the hill again on a Saturday......... and so it came to pass.
With five in attendance, once again the steel highfit and the LMS van were the focus of our attentions.....

Two of the lads spent the day rectifying fibreglass repairs to the London end of the highfit, before getting the paint brushes out & starting the laborious process of seeking out where paint had been missed........ They'll be doing more again next time, alomg with sorting out the fibreglass repairs to the country end, that were only discovered after we'd packed up for the day!!!!

So, that left Muggin's 'Ere & me two muckers to concentrate on the LMS van.......

Last week, we'd eased off the cladding planks on the new south side door....... turns out that as the [lanks have adjusted, ALL the joints had opened up!!!

So, Muggin's got out the caulk & spent the morning caulking the exterior, whilst me two muckers attended to removing rusted bolts in the south side longitudinal, that had so far resisted every attempt to remove them & fit new! This time however, the Lads were determined not to be beaten & eventually the bolts gave up resisting & came out, with the new ones proving easy to install, which is not always the case!

The afternoon was spent bringing the new noggins for the end roof hoops up into undercoat, along with finding more errant bolts in need of trimming or replacing, along with trying to source the correct bolts for the south side door latch....... we don't have enough, so new will have to be purchased!

Some pics from yesterday & the charter.......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54528015613/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54527961194/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54528015563/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54527784746/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54528117360/in/dateposted-public/

 

Extremely busy day at the Railway on the Ropley to Alresford section with the very frequent shuttles in operation for the Watercress Festival.
We didn't arrive until after midday but there were still loads of people arriving after us.
The Class 47 was rather smoky today as it left an exhaust trail on the journey back to Ropley. We waited around to see 35005 on the final Alton service of the day which was running a bit late. A swift run round took place followed by a spirited departure with the Merchant Navy making light work of the four coach set. Below is a wide angle phone shot showing CanPac on the delayed 16.35 service:




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It’s a Sulzer….

 

The turbo is a similsr pattern as used on Alcos - famous for the smoke due to turbo lag.
Pat