Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Tuesday 8th July saw 3 lifts at Ropley: Replacing Boiler 755 on (30)506; Removing 499's frames from their home under the roof and placing them on the bogie and a trolley; Removing the work-in-progress tender 3223 from its home form the last 4 (?) years and placing it in the space vacated by 499's frames.
YouTube: The Urie Society's big July 8th lift
I took some stills while the Brains Dept. were videoing, this is the only one that Nat{res will let me upload
Pat

 

Feels like quite a creative interpretation of ‘back on the rails’ for 499…

Simon

 

That could be the Nat Pres anti BR lined black and numbers software kicking in

Bryan

 

Good to see that it’s working

 

Unlikely. Surely by now, everyone knows that 499 is destined for LSWR Holly Green (aka Invisible Green).

Not sure about the photographer, but I scanned this from a print I bought at a model show so I think we're safe on the copyright front.
Pat

 

Maybe the AI underpinning this site is learning from a lot of us and getting very bored with BR black and numbers/crests? Not all of us are dinosaurs looking to recreate their youth - some of us enjoy seeing history from further back recreated!

 

I was of coure refering to 30506!

Bryan

Aaah, the age of dinosaurs I yearn for was just after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Good luck to those hoping to go back before then!

 

There was going to be a working party atop the hill yesterday, until it was pointed out to me Oppo that what he proposed to would invlove the erection of the scaffold tower in the 6' bewtween roads #1 & 2...........

That would've made life interesting with a Gronk trundling up & down road #1 on driver experience!

So we cancelled the day as a working one, and instead three of us met up at the usual ungodly hour for the customary breakfast, brew and catch up - Muggin's 'Ere isn't that fussed about boxes, but someone had to keep Me Oppo in check!

It was strange seeing a loco in the dock platform and #1 road empty - not a sight we're used to.

The day turned out to be a long and hot one, and as Me Oppo & Matey got the haulage they wanted, it was back to base atop the hill and the shade of the trees at the bottom of the yard before witnessing the Peak at the head of the non-stop run, before we headed for home and the shade of indoors and cooler temperatures!!!

So, some pics from yesterday........

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54651845973/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54651926895/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54651846258/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54651927975/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54651927110/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54651928210/in/dateposted-public/

A sight you don't see very often - #1 road in the up yard at Medstead empty, and it would seem that someone has also given the stop block some TLC!!!

 

LSWR and SR stop blocks are white with a signal red band across the middle. (The reverse of the current anaemic Network Rail scheme.) Just saying
Pat

 

We got back to Alton station this afternoon from the bus rally just in time to catch CanPac arriving with the 15.00 service from Alresford. She looked very nice with The Royal Wessex headboard. Good to see another well filled dining service in half of the set.


Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

It were a strange day atop the hill yesterday, we had no idea jsut what the weather was going to do, nor did we know exactly what was in the yard given that there#s been a major shunt........

Turns out the weather improved through out the morning, but any outside painting was off the menu, and the steel highfit & Palvan had vacated the yard and gone over to Bennett's, and the clapped out MKII that's been clogging up the bottom end of the siding for many a year is now in #1 road awaiting it's fate!

It would appear that it is to be broken up, as it would seem no other railway wants it as a source of spares.

It looks like we're going to have to wait awhile until our next projects are shunted into the yard.........

With just four in attendance, and two of those only able to the morning, the two part timers decided to do their best Alan Titchmarsh & Charlie Dimmock impressions, as one had brought along a strimmer & trimmer, so they tackled the vegetation along the south side of Bennett's.

That left Muggin's 'Ere & Me Mucker to do odd jobs on the LMS van...... me Mucker was determined to cut back all the remining oversized bolts inside the van, whilst Muggin's 'Ere found himself with a paint brush in hand getting anything that was in red oxide into undercoat......... once all that was done, Muggin's found what was left of the gloss for the inside & somehow managed to get both the ply ends into first gloss, whilst me Mucker decided it would be a good idea to have a good tidy up & sort out inside the van - a job he wished he'd never started, as yet again all the nuts & bolts are mixed up & need a good sort out - it was ponted out that is just the job for a wet winters day when you want to be up the yard, but are scratching for things to do!!

A few pics from yesterday........

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54667127910/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54667127160/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54667128335/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/54667039539/in/dateposted-public/

The London end ply into 1st gloss, the country end is now at the same stage.

 

A little Blue Engine today!

 

I know it's owned by a group, but can anyone explain to me the reason why S15 506 has been (or is being) repainted into BR Black? On social media two individuals referred to them 'having' to make a change but didn't expand on why. Its just such a shame that yet another loco goes into the most prevalent livery in preservation...

 

As I understand it it was always the plan to change the livery in the second half of her "ticket" I seem to recall this being discussed at a Urie Society AGM. 499 will be appearing in LSWR colours though

 

I knew about 499 and that's great news. Just can't understand why you wouldn't put 506 into Southern Green if a change is desired/required.

 

My understanding is that the long term aim is for 499 to show what they looked like at the start of their careers and 506 to show what they looked like at the end.

 

Cost and time are obvious reasons for a loco that is mid ticket. If a loco is in for some intermediate repair, patching a black livery and swapping a tender logo is one thing that is fairly easy but gives a “reset” for visitors, photographers etc; an entire repaint into green with lining is a much larger job to undertake.

Tom

 

I have heard that. I do think it's a real shame; far better to show them under LSWR and Southern ownership as both are vastly under-represented liveries in preservation.

That I can understand as being a fairly sensible approach.

 

Personally I quite like pre-BR liveries. Then again I'm the sort of person who wouldn't mind if a railway painted all their locomotives a wide range of different colours and just based their own emblem/logo as the design on the tender...

However I think the Urie group policy is a sensible one. Some of us want to see what they originally looked like and some of us want to see what we remember from our childhood. Some people think an historic item should look like how it came out of the factory, some people think we should see how it ended it's career.

One in original LSWR livery and one in end of career BR livery IMO seems to cover most bases and pleases the most amount of people.

 

@Jamessquared has the reasoning spot on. The paintwork needed some “repair” but a wholescale repaint was not on the cards as we wanted to get the loco back into service as soon as possible, partly because the railway needs it, and partly because the hire fees help with the cashflow on restoring 499. (Any help anyone can give to that would be gratefully received and donations can be made here https://uriesociety.co.uk/ there is news about our appeals and a link to our donations page).

Personally I would prefer the loco in Southern livery, but it is only paint and there is an overhaul coming up in a couple of years. The main focus though at present is getting both locos in steam together for the first time since the mid-sixties. If you want this to happen sooner rather than later, please consider a donation (not matter how small) join the society or buy some merchandise. We’re pretty good at using every penny well!!