Mid-Hants Railway | Watercress Line | Spring Steam Gala 24th-26th April 2026

Cheers!

 

Things are going well today even though 68067 was apparently playing up again this morning when we arrived. She was taken off her service with 41312 and put in the yard again while the class 20 hauled her train to Alton.
She returned to her scheduled services later on.
We had a great run on the Express again with 73156 in fine form. We passed a line side fire between Alresford and Ropley.
We are now getting some mileage in behind 30506 til the end of the day.


Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

Just to add to this, the ivatt is doing it's last diagram as booked with the austerity detaching at Ropley as booked.

 

68067 didn't have a booked service with 41312, it ran on it's scheduled diagrams just with 41312 assisting. The class 20 replaced 41312 on it's diagrams while it was doubleheaded on 68067s diagrams.

 

Beautiful day down in Hampshire today. The countryside really does look glorious when the sun comes out!

Gala went went well today - everything ran almost to time and the locos all seemed to behave themselves! It was obviously the right move to pair 68087 up with 41312. A little disappointing that it couldn't work on its own but at least it came out to play when it could have been declared a failure yesterday and banished to the yard for the rest of the gala. I'm sure the Fat Controller gave it a stern talking to!

73156 was the highlight of the event for me - put in some very lively and noisy performances as expected.

I have to admit I wasn't that interested in Furness No. 20, or at least I wasn't until I saw it - what a gorgeous loco! I enjoyed a slow but steady climb up from Alresford to Ropley in the afternoon behind it.

I even got to meet the Gricing Owl at Medstead. He was very nice even when I admitted to being a GWR fan and he's got lots of interesting stories to tell from the 1960s!

All in all a very good day and thanks to everyone at the Mid Hants as ever for their hard work in making it happen.

 

Footage from a fantastic 2 days at the Gala, Lots of Sunshine resulted in some fabulous shots. Enjoy

 

Very nice to meet up at Medstead and Four Marks station, great chatting with you. And I do like your varied coverage of today.

My day didn't go to plan after my 09.00 arrival for a full day at Medstead. On parking my car I noticed some minor surface cracks were starting to show along part of the line of one of the 'gulleys' that run round the whole tyres, on two of my tyres. Nothing wrong with the actual treads that comes into contact with the road, and the tyres were all fully inflated. Plenty of tread left on all four tyres too. It was something I've never experienced before. So I decided to stay until 30506 hauled the freight not long after mid day and then very gently drive home - leaving early to give the AA (I have full cover) plenty of time to get to me if needed. I went and got a ticket, and a cup of coffee from the two lovely ladies in the booking office, and the lady running the booking office found out for me that the Farnham Halfords would shut at 13.00 - but in any case the chance of them having four new, good quality tyres in stock to fit straight away was, I felt, quite low. And I walked back to my car between every train to check the tyres were still fully inflated - which they were as these were minor surface cracks and not holes!

So my half day was at Medstead, chatting to people as you do, including a Spa Valley Railway volunteer I met their last week, and @6026 King John plus others. Big brother @gricerdon and son were on the 10.20 Alresford behind 73156 and I had time to board the train for a quick chat at Medstead- keeping going our joint gricing since time began a very long time ago, starting with a good few years of me trotting along behind Don as he taught me my trade!

I got shots of the four trains I wanted to photo, all from the footbridge (below)- missing out on 41312 on the 09.15 Ropley as it was the train loco behind 68067, and a diesel loco took its place on the 11.25 Alresford for reasons already well covered here.

The event looked quite busy, hopefully so as the cost of bringing three locos in must have been enormous. And from what I saw it looked to be running very well. So very many thanks to all at the Mid-Hants for putting thie event on - just a shame I couldn't do a full day there today and also maybe get down again tomorrow.

I got home fine, driving on inside lanes at not more than 55 mph, and keeping an eye open all the time for a warning from my tyre pressure software. But the tyres were all still fully inflated when I got home and parked my car on my driveway area, where it will remain until four new tyres are fitted at that location next week.

Photos virtually as they have come out of my camera,

Bryan

 

Can only echo what others have dais, spent Friday and yesterday at the gala and was a superb experience. Absolutely adore no. 20, she's enough to melt my cold pre-grouping heart.

Some photos from the event, more can be found at https://railwaygalleries.smugmug.com/MidHants/Spring-Steam-Gala-April-2026



Video now also up

 

What a shame I can't get down there again today - but I won't drive my car again until the new tyres are fitted.

Just imagine, an event made for a 1960s BR SR dinosaur - using a bit of imagination for 41312 - but it was black with a BR number and I did see it behind the Austerity even if I didn't phot it.

30506, 35005, 73156, and 41312 (31312 for some of us). And decent rolling stock too.

And I have to say from the video clips etc here, no.20 when with two Victorian gentlemen wearing top hats on the footplate must have really pleased those at the Alresford-Ropley end of the line.

Hopefully event reports of today here soon.

Bryan

 

Here's my footage of The Mid Hants Railway Spring Steam Gala filmed on Saturday and Sunday, featuring Britain's Oldest Working Steam Engine, Furness Railway no. 20. Also including BR Standard 5 no. 73156 and Austerity Tank no. 68067 both visiting from The Great Central Railway, as well as resident locomotives. I hope you enjoy it.

 

A few shots from yesterdays ballast yomping......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55231636135/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55231222681/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55231472024/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55231380028/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/55230315972/in/dateposted-public/

 

As the gala comes to end, I can probably guess the answer but is any of the visitors staying an extra weekend? (Was working the lot this weekend sadly)…

 

A fine Sunday spent on the lineside, a pity I only captured 68067 once due the changes required, but was good to see it nonetheless alongside the Standard 5, and certainly interesting to see FR20 in action for the first time:

 

No, 73156 leaves on Wednesday. 68067 will obviously not remain and FR 20 is due to leave Monday or Tuesday

 

Thanks for gen.

 

68067 had two firebars removed before being put out again yesterday. The driver told me it was now steaming a lot better.
As it obviously couldn't be tested it still wasn't entrusted with the three coach rake on its own.
The fireman also told me that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with it . The loco had a spark arrestor in it and there were strong suspicions that this was a major cause of the steaming issues.
An austerity should be able to cope with a 5 coach load on the MHR, after all Antwerp used to take 6 on the NYMR and look how well 'Mech Navvies' steams and runs.

 

Thanks to the MHR folks for putting on a great event, I went on Saturday and everything ran pretty smoothly even with the issues with 68067. FR 20 was a real highlight for me, so much so that I changed my plans a couple of times to get an extra ride behind it. Probably the most sedate climb of the 'southern Alps' I've ever done but what a fantastic machine.

Also wanted to highlight that the universally friendly welcome from the volunteers and staff at the MHR is very much appreciated. Everyone I speak to at these events from the railway seems to be having a great time and 'mucking in'. I attended with my uncle who is a former heritage railway volunteer, he especially appreciated being invited into the signal box at Ropley for a look around and chat. Thanks also to the crew of 35005 for the quick footplate visit at Alton!

 

Thanks to everyone who spent money at the various sales stands, particularly Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society - the group looking after 828.
Cheers, Neil

 

We only stayed until 130pm but what an engine 73156 is. Absolutely stormed up to Medstead on the 1020 and broke a long standing record. For the first time ever in all my many visits it kept every one of the intermediate times to Alton even the very tight 8 minutes to Ropley. Made by fast starts.

To my great surprise I was very taken with No 20. A beautiful old loco which appeared to be cruising around effortlessly and what about the members of crew dressed in an appropriate manner? Superb

Don

 

Visited the gala on Sunday, spent the morning taking some photos and the afternoon riding the trains.