Mid Hants Railway Operational Matters

Probably not. The days of going on holiday by train, as I did as a small boy, have long gone. As have most of the holiday branches. Just have to see that Swanage Railway are not continuing the Wareham service this year having lost money on it last year. It seems to me that with a couple of notable exceptions (East-West rail for example), most of the lines being reopened are linked to sizeable towns and cities. Locally there are well developed proposals to reopen the Fawley branch as far as Hythe.

 

However, had the Swanage branch survived for another few years. It was on the cards for inclusion in the Weymouth electrification scheme later in the 70s and early 80s.

 

In which case the world might have been a very different place........

 

I wouldn't hold your breath!

 

Proposals but no money to do it I understood.

 

Completely agree. Maybe a better example of an urban line reopening might have been the Northumberland line, currently under construction. Or the South Wales metro, also under development. There is also a big campaign in Bristol to reopen the Portishead branch, but this is stuck at the same point as the Fawley Branch. Proposals in place but not signed off.

My guess is that the Fawley branch will reopen eventually, but we might have to wait a bit. The current government has simply stopped functioning. I have family working in the Civil Service and Ministers are running for the hills and setting themselves up with jobs outside parliament. Reopening the line to Hythe is relatively cheap (£43 million) with a benefit/cost ratio of 4.8. Plus part of Marchwood port has been sold off. So I don't think that it will get signed off quickly, but maybe in 5-10 years time.

 

So another Saturday dawned atop the hill, and nine like minded nutters gathered to try and tame some troublesome trucks........

After last weeks chaos at the bakers, normal service had been resumed, and a goodly breakfast was enjoyed before we ventured down the yard in sunshine with no hint of rain!!

The meat van and LMS van M517317 were the focus of our attentions........

Two of our number found themsleves under the meat van undercoating areas that needed it, and the glossing previously undercoated areas.........

Me Oppo & his mucker sent the day rebuilding the vac cylinder and testing it to make sure all was well - it holds vacuum no problem, but needs to go to Ropley to be properly tested on the rig to make sure all is good to go.

The two lads who've been chewing through the internal cladding planks for M517317 had a day out in the sunshine, and finally managed to finish getting all 120 into 2nd undercoat - they had a reason to getting the cladding planks done, as we've been dangling a carrot in front of them for a few weeks now......... but more on that next week.......

Another one of the lads opted to start glossing the underside of the LMS van, but didn't manage to get far, as they had to leave by lunch - that left Muggin's 'ere and two muckers to tackle getting the next wo roof hoops off......... either we collectively had no energy, or the bolts securing the hoops were more stubborn than the last two........... but once off, they were cleaned up and painted in red oxide.

On top of that, we started to look at just what we're up against when we come to fit the internal cladding, and just how we're going to do it........ either way its going to be time consuming, as there's more to it than you think, including more holes to be drilled!!!!

It was good to see 506 doing the honours and the trains full, and the sun shining!

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That's an interesting figure and not one I have heard before. The figure I've heard banded around exceeds that by at least threefold!

 

It dates from 2021 and is for a basic service to Hythe Parkway. The latest proposal is for a shuttle from Southampton Central, stopping at Hythe. I don't have the numbers for that. As is usual in these cases the initial cost is pitched low to get agreement, and then all of a sudden it goes up.

 

Think that we might need to go back to discussing MHR!

 

Surely it can be done quicker than that once we
get a functional Govt again. Bluestar wont like it though

 

*IF we get a functional Govt again would be a more realistic statement... I think what is more realistic is the next government being less dysfunctional rather than actually functional!

 

Bluestar buses owner, Go Ahead, fellout with the Government over SE trains, but has done well with the £2 fare cap and grants to get new buses. Which seems to have stopped the plans for the Hythe train line with old 158s under the now closed £500m "restoring Railways" fund, also the Wareham to Swanage train service.

The Stagecoach bus, Alton to Winchester running on the A31 alongside the MHR, does not seem to affect the MHR which is clearly marketed as a heritage steam line with a mainline connection, hopefully the MHR will do well in 2024 and not be affected by people being careful with spending on leisure activities.

 

At the risk of returning to MHR Ops matters, I see the NYMR Lambton Tank is coming for the Gala

 

For me the Lambton Tank is a bit overexposed, lovely engine but it’s been to the SVR, GCR, Churnet and KESR in recent years. Probably others too.

I’d like to see the East Somerset Ivatt make a rare visit away from home to have a go on the Midhants.

 

It’s never made a visit to the mhr before so it gets my vote.

 

Despite all that I have never seen it, so gets my vote too!

 

And mine, a lovely loco.

 

And no doubt, highly rateable on a trip on the Alps.

 

It’s in the wrong livery though