MHR Official Website Loco Shed pages comprise the original steam railway 'docu-soap website', often updated several times each day. Follow our volunteers as they work to keep steam alive (much preferable to dead in a museum, we think!) Watch over their shoulders as these wonderful machines are restored, maintained and run; see replacement parts being made and fitted. Visit us to see, hear and again experience for yourself the thrill of powerful steam locos working hard for mile upon mile up our long, steep gradients.
 |
4th June 2006:
Service train loco crew and guard in earnest discourse Countryman Pullman
departs Alresford (below)
Two photos (4th June
2006): Henry O'Dwyer
|
 |
|
| 18th
May 2006:
Bulleid Battle of Britain
Class #34073 "249
Squadron" stands at Alresford awaiting collection by
road. Its valvegear will be cannabalised to repair its sister
loco Tangmere.
(Whilst Tangmere was hauling
an excursion, something
broke in its valve motion and
punctured the
oilbath, causing loss of the oil - about 40 gallons, IIRC)
#34073 has stood in the Ropley headshunt for many years awaiting its owners' decision on restoration Two photos (18th May
2006): Tony Wood
From: Keith Brown Sent: 28 May 2006 20:38 For an extensive photo-survey of the damage to Tangmere, see www.stuart9941.fotopic.net/c955400.html KB This diagram may help you identify parts in the above-linked photos (769KB) See also |
 |
 |
7th May 2006: #34016 Bodmin approaching Medstead & Four Marks with the 10:50 Alton to Alresford service today See also and also Photo (7th May 2006):
Richard Bentley
|
Building work at Alton station
| 4th April 2006: Your webmaster was chatting with Graham Varney (today's Intro firing instructor on #73096) and movement behind the loco caught his eye: it was this rail-mountable Land Rover, waiting to resume weed-spraying |
 |
Work has begun to clad the wheeldrop shed at Ropley |
 |
| 1st
March 2006: Back from a working holiday at the Bluebell Railway is Ivatt 2-6-2 #41312, and see how clean they've returned it d:-) Note in the background the new ramp to the revitalised picnic area soon to open above the cattle dock at Alresford |
 |
Another
arrival in time for the MHR
Spring Steam Gala Three photos
(1st
March
2006): Chris Cornell
|
 |
| Don't
be fooled by the sunlight in this photo of Ropley station: the
temperature was at freezing point and a light wind brought the
occasional flurry of snow |
 |
 |
28th February
2006: 'USA tank' #30075 arrived at Alresford today Two photos
(28th February
2006): Chris Cornell
|
16th
February 2006:
Nigel
Wilson had a footplate ride
on #92212
and videoed it (7.3MB, 16th February 2006)
with additional shots by his young sons Michael and Philip.
Footplate crew: Driver Mike Pearson and brothers Ben and Tom Zehetmayr
| 10th February
2006: Photo (1330hr, 10th
February 2006): Tony Wood
|
 |
| 5th February
2006: Photo (Alresford, 5th
February 2006): Steve Walters
|
 |
 |
29th
January 2006: "#92212 in action over the past two weekends. With low temperatures and lots of beautiful low winter sunshine, she looked magnificent" - Roger Stronell
Climbing towards M4M with an
up train on 21st January 2006
|
| Approaching Wanders Curve with an up train on 21st January 2006 |  |
 |
28th January 2006, pulling out of Ropley on 1:80 |
| Note gradient change from
1:60 to level,
22nd January 2006 ... and two movies of #92212 on
28th January 2006:
|
 |
 |
24th December 2005:
Last
day of the 2005 Santa Specials
The 9F pulls into Medstead & Four Marks; Bob hands up the token for Alton Two photos (24th
December 2005): Steve Walters
|
 |
10th December 2005: Today's 3pm Alton Santa Special climbs the bank towards Medstead & Four Marks Two photos (10th December 2005): Matt Allen |
 |
4th December 2005: Photo (4th December
2005): Paul Dawson-Plincke
|
 |
No 9
beginning to move off the shed lane and onto the pit lane at Ropley for
FTR* examination, and to run some steam-heat through her support coach *FTR = 'fitness to run' - a mainline prerequisite Photo of
#60009, 'Union of South Africa', and report (18th November 2005): Henry
O'Dwyer
|
 |
3rd November 2005: This prestigious Japanese 'Rail Fan' magazine carries in its October 2005 issue an eight-page article by MHRPS Life Member Kyoichi Oda on heritage steam railways in UK, with many photos of various volunteers and staff at work at MHR. Kyoichi arranged for copies of the magazine to be sent to us, so if you would like to see what he's said about us (and your Japanese is up to it) ask at Alresford to see a copy. |
| 27th October 2005:
Lots of interest in the dozen or so owls displayed at Ropley during Wizard Week. For some it was a hands-on experience! Photo (27th October
2005): Tony Wood
|
 |
| 23rd October 2005: Long-lens shot of the Std 5 today with the up Wizard Express departing Ropley and #34016 Bodmin approaching Ropley with the down Wizard Express (but not at the same time!) Two photos (23rd October
2005): Ian Banham
|
| 15th October 2005: Bodmin
arrives at
Ropley on a beautiful autumn afternoon, with a very young audience
Photo
and report (15th October 2005): David Pharro
|
 |
| 27th
September 2005: ... and of course (as ane
fule
kno)* that is David Shepherd
*Nigel Molesworth, the "goriller of 3B" © Geoffrey Willans Photo (September 2005): Henry O'Dwyer Watercress Line Special Events in 2006 |
 |
Links to other pages
'08' diesel shunter goes through the gate! Is this a first? Mid Hants Railway before, and in the early days of, restoration Fauna of the Mid Hants Railway - by Roger Thornton Restoration of Stanier Black Five #45379 You get more of everything at the Mid-Hants Vintage Carriage Group of MHRPS Photos and reports of renovations and repairs to our carriages LSWR Type 1 signalboxes at Mid Hants Railway Henry O'Dwyer © pics: 15th September 2002 service trains 'MHR at Christmas' Medstead and Four Marks station news Very many
webpages worldwide have links to
this website *© Gullane |
 |
Alresford Station: a gaslight. Photo:
Chris Cornell |
 |
The Watercress Line's own quarterly journal Mid-Hants News is available FREE to all Society members, or £2 plus 50p postage and packing to non-Society members. |
Archived 'MHR Recent News' pages
How to get to Mid-Hants Railway (The Watercress Line)
| The
Watercress Line, The Railway
Station,
Alresford, Hampshire, England, SO24 9JG Tel 01962 733810 Fax 01962 735448 information@watercressline.co.uk |
Webmaster: tonywood@watercressline.co.uk Photo (2004): Horace Ward
Title graphic: Henry O'Dwyer
° © HIT Entertainment
