Latest Mid-Hants Railway e-mails

Previous Correspondence

From: Hugh Topham
Sent: 20 March 2005 14:06
Subject: Black and Whites From Last Weekend
Dear Tony
Had a most enjoyable time at the Gala last weekend; great to see everything at the right place at the right time.
Highlight had to be Bodmin's non-stop through Ropley on the Sunday, the last non-stop of the Gala, and for anyone who saw it or was on it like myself, that just rounded up what was a superb day
I attach some of my photographs for use on your web site
Regards
Michael Topham

                                 One    Two    Three    Four    Five

From: Dave Chambers Sent: 18 March 2005 08:54 Subject: Photo gallery of MHR shots Hi Tony As a life member of the Bluebell Railway, I tend always to visit that line when I have the time. Well, I decided to make a change on the 5th March and I spent a very enjoyable, if cold, day at the MHR. Best wishes Dave Chambers   aka Sgt. Pepper

From: Jim Russell
Sent: 17 March 2005 17:53
Subject: Steam Gala
Dave Zehetmayr took a couple (with his mobile phone camera) of a happy City of Truro crew:
They're not happy, they've got wind!  We don't do happy. More than our job's worth, etc.
Jimbo

From: Ben Zehetmayr
Sent: 08 April 2005 23:28
Subject: We don't do happy?!?
In reply to Jim Russell and in defence of my brother, I think we do happy (without wind!)
Though I must admit we have to do serious quite a lot of the time, but then we aren't just playing with trains!
It's not just the passengers that are enjoying nearly every minute of the day as these pictures suggest - it's not just the engines with happy faces.
Cheers
BZ
p.s. Just having a laugh Jim!    One    Two    Three    Four

From: Jim Mathieson
Sent: 16 March 2005 22:08
Subject: Spring Steam Gala
Dear Tony
Thanks again for another really great Spring Steam Gala last weekend.
I wondered whether you could use any of these photos?
Very best wishes
Jim Mathieson              One    Two    Three

John Sanders (MHR Reservations Volunteer) made some enquiries about the origin of the term Jinty. This is the reply he got from the NMSI.
In recent times the term has often been applied to the LMS 3F 0-6-0Ts, but it is believed that the term really derives from the Johnson Midland inside-cylinder 0-4-0STs, Class J, built primarily to work in brewery sidings at Burton on Trent.
Philip Atkins
Research Centre Manager
-----Original Message-----
Can you give me the origin of the nickname Jinty please?

From: Vicky Goble
Sent: 15 March 2005 21:54
Subject: Jinty 47493
To all at the Mid Hants Railway
On behalf of the Spa Valley Railway, we would like to express our graditude to all of the engineering staff involved with looking after the Jinty before and during the MHR Spring Gala, in particular for the emergency repair to the loco on the Friday morning, allowing it to feature in your Gala.
We would also like to thank all of the crews for their hospitality over the weekend, and making us feel so welcome.
We attach a few photographs of the Jinty's visit, and look forward to her safe return home!
Best regards
Vicky, Darren, Sam and Trevor
On behalf of the Spa Valley Railway             One      Two      Three

From: Matt Allen
Sent: 15 March 2005 11:58
Subject: My Photo
Hi Tony
Thanks for putting my photo on the opening page of the website: it looks fantastic. Steam Railway Mag have just emailed me and asked for a high res copy to go in the magazine! Luckily they had my email address from some other photos that I sent them and they must have recognised my name.
It's quite funny: when I was about to climb up that hill to take the photo, another photographer was telling me how rubbish it was and not to bother!!
Regards
Matt

From: Ian Francis
Sent: 14 March 2005 22:45
Subject: Spring Steam Gala, Saturday 12 March 2005
Dear Tony
Just a note to say how much we enjoyed the Steam Gala on Saturday.
City of Truro certainly stole the show, but is was nice to see Bodmin, the Black 5, and the Standard Class 5 as well.
Ropley was the place to be for almost non stop action. Would you please thank all those concerned for all their efforts.
Ian & Darren Francis
Swanley, Kent

From: Paul Hatherly
Sent: 14 March 2005 20:53
Subject: A great day out on Sunday!
Hi Tony
Thanks to all at the Watercress Line for a wonderful day for me and my family at the Steam Gala on Sunday (My father-in -law, as a fan of City of Truro, was in raptures!)
I've attached a couple of pictures of City of Truro 'brewing up' at Ropley, and one by the water tower at Ropley including my young son Matthew, who is now also a fan.
Regards
Paul, Nicky and Matthew Hatherly
                                                               One    Two    Three

From: Paul Grey
Sent: 14 March 2005 19:26
Subject: Steam Gala photos
Hi Tony
I expect I am being a bit over cautious, but the photo of the crew relaxing in the cattle dock with the Jinty suggests to the lay person that it is OK to sit on a platform edge, with a engine in close proximity!
We would not tolerate this on a running line platform with an engine in steam, so is it good practice for a loco crew to do this, albeit in the cattle dock, and then have it on public display on the web site? You quite properly did not publish photos taken from the lineside.
Regards
Paul Grey (Building Dept. Volunteer)

I know of no more safety-conscious person than Pat Butler (Jinty driver in the photo) but of course you are right Paul, so I'll publish this to keep everything tickety-boo ... tw

From: Philip Harding
Subject: Lineside photographers
Tony
I see in earlier correspondence you brought up the subject of lineside photography.
Can I appeal to any photographer who does insist on trespassing on the railway to get his shots to acknowledge any warning whistles given by drivers of the locomotives.
It can be very unnerving when having given a warning you don't know if the person standing by the track has heard you or not. This lack of acknowledgement was particularly noticeable over the Gala.
And if the person who insisted on standing in the four-foot at the bottom of Soldridge cutting despite repeated warning blasts on the whistle is reading this, you deserved every word of the tirade that the driver of the train (me) gave you.
Phil Harding

David Snow has clarified this matter:
1   Anyone in possession of a valid MHR PTS is assumed to be capable of looking after themselves at the lineside at any time. Hence photos from MHR members or others with valid MHR PTS are acceptable.
2   Lineside passes are no longer available.
3   Photos taken from the other side of the fence are of course acceptable, but we would ask all photographers to take care not to cause any damage when on land belonging to our neighbours. We do not encourage people to enter fields.

Jim Russell writes: I would add that as a diesel Driver myself when you see someone inside the fence line with a camera one's heart comes up into one's throat. Most should not be there in the first place. Some act with an incredible cavalier attitude to their personal safety. It's as if once they have donned a hi-viz jacket they think they are train-proof. I'm here to tell anyone that however stupid an individual can be, when I've run you over I've got to live with that for the rest of my days and that's not something I wish to contemplate. It gives me, and I daresay any other footplate crew, complete and utter jitters and it ain't very nice. You don't see many people sitting in the middle of a motorway to get a better shot of Eddie Stobart vehicles do you?

From: Henry O'Dwyer
Sent: 14 March 2005 17:05
Subject: City
Hi Tony
Well, probably a little late now but here's one of my efforts from Sunday
Rgds
H.

From: Warwick Falconer
Sent: 14 March 2005 16:12
Subject: Gala Pics
Hi Tony
Gala was super.
I am a South African living in London and Saturday was my first visit to the MHR and I was really impressed !
I have attached a few pics taken a mile or so east of Ropley as well as one of 34016 at Medstead.
You currently have a picture of 3440 on your home page, whereabouts was that taken? Very nice spot.
Regards
Warwick
         One   Two   Three   Four

Tony Wood wrote:
Thanks Warwick. I'll see where they can fit on our website.
The photo of 'City of Truro' I think you mean was taken at Exeter in Devon by Nigel Wilson.
The current photos were taken by him at this MHR Gala. (Our website is constantly updated.)
d:-)
Just knew you'd like the Gala !  Bob Deeth (MHR Operations Manager) used to be a choreographer with the Saddlers Wells ballet. Shows, doesn't it.  .. tw

Pleasure. Gala was superb and ran so smoothly, that's quite a thing when you're used to watching trains in Africa! 
The site is brilliant - very informative and all the updates are great. Regards, Warwick

From: Jon Nye
Sent: 14 March 2005 12:10
Subject: Gala photos
Tony
I attach photos from Friday of the Gala. An excellent day out !
Regards
Jon                   One    Two    Three

From: Nigel Wilson
Sent: 13 March 2005 22:50
Subject: Gala
Dear Tony
Well, hardly a surprise but we had a super day at the Gala! As usual thanks to all who made it happen. Got some lovely pictures first thing of 3440 and 34016 leaving Alton. 3440 or 'City' as it's known in our house was certainly the star of the show ,as can be seen from her simmering in Ropley yard.
We had really great luck to get right behind the engine on 73096 and 3440's 5-coach final departure from Alton. Great!
Michael has (of course) made a movie, in fact I've made two: one general Gala, and on 3440 featuring the 16:55 down 5-coach run. *
Nigel Michael and Philip

From: Roger Stronell
Sent: 13 March 2005 23:25
Subject: Steam Gala - Sunday Photos - All taken from the right side of the fence !!!
Hi again Tony -
Had another excellent session on the Watercress Line today. Here are some samples -
  -   Your very own J94 creating a spectacular display as she climbs out of Alresford on the 11.00hrs shuttle to Ropley
  -   Jinty No. 47293 approaching Ropley on the 16.00hrs shuttle (with assistance from the rear end !)
  -   The Watercress Line J94 providing assistance from the rear (see above)
We were all so pleased to see the Jinty in action after her earlier problem with a broken spring.
Thanks to everybody for a great Gala.
Regards
Roger Stronell

From: Paul Hickman
Sent: 13 March 2005 09:42
Subject: Spring Steam Gala - thank you!
My wife bought me and a friend a 'birthday treat' ticket to the gala, and it was superb. Never a a dull moment and a fantastic collection of locos in-steam. All the activity at Ropley was especially impressive. A great day out - thank you.
Kind regards
Paul Hickman
PS - why don't the email addresses on your web site automatically call up the user's mail program? It's so easy to do!

I used to do that, but apparently it doesn't work on all browsers; I got fed up with complaints so took it off ... tw

From: Peter Meaby
Sent: 12 March 2005 19:43
Subject: the website
Hi Tony
On previous galas/events you've had lots of pictures constantly being added so why haven't you this time? or is it my computer? it seems the last update was on the 10th of March.
Peter Meaby (ranger @ Alton station)
P.S. I have tried F5, cleaning cookies, etc.

Sorry Peter: so you missed me?  We returned late last night from a couple of days in Devon for a posh family wedding. My mailbox was very stuffed with email and attachments. This morning (Sunday) I 'm meeting friends; I was hoping to get to MHR this afternoon (but with so much input may decide to do the website instead). Oh, and we have the aforesaid bride and groom staying with us tonight before I ferry them to Heathrow for their honeymoon flight to the Maldives in the morning.  ... tw

From: Brian Roff
Sent: 09 March 2005 08:58
Subject: A Site For Every Southern Man's Eyes
Dear Tony
Although I made a half hearted attempt, I regret that we did not make contact on my second visit to the UK in 2002. I have now been to the line three times, none of which resulted in a ride (just a timing issue); I guess it will be fourth time lucky!
I'm contacting you now (perhaps inappropriately given the Classes 73/76 5MT's class's at MHR) because I've a 3½" Reeves 75000 Class 4-6-0 (tender version) for which I need help with pictures (general and detail) and am wondering if you know of anyone I could get in touch with who might help. I have a rolling chassis on which I'm doing an above-footplate cosmetic build (initially, to develop my skills): the Reeves drawings are not good on actual replication, concentrating as they should on building a working model with all the necessary modifications and limitations that that brings for a scale live steam job.
My true rail love is semaphore signalling so I'll push my luck further and also ask if you know of anyone who has access to drawings of same; Southern naturally, but others as well. All reasonable costs associated with these requests accepted, naturally!
If you can help, even with a referral, well & good - if not, no worries!
I have visited and ridden many of the preserved railways in the UK, but my mind returns most to the Mid Hants, especially that wonderful little signalbox on the platform at Alresford. On first sight I had the most incredible sense of déja vu; to this day it has not left me. Inexplicable.
BTW, I think your winter shot of Medstead & Four Marks particularly atmospheric, even without a train in sight! I am obviously a real Southern man, (coming from Christchurch, NZ, I guess I'm qualified). One of these days I'll line up for Summer Volunteer Duties, in the mean time I take my hat off to you and your colleagues for the wonderful work that you have put in, it has paid off handsomely, the MHR is something to be very proud of.
Brian Roff
Christchurch, NZ

If you can help Brian with either 75000 or signals drawings, e-mail me and I'll provide his e-mail address.   (Brian: this site may help) ... tw

From: Ben Zehetmayr
Sent: 12 March 2005 13:26
Subject: Fw: Emailing: locos
Tony
Tom suggests a site for Brian Roff. Although 5" not 3.5"it might help him
BZ
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Zehetmayr
To: Ben Zehetmayr
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 11:05 AM
Subject: Emailing: locos
http://www.the-hewsons.demon.co.uk/locos.htm
I don't know if this will help, as the loco is under development and over gauge (5" not 3.5") but still he was very helpful to me and as I discovered it doesn't take long with a calculator to scale them up or down.

Sent: 08 March 2005 22:13
Subject: RE: please help
Dear Tony
You will not believe this. The only real clue I had was to a Beagle Dog website called leeeny.com. I finally threw up my hands and put a shot in the dark out there. I emailed the site and asked if they knew of the clip. Sure enough!! It was just a family outing clip they put on their website and just recently took it off. You are so fortunate over there. Over here we only get to see Thomas, no other engines like Diesel or James. Clark just loves your site. If he could get Mom to fly us over there (and God would rain pennies down from heaven!!) we would come to enjoy all the work you do there. God bless you and thank you for your encouragement and the joy you bring to so many.
Sincerely
Dori and Clark Walsh
Potosi, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
-----Original Message-----
To: Dori
No connection, Dori, except that their photo is of our Thomas, at our Ropley station, during one of our Thomas events.
Hope you find it all
Tony Wood
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 08 March 2005 12:03
Dear Tony
Yes, a very difficult task. I have been searching and searching your website. This morning I found that one lead I have been following, a "wamburg.com" http://www.wamburg.co.uk/steam/ leads me back to your website. We had lost another of Clark's favorite website movie clips from here and were never able to get it back from the web. (Luckily he had stored it elsewhere on the computer here.) Is Watercressline and Wamburg the same? Thank you
Dori
-----Original Message----
Subject: RE: please help
Hello Dori
A very difficult task. If you can remember other wording on the website, Google will doubtless find it, but otherwise I can't see how you'll find it except by tedious search of all likely places.
I expect you know that our website has a lot of Thomas movie clips? ... 
Good luck in your search
Tony Wood
-----Original Message-----
From: Dori
Sent: 07 March 2005 12:26
Subject: please help
Dear Tony Wood
My autistic son Clark had a favorite website that we have lost. It was a movie/video clip of Thomas The Tank Engine that started out with Star Wars music, with writing that said "A gray day out with Thomas" and "Woops, wrong movie." We called it the Gray Day Out With Thomas site. Is there any way at all you could help us find this clip again? I appreciate your consideration of this. Dori Walsh

From: Daniel Hillebrandt
Sent: 28 February 2005 18:13
Subject: 73096 and locoyard - Sunday 27th February 2005
Hi Tony
I enjoy having a regular read of the Watercress lines web-site. I am a volunteer in the Loco Dept. and just thought I would send you pics of 73096 simmering in Ropley station under the sun on Sunday and one of it pulling away towards Alton! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera to hand earlier that day when we had quite a heavy fall of snow, turning the yard ground white! I spent the day helping to lightly steam up No. 10 (Douglas) and gave the cab ceiling a good clean ready for its steam pressure test on Monday. This was followed by a bit of shunting to clear road no.1. The 33 was moved over the pits for, I believe a pressure tank test? Then the Ivatt, Black 5 (WOW!) and Jinty were hauled out onto the Alton bound platform towards the end of the day. I'm not to sure why road No.1 requires clearing but I guess it was something to do with the A4 in the shed?
Anyway, keep up the brilliant web site!
Daniel Hillebrandt

Your encouragement is much appreciated, Daniel; thank you ... tw

From: Matthew Allen
Sent: 28 February 2005 10:48
Subject: Watercressline 27 Feb 006
Hi Tony
Hope you're well
I managed to catch the 11:00 train yesterday with the interesting skyline. The sun was full out but a snow storm was about to blow over, looking very angry indeed
Do you know when City of Truro is arriving?
Regards
Matt

CoT is due at MHR shortly before our Gala; it has other commitments between now and then ... tw

From: Michael Pearson
Sent: 23 February 2005 17:02
Subject: Black 5
Tony
I was interested to see the comment about the firing on the Black 5 being a challenge. I drove it on Sunday and was slightly concerned to hear the horror stories about the previous few days, when the train was stopped for 'blow-ups'! However, I need not have worried. Fireman Rob Forster and cleaner Peter Maynard did a superb job and we had no difficulties. We came to the conclusion that problem could have been the extra long firebox, combined with some new coal that tends to clog things up. Making sure the front of the box was well covered and the occasional iron pulled through the fire to encourage the ash to drop through into the ashpan appeared to do the trick.
On the driving side, I found that the regulator was a bit tricky at first, but once I got used to it I found it very controllable. The vacuum brake, with the control very similar to the Ivatt, was a dream. As you have perhaps guessed by now, we had a good day!
Regards
Mike Pearson

From: Susan and Nigel
Sent: 17 February 2005 21:40
Subject: Kids let off steam
Hello Tony
We have missed mainline steam over the winter, so when we saw the Kids Let Off Steam Week we thought we would go. Michael (7) had a really great time at the 'make an air- powered car'. It was really good for the children; we were so glad we came along. Attached is a picture of the family testing the car for the 100th time when we got home.
Michael got this shot of the departure. Final picture is my effort of 11:00 departure.
There seems to be some pressure being applied to come to the Spring Gala so I expect we'll be back then.
Thanks again for the Science talks, people who didn't bring the kids along have really missed out.
Nigel, Susan, Michael & Philip Wilson

From: Matt Dives
Sent: 17 February 2005 20:19
Subject: RE: Jinty 47493
Tony
Good to see 47493 looking at home in Ropley yard now.
In answer to your statement on the website, the red handle on the reverser acts as a reminder to the firemen that the driver is in between, oiling up, to avoid any injuries (cannot be too careful these days). Its also applied when people are carrying out any other work when the engine is being prepared for service. The fact it has been wired up is, as you say, due to the lack of eccentrics right now.
Regards
Matt

Matt is webmaster for Spa Valley Railway, the Jinty's home ... tw

From: Ben Zehetmayr
Sent: 16 February 2005 23:20
Subject: LMS MPD
My brother Tom took this picture of a Midland Region motive power depot
Not bad!
Ben Z

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