Mid-Hants Railway Loco Shed

Recent News

Recent News from Ropley Motive Power Depot:  showing work-in-progress of interest to the steam railway enthusiast
Reports and photos by your webmaster, or by others where acknowledged

Follow our restoring of heritage steam engines from Barry wrecks to high performance, mainline certified steam classics

13th April 2005:   Fitting the outside connecting rods onto #35005
	That's the middle con-rod for Canadian Pacific on the trolley; Frank was busy machining the re-metalled centre big-end. BCK (Brake Composite Corridor) coach #W21236  has primer and filler in evidence. Duncan showed me new wooden panels inside, but I couldn't see how to make an interesting picture of them: best come and see for yourself when the coach is in service later this month Ropley Shed Carriage Restorations and Maintenance
#73096 was needing piston-gland replacements rather often, so the left piston was removed (not without difficulty with a very tight cotter pin!) and sent away for re-grinding of the rod
	The pieces of wood in the cylinder cushioned the impact of the falling rod as the piston came out
Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern
Thomas's new firebox was delivered this morning, together with the old one and its serviceable foundation ring and firehole ring (all sent with the drawings as a pattern). Holes for the smoketubes (all one size because Thomas uses saturated steam, not superheated) can be seen on the front face of the firebox Seven photos (all 13th April 2005): Tony Wood

7th April 2005:     The work on #92212's boiler  MHR Boiler Dept have signed off #35005 Canadian Pacific and handed it over to the mechanical fitters. The rods were removed when the loco was towed so, because the loco has done considerable mileage, bearings and bushes will be checked before these are replaced
	Andy was replacing a 2ft2 corroded section of the smokebox     Photos (7th April 2005): Tony Wood           We re-metalled CP's centre big-end, and also an Ivatt axlebox thrust face and two axlebox crowns today (7th April )

23rd March 2005: Work has started on the bottom end overhaul of Ivatt #41312 Axles will be removed one at a time:
.	Bob Preston was painting the Black Five tender brake weigh-shaft bracket he made Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 from arrival to date
Rod Tye (on Thomas, above) said to look out for MD (same footplate crew) who'd promised a flypast in his Piper - and there he was !
.	The work on #92212's boiler
We whipped all the left side rods off Bodmin in the morning to check the gradient pin bush. Bubs made a replacement after lunch, and it was all back together same afternoon All photos (23rd March 2005): Tony Wood

Spa Valley Railway's Jinty #47493 stays for spring repair, and as a static exhibit at our Thomas event

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 'Diesel Corner'

18th March 2005: One of the cross-heads for Bittern heating in its chill ready for white metal to be poured. Bob Preston is fabricating replacement tender weighshaft brackets for the MHR Black Five. He's found Bert Hitchen's Five useful for comparisons. Original and new: 'Bob the Welder' is so named from respect at Ropley for his work Photo (18th March 2005): Ray Sully Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern (index to pages)

18th March 2005:  Graham Varney's border collie is a familiar sight at Ropley MPD Ric Yates caught this characteristic pose at Alresford whilst Todd waited for Graham, firing instructor for Footplate Experience (Advanced) on 17th March 2005 Ric wrote about his course

  'Diesel Corner' 

9th March 2005:   It's arrived ! Photo (9th March 2005): Chris Cornell ... and Matt Allen shot :  one   two  (same day)
10th March 2005:  Inside the cab of  City of Truro #3440       Photo (106KB, 10th March 2005): Tony Wood

  Photo-report on the MHR Spring Steam Gala 11th - 13th March 2005

Loco yard after departure towards M4M of the Jinty, which later visited Alresford. Douglas is in steam on the pit road, was cleaned, oiled up, tested briefly in the afternoon, and declared fit for the next day's first Footplate Experience (Introductory) Courses of the year

Photo and movie (both 7th March 2005): Tony Wood

5th March 2005:    Loco line-up for our   Diesel Gala  13-15th  May 2005  announced

 'Diesel Corner'