Mid Hants Railway Loco Shed

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From: Peter Scutt
Sent: 08 November 2005 16:29
Subject: Ropley yard - 8th November 2005
Tony
Just popped into the yard on my way home and caught the sun setting.
Thought it summed up the seasonal feeling of shorter days and longer nights ahead.
Regards
Peter Scutt

	2nd November 2005: Very noisy in the shed today because we were riveting the tender frames of the MHR Black Five #45379 That loco's valve chests were being bored: movie, 347KB (see also below, 1st November 2005) About the coach
	New horizontal borer bought at the Eastleigh Depot sale now installed in the machine shop
	The railway has bought Douglas #10 from Colin Fuller, and work begun to remove boiler cladding so as to transfer Douglas's boiler to Thomas was on hold today because of heavy rain. Both locos started life as J94 saddle tanks, and the boiler exchange will allow us to run the Easter event with our own Thomas. Thomas's boiler will of course continue its progress towards firebox replacement and will be back in service in Douglas as soon as we can finish it. Meanwhile, we are waiting for delivery of new tyres for Douglas. The rain stopped me taking what might have been an impressive photo of the line-up of locos on the pit road: #45231, 60009, 35005, 34016 and, in the yard, 73096. #92212 was in the boiler department having work done in preparation for its main line certification Three photos and a movie (all 2nd November 2005): Tony Wood

1st November 2005:

Machining the cylinders of the MHRPS Black Five #45379

Photos (1st November 2005): Ray Sully

Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 from arrival to date

26th October 2005:

Ropley yard last evening

Photo (25th October 2005): Matt Allen

25th October 2005:

Bubbles attends to the FTR (fitness to run) examination of Black Five #45231 in readiness for tomorrow's Cathedrals Express to Canterbury

Photo (25th October 2005): Tony Wood

Mainline tours

23rd October 2005:

#60009 Union of South Africa is always a welcome visitor to MHR

Photo (23rd October 2005): Ian Banham

Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 'Bittern' at MHR

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19th October 2005:

The yard looked strangely empty today: 41312, 35005 and 92212 are visiting other railways; 73096 (just visible in the photo) is up in the Boiler Dept for preparation for annual boiler exam; 34016 was chuffing up and down with a train on Footplate Experience (Advanced) duties; 60009 had a change of plan.

New tyres have been ordered for Douglas (foreground).

Andy was reassembling the Class 11 after its successful air receivers inspection. He told me also that 73096 had passed its 'Cold' boiler exam on Friday 14th October 2005, and has its 'Hot' exam this Friday 21st.

Bubbles and tw were washing out the boiler of 45231 ready for its boiler exam this week. It's due out next Wednesday on a Cathedrals Express to Canterbury

Two photos (19th October 2005): Tony Wood

10th October 2005:

The left trailing tender axlebox of Bodmin ran a hot box yesterday and #34016 was withdrawn from service

Three photos tell the tale, though not the cause. Best guess is that sheer mileage had worn off the leading taper from the white metal, producing a scraper edge which removes the oil from the axle rather than spreading it

We removed the old white metal and cleaned up the brass, then tinned it ready for white-metalling tomorrow.

Three photos (10th October 2005): Tony Wood

5th October 2005:

#73096 is stopped for annual boiler exam, and is also having its biennial valve and piston exam. The valves look good: lightly oiled, rings free.

Photos (5th October 2005): Tony Wood

28th September 2005:

Locos return home after our Steam Gala.

Bob Allen prepares to detach the tender of City of Truro for the road transport contractors. Black Prince awaits its turn.

Photo (Alresford, 28th September 2005): Tony Wood

16th September 2005:

In the yard today the steam crane unloaded a delivery of six Commonwealth bogies (off scrapped EMUs, which we have purchased from Porterbrook); separately lifted each end of a coach for routine bogie checks; and lifted one end of the newly refurbished Pullman car so that an inaccessible redundant branch of the steam-heating system could be blanked-off.

Now that #45379's boiler has gone for repairs, work has begun in the shed to dismantle the rest of it

Its tender frames are coming along nicely, thanks to a huge amount of work by Bob ('The Welder') Preston and other volunteers

Two photos (16th September 2005): Tony Wood

Footplate Experience (Introductory) courses on 4th May 2005 were on Bodmin.

Here are that morning's students: three very happy bunnies!

Photos (4th May 2005): Tony Wood
Graphic: Henry O'Dwyer

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