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

1st March 2006: Canadian Pacific with a warming fire was smoking out the yard, but this pic does show the 9F with its valves removed. It will need two new valve-heads made: we have one casting in stock, and have ordered another. It'll be a few weeks before it's all back together.
	These two guest locos have arrived for our Spring Gala - Bob and Chris inspecting. Gala Details (pdf format) The Ivatt returned same afternoon and Stepney was reported as 'en route' Linked Ivatt photo (1st March 2006): Chris Cornell Two Ropley photos and a movie, 385KB (1st March 2006): TonyWood

15th February 2006:

The 10-ton steam crane (DS58) was called in * to unload four coach bogies from two lorries

Keith Loughlin was doing a routine boiler washout on Standard Five #73096:

Movie (1.3MB, 15th February 2006): Tony Wood

Why we wash out boilers after each 21 steaming days

Photo (15th February 2006): Tony Wood

* Photo at M4M (15th February 2006): Steve Walters

10th February 2006:

#92212 and #45231 warming for service tomorrow

Bert's Black Five was chattering happily to itself: Movie (1.3MB)

Photo (10th February 2006): Tony Wood

8th February 2006:

Photo (8th February 2006): Tony Wood

Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern

Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 from arrival to date

26th January 2006: Inside the shed this afternoon Photo (26th January 2006): Tony Wood
25th January 2006: Bittern's boiler was lifted into the frames

24th January 2006:
	Griddle Car #1105, repainted and re-upholstered, is to have its lino replaced Ropley Shed Carriage Restorations and Maintenance Photos (24th January 2006): Tony Wood

21st January 2006: Curious problem with the 9F on a service train: the smokebox door dart* broke whilst it was at Alresford. It was jury-rigged using a Spanish windlass, and changed when the train reached Ropley Photo (Ropley, 21st January 2006): Scot Bearford
* Arrow-shaped rod through the centre of the smokebox door which is screwed tight to the crossbar to hold the door shut. An air-tight seal is important, especially at MHR with its steep gradients; air getting in considerably reduces the steaming performance of a boiler ... tw

	17th January 2006: Sunset today at Ropley Also
Photos (17th January 2006): Tony Wood

11th January 2006: Bittern is back in the shed

Photo (11th January 2006): Tony Wood

6th December 2005:

Ropley station down side was full of locos this morning ...

... and 33103 in the up road - with a red face after 3/12/05* ?

*rtf

Photos (6th December 2005): Tony Wood

30th November 2005: The J94 boiler has been removed from Douglas #10 and Keith Loughlin was busy in the smokebox replacing plugs
	Now Douglas awaits new tyres, and the boiler from Thomas when the firebox has been replaced. Bittern's boiler passed its formal 'cold' test, so the boiler ticket clock is running. Next task is to steam the boiler on its trollies for the 'hot' test prior to fitting it in the frames.
Sand boxes and tender steps for MHRPS Black Five #45379 have been renovated Photos (30th November 2005): Tony Wood Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 from arrival to date

	24th November 2005: Jim Lawrence cleans the axleboxes, John Dunkerley salvages parts to make adaptors, for a pair of Commonwealth bogies to use temporarily under TSO #3906 until authentic BR Mk1 bogies in store are renovated Ropley Shed Carriage Restorations and Maintenance
Bob Preston has the two inner frames of #45379's tender bolted-up for drilling and then rivetting. More stretchers have been painted ready.
	Chris Smith works on Thomas's boiler fittings in the Boiler Dept workshop
	Ropley water crane stored during extension of the up platform
The TPWS on 9F #92212 is being rewired with cable to a higher specification. Photos (all 24th November 2005): Tony Wood

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16th November 2005:

Heating the chill and a crosshead for #73096: Neil Davis checks temperatures all around using an infra-red remote thermometer. White metal, heating in the kiln behind him, is ready to pour.

Steam crane DS58 unloaded a coach bogie delivered this morning, and then made easy work of dismantling Douglas's cab ready for boiler removal. Brake rigging has been removed underneath for Douglas's wheels to be removed

Photos (16th November 2005): Tony Wood

12th November 2005:

Report and photos from Ropley by Watercress Ranger Alec McCloskey

Rangers are volunteers aged 12 to 16 years

No.9 being cleaned at Ropley on Saturday during the sponsored walk - Julie and two others hard at work

Photo (5th November 2005): David Charlesworth

9th November 2005:

Bob Preston shows how the riveting inside our Black Five's tender frame members was performed (Movie, 2MB)

(Photos and Movie, 9th November 2005): Tony Wood)

Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 from arrival to date

In the yard, Jim and his team were preparing Douglas for boiler removal (to transplant into Thomas in time for the Easter event)

The chimney was removed for work to improve the draughting of this boiler

(Photo and Movie, 3.9MB, 9th November 2005): Tony Wood)

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9th November 2005: Bob Preston shows how the riveting inside our Black Five's tender frame members was performed (Movie, 2MB) (Photos and Movie, 9th November 2005): Tony Wood) Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 from arrival to date
In the yard, Jim and his team were preparing Douglas for boiler removal (to transplant into Thomas in time for the Easter event) The chimney was removed for work to improve the draughting of this boiler (Photo and Movie, 3.9MB, 9th November 2005): Tony Wood)