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

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28th February 2007: Anyone who has worked on locos at Ropley will be familiar with the old trolley for moving connecting rods around. John and Jim have renovated it and it now looks good for yet another 60 years.
	In the yard, locos were warming for the MHR Spring Steam Gala Yard scenes (movie, 2.3 MB) at about midday (smell the smoke?) Photo below shows the floor-level firehole door of Terrier #662

Andy had been called in to finish some of the footplate copper pipework, so the crane boiler re-tubing job was on hold. I liked the way the boiler shop had insulated their urn with NASA ceramic fibre. Photos (28th February 2007): Tony Wood

20th February 2007:

Over the ashpit, #41312 was being greased, inspected and readied for an axle-pad exam

Myra gave a little tlc to CP and the Beattie Well Tank

Bob is removing the corroded dragbox from U-Class 31806

Photos (28th February 2007): Tony Wood

14th February 2007: Delicate application of a gas axe to U-Class #31806 outside the shed
	The 45-ton steam crane was being employed in the yard to replace coach bogies. The crane was driven by our Chairman/Managing Director, Colin Chambers (well-known for allowing no monkey-business)

But no-one takes any notice, of course! d:-) On Ropley platform 2 the Wednesday Gang were taking their afternoon tea-break Latest P-Way Report Photos and movie (all 14th February 2007): Tony Wood

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5th February 2007:

P-Way gang were working at Ropley on sleeper replacement.

It was good to find Rod Tye working back at Ropley after a break of a week or two: Movie 1.2MB

Photo and movie (5th February 2007): Tony Wood

Wagon renovations and restorations at MHR

3rd February 2007:

Preparation of #73096 was in full swing at 0800 on Saturday, 3rd Feb. Unfortunately the loco was failed during the day with a badly leaking superheater element and the last round trip was worked by the Crompton diesel. #34016 was lit up during the afternoon ready to take over for the Sunday service. I took this photo on my way to Alresford for the guard duty on the train.

writes Mike Pearson

	Not sure if these two are our oldest loco shed volunteers: Ron Mersh (our electrical engineer) is 79, and Jack Knight (who can mend anything, and is particularly good with compressors) is 86. ps Ron said if I'd waited until 15th Feb, he'd be 80 !
	Black Five #45379 Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 Funding the restoration of #45379
Just outside the shed stands the Yankee tank loco from Bosnia with this plate which I'm told translates as 'unclean water'
The 45-ton steam crane was called in today to turn Douglas's boiler onto its back for easier fitting of the inner firebox. More (including a movie of the lift) There's Thomas (movie, 31st January 2007, 1.2MB) warming up for test before going to meet his little friends at another railway Photo and two movies (31st January 2007): Tony Wood

24th January 2007:

Coach 4977 coach-end repairs and painting have now been done, all bar the number transfers. Duncan was fitting the corridor end.

The coach will now be moved over the pit in the wheeldrop shed for vacuum brakes to be fitted

Ropley Shed Carriage Restorations and Maintenance

Photos (24th January 2007): Tony Wood

21st January 2007: Diesel Corner

19th January 2007:

The recently-riveted plates over the bufferbeam of the MHRPS Black Five are now in grey undercoat.

Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379

Funding the restoration of #45379

In the Boiler Shop, they have a contract job to re-tube the boiler from a 45-ton steam crane based at Southall: DS1561. Boiler is identical to the one on our DS1580

Alistair was annealing the ends of new water tubes* - Movie (1.8MB)

* This boiler uses a combination of water tubes and smoke tube to transfer heat from the fire to the water. More details

Photos and movie (19th January 2007): Tony Wood

10th January 2007:

Andy King was at MHR and watched John Dunkerley connect newly-returned CanPac to its tender at Alresford.

Andy then went to Ropley and got a shot of the 9F, whose boiler ticket expired on 5th January 2007. It will soon have its boiler removed for a full de-tube in readiness for re-certification inspections.

By mid-afternoon, CanPac was on the pit road at Ropley next to the Yank Tank

Four photos (10th January 2007): Andy King

20th December 2006: Bert's Black Five #45231 was cooling at Ropley platform 2 after yesterday's main line run, and four locos in Ropley yard were in steam. Movie (5MB) #73096 was used in the afternoon to shunt the yard. After Rod Tye had coaled-up #71000 ready for tomorrow's excursion, he was chatting to a BBC Radio 4 interviewer on the footplate of the Std 5. Keith Loughlin retires at the end of this week, but he'll still be a rostered volunteer steam driver
	S15 boilers: two Urie and a Maunsell and Urie S15 #30506 at Ropley MPD Boiler Shop
Cab
Yankee Tank from Bosnia arrived on 19th December 2006	Photos and the movie (all 20th December 2006): Tony Wood

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Stannier Black Five #45379*

... is under restoration

*Photo: Frank Boait

Final run of 5379

Photo at Bighton Bridge: Tony Wood

Restoration to date

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