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

2nd May 2007:

Standard 5 #73096 passed the magic figure of 100,000 miles in preservation during our Easter 2007 Thomas event (in the role of 'Henry').
Many of these miles were amassed whilst hauling Daylight Railtours and Cathedrals Express main line excursions.

Web-movies of some 73096 main line runs Last 73096 heavy general overhaul

U-Class #31806 being dismantled in the Wheeldrop shed. John Sowerby's hand.

Valve heads are most reluctant to come out, and piston rod doesn't want to separate from the crosshead.

Movie: Graham Varney scrapes inside face of a cylinder front cover

(1.6MB, 2nd May 2007): Tony Wood

Dirty locos in the yard really look the part

Photos (2nd May 2007): Tony Wood

Heavy general overhaul of rebuilt J94 #10 Douglas

Wagon renovations and restorations at MHR

Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern

Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379

Funding the restoration of #45379

Diesel Corner

Ropley Shed Carriage Restorations and Maintenance

26th April 2007: Inside Ropley loco shed today:	Sunbathing Ivatt
In the Boiler Shop, Andy and Gavin were preparing to rivet the outer wrapper of Douglas's firebox and were checking their proposed setup on the cut-off scrap lower part of the firebox: Movie (2.8MB) (26th April 2007)
Black Five #45379, viewed from shed mezzanine floor Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379 Funding the restoration of #45379
In the adjacent shed, a 15-ton lifting beam has been installed over the wheeldrop If anyone can offer appropriate tackle to fit it, we'd be interested The loco in the foreground is Wadebridge In the background, U-Class #31806, having its spring hangers removed Photos and movie (26th April 2007): Tony Wood

22nd April 2007:

Unrebuilt West Country Class: Wadebridge #34007 was diagrammed for service trains for the first time at MHR

Dave Warwick also took photos of 34007 in action

Photos (22nd April 2007): Dave Warwick

18th April 2007: Douglas waits to be put back on his wheels, now that that they have returned from re-tyring (see 13th March 2007 report) Gavin has finished Douglas's ashpan. (Tidy job, I thought .. tw) See also 30th March
	Work proceeds on the S15 boilers, currently to remove crown stays
MHRPS loco: Canadian Pacific

Alastair was adjusting the brakes on 34007 Wadebridge whilst others were making a coupling to its (temporary) Mechant Navy Class tender

Bob Preston shows work in progress on U-Class #31806, now in the wheeldrop shed ...	... and outside, a jolly team were cleaning up its brake rigging etc., ready to be put into storage Photos (18th April 2007): Tony Wood

	4th April 2007: Preparing Bittern for painting Movie (2.3 MB, 4th April 2007): Tony Wood Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern The Class 27 has had some of its corroded bodywork cut away ready for new pieces to be welded in.

The 9F and the rebuilt West Country Bodmin are spruced up ready for our big Thomas event. Those are Douglas's wheels, back from retyring. Thomas himself was having new white metal valve spindle packings cast in the shed. Once machined and fitted, these should cure the excess of steam from underneath his boiler when he is moving. Visitors to Ropley loco yard like to see the details of our locos, so I took a couple of close-up photos of valvegear on #73096 for you ...

... and this of some used (but serviceable) Bulleid grate 'fingers'
	On the footplate of #34007 Wadebridge, newly-arrived at Ropley
	John Butcher, chairman of the group which owns the loco, was showing Keith and Gavin a few special features in the smokebox :-) Photos and movies (4th April 2007): Tony Wood

30th March 2007: Percy, Thomas, Diesel and James are eager to meet their little friends over the Easter holidays The smoky haze is from Henry, who was warming up to haul our trains this weekend. He won't have his face on because he'll be disguised as a normal BR Standard Class Five until the BIG EVENT
Progress with the steam crane boiler - routine maintenance - contract job in the boiler shop Updates 18th April 2007: One Two Three Four Unusual views of Bittern's (dusty) streamlined cladding Photos (30th March 2007): Tony Wood

28th March 2007: A visitor's photo-report shows what was going on at Ropley today

21st March 2007: "You haven't put Dick Chapman on the website yet" said Chris Wrathall: so here's Dick today, making a brake adjuster for the Black Five The finished adjuster Photo (18th April 2007): Tony Wood Restoration of MHRPS Black Five #45379
With the painting of the DMMU trailer car complete, Duncan has made a start on painting Bittern's tender coal-space - photo: Ben Zehetmayr Other photos (21st March 2007): Tony Wood 'Diesel Corner'

13th March 2007:

Mid-Week PWay Gang was changing sleepers on the Ropley down line beside the wheeldrop shed.

See also: Movie (4.5 MB, 13th March 2007): Tony Wood

Just follow links marked to access archives of Latest News pages ... Anything previous?

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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