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

19th July 2007: *A4 Bittern* arrives at Ropley from Alresford with the first service train of the day. *Movie* (3.5MB, 19th July 2007): Tony Wood *A4 Bittern* departs Ropley with 1116 for Alton. MPD staff observe, as you can hear! *Movie* (8.3MB, 19th July 2007): Tony Wood
	TSO #4600, wheels and axleboxes for Douglas (right, on Warwell wagon), cab for #45379 P-Way have a posh tipper to replace their old blue van Photos (19th July 2007): Tony Wood
Mr Anthony Bulleid paid a visit to Ropley today and Frank Boait showed him round our collection of locos designed by HAVB's father, O V Bulleid, and by other CMEs (Chief Mechanical Engineers) HAVB remembers meeting. He and Frank were so deep in conversation I somehow didn't like to intrude with a camera. Mr Bulleid signed Frank's copy of his book

17th July 2007: Removing valves from U Class #31806 needed more assertive methods (click photo) but both valve-chests are now cleared
Up in the boiler shop, Andy has been drilling pilot holes in *Douglas*'s inner firebox, using the foundation ring as a drilling jig
The frames of Douglas are still on the Warwell, Hugh was machining probably another eccentric strap and most of those he's done have been tinned ready for white-metalling. Work has begun on axleboxes. Duncan has begun gloss coats on TSO #4600
Photos (17th July 2007): Tony Wood Ropley Shed Carriage Restorations and Maintenance

	10th July 2007: The locos are being cleaned once again. Simon did a good job on the Five this morning, putting the finishing touches to Kim's work the day before.
Bittern's cylinder drain cocks were being cleaned out. Visitors to our 40th Anniversary (SR Steam) event will have seen and heard the effect of crud finding its way into those valves and holding them partly open
More extreme methods are being used to remove U-Class #31806's valves from their bores because they have resisted the Duck Oil and sliding hammer method for too long: spindles have been cut free and valve heads will be burned out. Not a problem, as the loco was stopped some years ago because reboring was required. We'll be getting the Severn Valley lads in again* to do that job. (*They did the same job on #45379)
	Photos (10th July 2007): Tony Wood

Photo (7th July 2007): Craig Semplis

Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern

3rd July 2007: Pressure-testing the manifold for Black Five #45379 (Andy Netherwood's challenge: can you see what's wrong here? Answer below) From: Andy Attwell Sent: 04 July 2007 09:38 Its been assembled backwards hasn't it? Hope you are well, one day I might get back to Ropley. Ho hum. Cheers From: Andy Crespin (in NZ) Sent: 04 July 2007 10:41 Looks very much to me like the manifold is upside down ! But then it would be easier to do it that way and have the two injector steam valves 'get at able' The other Andy It was immediately apparent that one of the valve castings was porous so that will have to be replaced
Both 35005 and 34016 have now passed boiler inspection Part 2 exam.
Dirty locos without nameplates in the yard in preparation for the weekend event (7th - 8th July 2007) : "40th Anniversary of the End of Steam on the Southern" * * And the first chance for 35 years to travel behind A4 Bittern !!
	Bob Preston has made and fitted a flat firedoor flap to replace the battered dished one Movie: Up service train departs Ropley (6.4MB) Photos and movie (3rd July 2007): Tony Wood

30th June 2007: New page by Mike Pearson on carriage restorations at the Mid Hants

26th June 2007: #35005 passed its (Part 2) steam test yesterday (25th June) so is in service for the next 12 months, after which it will be withdrawn for a heavy general overhaul. We have the necessary new firebox tube plate in stock (see photo)
Only frequent visitors to loco yards get to see the great succession of 'small' jobs necessary to maintain a steam locomotive, so one such is featured in today's report: Copper pipes flex with changes in temperature or through vibration in service and 'work harden', becoming brittle. This eventually causes cracking, as had happened to a high-pressure water feed pipe from one of Bodmin's injectors, near the clack valve. Colin Wallace removed the pipe for repair. Andy ground out a ½" long crack by the flange (see photo) and repaired it by brazing. Refitting a six foot long shaped pipe provoked the usual comments: "It came out so it must go back in", "Up a bit your end" and the like, but eventually it was aligned and reconnected, with a new gasket at the clack. Movie (5.6MB, 26th June 2007)
Bob Preston was making a new firehole flap door for Bittern and improving the coal-plate. Duncan, in full trapeze harness, was preparing a carriage roof for painting.	Photos and movie (26th June 2007): Tony Wood

25th June 2007:

Bittern performed exceptionally well in a series of load tests - 9 coaches + 'dead' Class 33 - under possession rules on Friday 22nd June 2007. There are still some adjustments to be done (e.g. to loco axle loadings) and a tender spring will be replaced.

Introduction of Bittern on MHR service trains: 40th Anniversary of the End of Southern Steam special event.

In Ropley signalbox, Jack Stanford and Dennis Grace were in the locking room installing locks and controllers

Popped into Ropley late this afternoon to see what was going on. The A4 was not in steam and was having its tender brakes seen to by Kim Malyon and colleagues.
West Country #34007 had a fire in it but wasn’t quite ready to go anywhere as it was having its rods replaced after the bearings had received attention.

Things seem to be moving on in the ‘new’ Ropley signalbox, as evidenced by the sparkly new indicators ready to be installed on the block shelf.

Report and photo (14th June 2007): Stephen Hoadley

13th June 2007: Thomas, Bittern and Standard 5, all in steam. Frank and the gang white-metalling bearings for Wadebridge Hugh, machining eccentrics for Douglas on the vertical borer

	Report and photos (all 13th June 2007): Dick Chapman

11th June 2007:

Duncan was preparing the tender for Black Five #45379 for painting;
Alastair was clearing some debris from the cylinder drain cocks of Bittern;
Nick, on 'Work Experience', was sorting out a minor lubrication problem on #34007 Wadebridge;
Steve was raising steam on Bittern so the Suffolk lads would be able to adjust its air braking system; and
Ivatt 2-6-2 #41312 lhs cylinder liner has moved so will need to be replaced.
Hugh was machining the eccentrics for Douglas on the vertical borer: Movie (1.2MB, 11th June 2007): Tony Wood

7th June 2007:

This afternoon Bittern moved again for the first time under its own steam. Lots of steam drama because gland packings have not yet been put in so any debris will now have been cleared out. Only problems apparent were the leading tender axle brake which is not releasing completely and a rather stiff reverser

Movie: Bittern moves again (11.7MB, 7th June 2007): Tony Wood

Late afternoon, after Frank had temporarily removed the rubbing brake blocks from the leading tender axle, Bob Cartwright drove Bittern (still without its gland packings) up to Medstead and back - with his camcorder in the other hand ! None of the bearings got warm.

Movie (14.2MB, 7th June 2007): Bob Cartwright

Movies of Bittern subsequently in service

Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern

Up in the Boiler Shop, Andy has calibrated the gauges for Bodmin and Canadian Pacific ready for the next stage of their boiler inspections and they were refitted today.

Gavin has made a new floor plate for the smokebox of Canadian Pacific and discarded the old heavily corroded one.

If you were wondering where the blastpipe is, it fits where the exhausts are now covered by plywood to prevent anything falling into the ports

Photo (7th June 2007): Tony Wood

30th May 2007: Dick had a piston for #45379 on the radial drill bed and was tapping core plug holes with a taper tap ready for plugging: Movie (1.0MB)
	Andy's team were removing boiler fittings from two Bulleids for fettling ready for the next stage of the certification process Photos and movie (all 30th May 2007): Tony Wood

16th May 2007: Duncan had finished the gloss coat of Bittern but there's a delay on the signwriting (boiler bands, cab sides, etc.) He was working on the strips of black between the treads on the running plate. Frank was working on spark-arresting gear in the smokebox. Restoration of Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern
	Dick Chapman had just lifted a piston he'd made for #45379 off the big lathe. The brake adjusters he made had been given a coat of primer and grease nipples were fitted
Andy was in the smokebox of #73096 refitting the petticoat after installing three new superheater elements. Because they were in high flue-tubes, other elements needed removing for access. As we spoke, Wadebridge passed with a service train
Canadian Pacific's boiler ticket expired yesterday: John Sowerby was working in the firebox cleaning the grate in preparation for the boiler inspector's visit next Thursday
	Pistons from #31806 are out. Carbon deposits under rings can make pistons and valve heads hard to shift past the worn part of the cylinder bores
Wagon renovations and restorations at MHR	Photos (16th May 2007): Tony Wood

9th May 2007: John Wright lays floorboards in Bittern's cab. At the other end of the loco's long boiler, Duncan was flatting the paintwork (Movie 1.3MB)
One of (Black Five) #45379's radius rods, polished and oiled
	'Uncle Albert' (right, aka Clive Meech) had been unable to come to Ropley for some time through illness, but visited on 9th May. He compared (medical) notes with Chris Wrathall. Photos and movie (9th May 2007): Tony Wood

6th May 2007: Wheels for the MHRPS Thumper DEMU have returned from re-tyring
Wadebridge warming for service on Bank Holiday Monday (7th May) Photos (6th May 2007): David Charlesworth

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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