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

29th August 2007: Roger and Malcolm discuss with Andy Netherwood arrangements for a formal insurance inspection of the boiler for S15 #828 on which they have been working at Ropley Your webmaster asked them about it (movie, 3.4MB, 29th August 2007)
Visitors to the yard are often curious about our routine boiler washouts, so today when the 'mud' of dissolved solids had footprints in it, it seemed worth a photo to show what is removed via the mudhole doors (right)
Here's a movie of #73096 on an up service train passing the boiler shop (4MB, 29th August 2007) And a movie showing Roger Latch needle-gunning inside the buffer-beam of U-Class #31806 (1MB, 29th August 2007)
... and the carriage in for painting was having axles ultra-sound tested by an NDT (non-destructive testing) contractor Photos and movies (all 29th August 2007): Tony Wood

26th August 2007: Gresley A4 #60019 Bittern meets new water carrier and support coach at Southall

22nd August 2007: Injectors are the Achilles Heel of J94 locos - they scale readily and then become unco-operative. Keith dismantled them for cleaning
	Andy shows the problem
The 45-ton steam crane was busy today in the yard: Lifting Douglas's frames onto trollies in preparation for fitting his wheels; Unloading wheels for the Thumper from a lorry; and Loading carriage bogies onto the newly-vacated Warwell
Movies: #73096 departs Ropley with an up service train (2.6MB) Douglas's frames are moved from Warwell to trollies (10MB) Photos and movies (22nd August 2007): Tony Wood

21st August 2007:

Bittern goes main line and is: " ... currently somewhere in London." It has gone to be united with its support coach and water tender, will run with these to Didcot. Load test follows

Photo (20th August 2007): James Mayl

17th August 2007:

Matt Oakley at 16 is one of the youngest on our footplate crew roster.

He's taking a few minutes respite from the heat of Percy's cab and brake van rides at Alresford in our Day Out With Thomas

Photos (17th August 2007): Cathryn Bennett

16th August 2007:

Our Thomas event is in full swing with record attendances. (Photos)
Now that Bittern's springs have had time to settle in, Frank and team have been adjusting them so that each wheel takes the correct load (measured via hydraulic pressure on a small jack under each wheel in turn. The 33 was used to pull the loco up and down the pit road from time to time.

7th August 2007: How we move connecting rods
	Routine fettling of the motion of #73096 in the wheeldrop shed. Bob had added oilways to the expansion link dieblocks and was busy with engineer's blue and a scraper getting them to slide nicely. (Watch the dieblock slide down the expansion link to 'forward' in this movie (6.4MB) of #73096 setting off from Ropley on 3rd July 2007 ... ... and up the expansion link to 'backward' in this movie of #41312 at Alton on 3rd October 2003 (1.3MB) ) More Families arriving other than by train had a frustrating time finding somewhere to park because the station forecourt was being kept clear for turning big coal lorries which reverse under the rookery alongside the shed to the coal dump
Preparations are evident all about for our next big event and there were lots of young visitors in the yard to see Thomas and Percy. On Friday (3rd August 2007) the planing machine was moved by specialist contractors Ainscough Vanguard from station forecourt to shed. They (AV) took photos of the job: One Two Three Four Five Photos (7th August 2007) and referred movies: Tony Wood

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1st August 2007: Space was cleared in the shed today to allow this planing machine to be installed in a prepared site just ahead of where the Black Five currently stands. On these machines the heavy table whips back and forth at about 1Hz so secure anchoring with its keel set into the concrete floor is essential.
It's nearly that time again! Percy has arrived
Still one of our browsers' favourite movies: Bittern arriving at Ropley with an up service train, crossing with Wadebridge and departing with the 1115 for Alton (MOVIE, 12½MB, 1st August 2007)
Frank gives instructions to Mark, the ranger who made such a good job recently of cleaning the side of CP you see in the movie of 24th July 2007 (see link below) Photos and movie (1st August 2007): Tony Wood
	Two views of work done the new firebox for Douglas's boiler Foundation ring now fits inner and outer wrappers Two photos (1st August 2007): Andy Netherwood Heavy general overhaul (2007) of rebuilt J94: *#10 Douglas*
Visitor Cathryn Bennett sent these evening (1st August 2007) photos of Ropley loco yard with the Yankee Tank from Bosnia. Bittern and Wadebridge had been put to bed after the day's service One Two Three

24th July 2007: View of the shed today from the mezzanine floor (l - r): #45379; Douglas on Warwell; cab of #45379; Toad (to Duncan's chagrin) only just arrived for titivating ready for our Thomas event; and in the forge area, Frank and team were white-metalling one of the eccentric straps for Douglas's valvegear
*Movie* (10MB, 24th July 2007) : After coaling-up, Canadian Pacific moves off-shed to go light-engine to Alresford for the first service train of the day and draws comment from Bob Allen (MHR Engineering Manager) on the excellent cleaning job done by crew and Rangers
	Hugh was machining the white metal of another strap
	Bob was doing a few calculations for fitting Douglas's motion and axleboxes Photos and movie (24th July 2007): Tony Wood Wagon renovations and restorations at MHR

From: Henry O'Dwyer Sent: 24 July 2007 09:20 Subject: Ropley: A few snaps from Monday 20th July 2007 007 was being prepared for washout

	Rod was struggling with wet rails as he sorted the locos for Tuesday/today. The 08 was doing wheelies, they tried CP with 45lbs/in², no luck, forced her up to 100lbs/in² - job done Photos (23rd July 2007): Henry O'Dwyer

Stanier 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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