Posted:  Wednesday 05 August 2009

Engines Galore for
South East Associates

- 14th July 2009 -

It seemed appropriate that we should choose to revisit the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) again in this 10th anniversary year of the Associates, as it had been one of the most successful of the early events in the embryonic SEA calendar.

So fifteen of us with railway interests met at Alton station (shared jointly by South West Trains and the Watercress Line) on a blustery, showery day in mid July.
We travelled first to Ropley in the rear section of a 1960`s single carriage Diesel Railcar (Bubble Car) for a guided tour of the main loco-depot and workshops.

We were in fact lucky enough to have a tour not only of the yard (where a bevy of big locos are based that are frequently used for main line excursions on Network Rail) but, because our guide was a senior manager of the preservation society, we were taken into the workshops and other areas of the operation "that other tours never reach"!

The large engines in the yard are of ex-Southern Railway origin, mostly West Country, and the similar but heavier Merchant Navy classes are either operational, or in various stages of repair or overhaul.

"35005 Lord Nelson" (850 in Southern Railway days) was heading the Alton-Arlesford trains that day and appeared to be having a little boiler trouble in reaching a satisfactory head of steam.  "34007 Wadebridge" was already in steam for the following day, or as a reserve in case "Lord Nelson`s"problem became acute.  "Oliver Cromwell" was out on Network Rail heading an excursion.

We were given a very technical but user friendly detailed talk about what was happening to the others.  "34016 Bodmin" was "out of ticket" and awaiting a major overhaul.  "35005 Canadian Pacific" was out of steam and awaiting other repairs, and there were several smaller tank engines used for hauling light passenger trains or works and maintenance trains.

In the workshops we saw the third from last engine ever built by British Railways in the late 1950`s but never named.  It was in the final stages of a major overhaul, including a new boiler, and we were able to watch various accessories being fitted, and the final touches of black paint being applied, as we squeezed past it and other smaller engines and even carriages being restored.  Fascinating!  This engine should by now be out undergoing line trials.  There were a host of other engines and rolling stock around, both inside and out, some of which looked as if they would never run again, but were being kept for future restoration.

The tour finished back on Ropley platform in the signal box with an impromptu lesson in how it worked by a very knowledgeable signalman.

Then onto the next steam train to Arlesford and a search for lunch, which ended in three small groups in three good pubs, before taking a final look around the museum and shops back at the station.

Finally we boarded a well loaded, seven-carriage steam train for the ten miles back to Alton, behind "Lord Nelson", who seemed to be coming to the end of his "puff" and was now running 20 minutes late.

Everyone felt we had had a really good day, full of interesting railway history, technology and operating practice thanks to the arrangements made by Chris & Audrey Pooley, who unfortunately, at the last moment, were not able to join us for the actual day.

Colin Wood

(ph  05/08/2009)

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