The Mid Hants 15/10/2017
The Railway...
It's what I call 'The Railway' whenever I mention it to anyone in conversation, I've always called it that as I spent much of my time up there when I was younger, unfortunately not so much since I've had children though, except for the odd diesel gala or visits to see friends.
I went up on the Friday night with the Black and White hairy guy to stay in the van at my friend Mikes place. On the way though I stopped off in Winchester to catch up with another friend - Chris, who along with Mike were among the few paid staff at the railway in the early 90s. Chris ran the shops as a paid job and also voluntarily did railway archiving as well as guard/shunter/signalling duties.
Mike was in charge of special events and various other things.
The first time I went there to stay my mum dumped an 18 year old me plus tent, camping cooker and various tins of beans etc in Ropley station picnic site before hot footing it back to Devon as fast as her VW Polo would take her before I had second thoughts.
Chris and Mike were the first people I got to know properly, Mike lived in a little blue gypsy caravan near me on the picnic site and Chris lived in an old LMS coach in the siding that runs alongside the running line towards Alton.
It was an amazing time and an amazing summer. The railway came close to bankruptcy around then (and when I say close I really do mean close - one phone call away) and survived by the skin of its teeth although some of the payed staff had to be made redundant. The Swanage Railway was also in a serious financial situation at the time yet both railways weathered the storm and although the Swanage line is understandably in the spotlight at the moment both lines have much to be proud of.
After a great catch up on Friday night we took the dogs for a walk around the woods in the morning before I bade Mike farewell and drove from his (he lives quite near the line near Ropley) down to Alresford to wedge the van into a car space which I somehow managed to do.
I saw that the Black 5 45379 and the Thumper unit were out so I purchased a ticket and was given a free ticket for the dog with his name on it too! Probably in case he tried to transfer it to a Jack Russell called Russell or something...
After chatting to a few members of staff around Alresford I took the Black 5 up to Ropley and it was making a great sound on the climb.
Black 5 and 9F Ropley.
I decided that I'd have a look around the sheds and then do the rest of the line on the Thumper later, mainly because I wanted to experience the classic Hampshire Unit over 'The Alps' and also because I knew it would be quieter - the steam was busy and having the hairy guy with me forces me to talk to everyone as he puts his head on their knees and fixes them with a stare so strong that it looks like steam's going to start coming out of his ears, and then when he's got them stroking him he turns his stare on me as if to say "Is this ok? Look I've caught myself a human".
I'm not unsociable but sometimes it can get slightly irritating.
Er where was I?
Yes, I remember.
I took a clip of the steam leaving Ropley (sounded wonderful) from the bridge that used to be at Kings Cross, it's a great vantage point and I could see 03197 underneath plus 33202 in the headshunt (I'd seen 33053 at Alresford earlier too), it's the diesel gala next weekend hence the unusual sight of an 03 at Ropley...
I watched the guys that were working on the boiler of S15 30499 for a bit - this was a loco that I 'discovered' tucked away in the very end of the headshunt at Alresford one day in about 1992, I had no idea that it was there and it was like finding an engine in a secret garden, it had saplings growing through it and also through the track in front of it. 30499 had been rescued from Barry as spares for 30506 and now finally is being restored, over fifty years since it last ran.
While on the subject of 'no hopers' then: 27007.
I had many a cab ride on this loco and I loved it. One of the first times I visited the railway in about 1988 it was being worked on in the yard after suffering fire damage in Ropley shed, my stepbrother and me spent an afternoon scraping fire damaged paint off the inside of it, a few years later it was in service and painted in all over green with tablet catchers on the cabsides. We were proud of it and it took the strain off 25067 which had seen a lot of use during one of the hot summers when steam had become highly restricted due to fire risk.
I was surprised to find 27007 on full resplendent display in the middle of the shed yard. At least what's left of it...
It looks like someone started scrapping it and then got bored and went off to cut up something easier. Shocking really. Apparently someone has bought it with a plan to restore it but whoever it is has got a massive job on their hands. The roof is mainly missing as are most of the cabs and one side of the body, it hasn't even been sheeted over.
I found it quite a depressing sight really and after chatting for a bit to a bloke called Bob from Bodmin I moved on.
The rest of the trip to Alton and back was on the Thumper which was a treat. 1125 was actually in service on the line during the last day of BR operation in February 1973. It's in BR green now and looks and sounds great.
1125 rolling into Ropley, Alton bound.
It was nice and quiet (well 205025 wasn't
), the dog befriended the ticket collector (a retired army chap with a pocket full of dog treats), but he embarrassed himself by drooling on the floor.
The Thumper made a fantastic noise up Medstead Bank, it bought back memories of having them on the mainline.
I'm trying to imagine that they were unloading watercress in 1965 here.
I noticed a few things on this visit.
It was very relaxing, the staff were all friendly and chatty.
The line has a smarter look than it did. It's looking good and more fresh than it used to. In a way it seems more finished. It'll obviously never extend and at ten miles is probably the optimum length for a preserved line.
It now seems to be making the best of what it has although space for stock/buildings has and will always be a problem.
Ropley has really improved. The walk around the sheds on the new bridge is excellent and gives a great view of the activity in the yard. The sheds are all painted up nicely and the end of the shed has a building based on the one at Eastleigh which looks great. Certainly a step up from the old 'Ropley Manor'.
The new platform building on the up side is fantastic too.
I enjoyed the visit. Probably should get up there a bit more often really.
Thanks for reading.
I also did think the class 45 was a bit quiet!
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