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The Friends of
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South
of England Group |
Last Update
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Last Update |
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5 April 2011 |
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Mid-Hants Railway |
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Press Cuttings Visit Reports Lecture Reports Product News
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On Sunday 20 June, our party arrived from various parts of
the south of England at Ropley for a visit to the
mid-Hants Railway. Some of us had travelled down on the
service train from Waterloo, changing at Alton onto the MHR
train.  This was hauled by Standard Class 5 No 73096. We were met by the MHR team who then took us on a guided tour around the workshops.  In here was a locomotive, whose name is well-known to us, Class 31 Captain Bill Smith, named after and by our President. It was undergoing restoration to make it ready for service.  Out in the yard were a number of locos, including SR U class 2-6-0 No 31625.  The MHR, like many other preserved lines, gains a lot of income from Thomas the Tank Engine days, and there was the engine itself (a.k.a. Hunslet works no 3781 of 1954).  We then boarded the dining train for a trip along the line to the headquarters at Alresford and to Medstead and Four Marks, where the train was held for us to finish our lunch.  This didn't, however, prevent our Secretary, Ian Harrison, from boarding the footplate of our train engine, LMS 2MT 2-6-2T No 41312. After completing our meal and engoying the return trip through the glorious Hampshire countryside, we all departed our separate ways. |
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