Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd October

A report from our lady correspondent, Nora Cliski..................


The Diesel Gala weekend.

A very wet and windy day greeted the gang. After the usual tea and chats the gangs divided for work.

Adrian C, Adrian N, Chris M and Eddie went up the track to Alton, and Brian Hi, Pete, Neil and Keith H went down the track to Alresford undertaking the line inspections.

John M meanwhile stayed behind to do some machinery repairs and Corina set up a stall in the goods shed on the station for fund raising.

As both of the first services were coming from Alton and Ropley the weather hit hard. This caused a few adhesion issues on the ruling 1/60 gradients as the engines hauling both the service trains did not have any sanders. The D2009 Deltic coming up from Ropley slipped to a standstill in soak cutting, eventually got going and managed to crawl into to M4FM station.The Class 50 approaching from Alton also slipped to a stand and was unable to restart the train.  They had to set back further down the hill towards Alton to enable them to launch another assault on the bank. They eventually managed at a crawl get to over the Alps into the station. 

The P-Way department soon received a request to sand the rails in The Shrave cutting to help with traction. As Corina and John were the only ones up at M&FM at the time, the task was left to them. They walked down to Hampshire Hunt Bridge and worked their way up the gradient to M&FM. As they neared Boyneswood Bridge, the line inspection guys had just arrived back and came out to help with the task.

After the eventful morning the guys went their various ways.

Sunday 22nd October.

Adrian C and Corina went up to M&FM early before the first service as Corina wanted to get some shots on the line of the various engines. Before this however, it was decided by Adrian that they should sand the track again in The Shrave to hopefully avoid a repeat of the previous days adhesion issues. 

After this task was complete, they then proceeded down to Northside View hut allowing Corina to take some shots of the Hampshire Unit, and the Deltic D2009 double heading with the class 37 on up trains, and also the Class 50 Lion  coming out of Ropley on the down.

They then went back to M&FM to catch the service up to Alton to fill up the point oil in the cabinets. This allowed her to get some more photo's of the 03 during Queen Mary brake van rides in the station. 

                                        The 33's double heading through M&FM.

Even though the weather caused a few problems a great gala was delivered.