Plenty Of Steam At Heritage Railway’s Autumn Gala

Published on: 31 Oct, 2016
Updated on: 31 Oct, 2016

Bob McShee reports on the Watercress Line’s autumn gala

Three guest engines were at the Mid Hants Railway, Watercress Line’s autumn gala, held over the weekend of October 21 to 23.

The heritage railway regularly draws visitors from a wide area including Surrey.

The engines were: former London, Midland & Scottish Railway’s No: 46100, ‘Royal Scot’, and No. 43106, and former Somerset & Dorset Railway’s No: 53809.

No. 46100 ‘Royal Scot, steams away from Ropley station at the Watercress Line’s autumn gala. Pictures by Bob McShee.

An intensive timetable was planned for the gala with the guest engines taking part along with several of the home fleet engines.

Unfortunately the Somerset & Dorset engine had a defective superheater, so took no park in the event.  It had cost the Watercress Line £6,000 to transport the loco to Ropley and I hope that they can recover the money from the Midland Railway Centre where it is based.

Former Somerset & Dorset Railway’s No: 53809 made it to the Watercress Line, but was not able to run.

The organisers of the event are to be congratulated on re-scheduling the timetable by using more of the home-based engines.

The ‘Royal Scot’ had a problem with its reverser on Saturday morning so a diesel substituted on the scheduled train, then the engineering staff at Ropley mended the fault so 46100 was back in action in the afternoon.

The engineering staff at Ropley are currently engaged in the Canadian Pacific Project, which is to return the Watercress Line’s flagship engine to working order in 2018.

No. 43106 makes a spirited start from Ropley to Alton with a goods train.

This project is one of a number which Ropley works are planning in order to return engines to steam.

This year marks a milestone in the history of the Watercress Line as it was 40 years ago that some rolling stock first arrived at Arlesford.

Next year the Watercress Line will be remembering the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on the Southern Region with special gala days in July.

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