Mid Hants Railway in the 1930s

[jamespetts]

Does anyone have any idea what motive power was used on the bi-hourly London to Southampton via Alton services in the mid 1930s? I know that K10s had been used sine around 1912, but I do not know whether these had been replaced with something more modern by circa 1935. Any assistance would be appreciated.

[Wellyboots]

The book "The Mid-Hants Railway- From Construction to Closure" has some information on the motive power used pre 1937. It lists 6 up and 6 down services with a mix of locomotive classes; H15, D15, T14, and U being the usual motive power. But it does suggest that the services were used to get locos to and from Eastleigh works and for running in turns and has selected observation, of which from 1933 to 1937 the following were noted; 919, 1625, 927, 409, 1806, 120, 2327, 395, 851, 1413, 464, and 1617. There's also a picture of derailed T9 307 at Alresford dated 222nd April 1936 with an LSWR non-corridor coach set 137.

 

[jamespetts]

3 hours ago, Wellyboots said:

The book "The Mid-Hants Railway- From Construction to Closure" has some information on the motive power used pre 1937. It lists 6 up and 6 down services with a mix of locomotive classes; H15, D15, T14, and U being the usual motive power. But it does suggest that the services were used to get locos to and from Eastleigh works and for running in turns and has selected observation, of which from 1933 to 1937 the following were noted; 919, 1625, 927, 409, 1806, 120, 2327, 395, 851, 1413, 464, and 1617. There's also a picture of derailed T9 307 at Alresford dated 222nd April 1936 with an LSWR non-corridor coach set 137.

 

 

That is very helpful indeed - thank you. I will look out for that book, too.

[sem34090]

I think I might have that somewhere in the personal library (as I call it... to myself.).

 

I know that ex-LSWR A12's were known to work the line, but this may have been primarily on goods duties by the 1930s, as this early 1930s photo suggests:

Image Courtesy of the current Medstead Stationmaster

Edited April 7, 2019 by sem34090

[jamespetts]

That is interesting, thank you.

 

That photograph also gives me a good idea of what the passengers should be wearing. I shall have to see if I can get somebody to 3d scan a dog, too.

[sem34090]

I may be able to assist there, in the near future. Also, if you want any young SR porters...

 

Out of interest, which bit of the MHR are you intending to model?

Edited April 5, 2019 by sem34090

[jamespetts]

How splendid! A young porter would be most useful for my platforms in due course (I imagine that the porters were generally young, as they would have risen through the ranks to do other things as they matured; I know that my great, great grandfather started as a porter before eventually becoming a signalman on the LB&SCR).

 

I am not actually planning on modelling the Mid Hants Railway itself - but my planned Bournehampton layout will feature the through trains from London to the south coast that ran via Alton and the Mid-Hants Railway, hence being interested in knowing what hauled them.

 

I think that there is someone on this forum who is in the process of modelling the MHR itself (actually, was it you?), however.

[sem34090]

Well true - I guess that the modern impression is somewhat different given the average age of heritage railway volunteers. Given the current lack of teenage porter figures I am very much intending to get myself scanned in uniform. My great-grandfather started on the LBSCR aged 14, most likely as a porter, in 1917 and retired under BR(S) as a Passenger Guard working out of Lover's Walk.

 

Ah! I see, makes sense.

 

I'm not modelling the MHR as it is now, nor am I personally modelling it as it was in the past. However, I am involved (along with the current Medstead stationmaster and a handful of others, some Medstead staff some from one of the MRC's I'm a member of) in building a 1930s period model of Medstead station to go on eventual display there. I really need to finish the proposal for that.

[jamespetts]

I see that we have LBSCR ancestors in common! In terms of figure scanning, I can offer in exchange a ModelU figure of me wearing broadly 1930s garb, including brimmed hat, standing and looking at my watch; does that seem to you to be a fair trade?

 

I shall certainly be interested in any updates on your 1930s Meadstead layout. I remember visiting the Mid Hants Railway in preservation as a nipper, and always enjoyed it greatly.