“RACE TO THE FINISH” FOR MID‑HANTS ‘FIFTEEN GUINEA SPECIAL’ RE‑CREATION
stanier ‘5MTs’ repaired just in time for ‘1T57’ to begin 1968 anniversary year celebrations.
Two ‘Black Fives’ double‑ headed a ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ at the Mid‑Hants Railway gala on February 9‑11 – but it was a close‑run thing. The ‘Watercress Line’s’ plan for a 1968‑themed event, to mark this year’s 50th anniversary of the end of BR steam, seemed to be unravelling when both of the Stanier 4‑6‑0s were withdrawn during the Christmas period – Locomotive Services Ltd’s No. 45231 ‘The Sherwood Forester’ with a blowing joint between the smokebox tubeplate and superheater header, and the MHR’s own No. 45379 for its ashpan and most of its grate to be replaced. But after a “concerted effort” by locomotive department staff at Ropley, who worked additional hours at weekends, both were repaired with hours to spare – No. 45231 undertaking a test run on the Wednesday before the gala, and No. 45379 on the Thursday. The BR black duo were thus able to pair up for the ‘1T57’ re‑creation on the 10.00am train from Alresford on all three days, with No. 45231 leading on the Friday and Sunday, while No. 45379 was the pilot engine on the Saturday. “We’ve worn our rabbits’ feet to the bone,” commented Operations Manager Richard Bentley. “It couldn’t have been any closer – and short of taking No. 45231’s boiler out, it couldn’t have been a much bigger job.” It was also “a race to the finish” with the second guest engine, ‘15XX’ 0‑6‑0PT No. 1501 from the Severn Valley Railway. The Hawksworth machine, which was still in service with the National Coal Board in 1968, was secured at short notice and arrived on the Wednesday, undertaking its test run “virtually in darkness”. From the home fleet, the MHR turned out ‘Schools’ 4‑4‑0 No. 925 Cheltenham, Ivatt ‘2MT’
2-6-2T No. 41312 and BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76017 – while Class 03 diesel shunter No. 03197 also entered the fray, giving brake van rides at Alresford. Mr Bentley summed up: “You do question your sanity when you’re still working at stupid o’clock in the evening – but 50 years on, the re-creation is a spectacle in itself.”