FLYING SCOTSMAN TO REOPEN BUTTS JUNCTION BRIDGE AT ALTON

‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman is set to be the first steam locomotive over the Mid-Hants Railway’s new bridge at Butts Junction.

Due to visit the ‘Watercress Line’ for the first time in February (SR500), the National Collection Gresley ‘Pacific’ is expected to haul a VIP special train on February 14 to commemorate the reopening of the Alton-Medstead & Four Marks section of the line, which has been closed since January last year for the rebuilding of the bridge in connection with road improvements.

Class 50 diesel No. 50027 Lion (leading) and Class 47 No. 47579 James Nightall G.C. were the first locomotives to cross the new steel deck bridge on December 10, and the first locomotives to reach Alton since January.

The Class 47 had been the last engine to run over the old bridge on January 4 last year, bringing a steam crane and other stock from Alton, while the last steam locomotive had been Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41312 on January 1, with the final service train to Alton and the returning empty coaching stock.

The use of No. 47579 for the December 10 run was therefore symbolic, said MHR Operations Manager Richard Bentley, but the railway ensured that the Class 50 was the first engine onto the new bridge to fulfil the wishes of its owner, Mick Fuller, who passed away on August 3 after a long illness.

Weighing in at 239 tons in total, the pair of Type 4s were “a good load test” for the bridge and rebuilt embankments, said Mr Bentley, but “no issues” were found.

“It was a pleasant anti-climax!” he commented. “We went over at walking pace the first time and built up in 5mph increments to line speed. We took them into Alton because we could – to fly the flag in the town again.”

The site had not yet been formally handed back to the MHR, as some work was still required on the bridge’s facing brickwork. Final tamping of the ballast is also needed in places.

Further trial runs are anticipated prior to the official reopening, to clear rust from the rails and ensure that the track circuits are operating, while vegetation clearance is also required. “We’ve been testing the signalling on a weekly basis,” said Mr Bentley.

The new bridge has been constructed to take doubletrack, leaving open the option of laying a second line to access carriage sidings or a shed, which have been proposed on the former Meon Valley branch trackbed at the junction.