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Many steam and diesel locomotives have operated on the Watercress Line or Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England.
| Number & Name | Class | Current Status | Location | Livery | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent No. 2 | W.G. Bagnall 0-4-0 ST | Was the first locomotive to arrive on the Mid-Hants Railway at Alresford in July 1973. Assisted in the loading of Slough Estates No. 3 in 1974 at Alresford. Now based at the Foxfield Railway. Currently at the Chasewater Railway. | Chasewater Railway | Lined Red |  |
| Slough Estates Ltd No.3 | Hudswell Clarke & Co 0-6-0 ST | Operational – Supplied new to the Slough Estates Railway in 1926, No.3 left industrial service in working order, moving to the Mid Hants in 1974 when the Slough Estates Railway was closed. Some time later, No.3 was stripped-down for overhaul, but this was never completed. During the 1980s, No.3 was transferred to the care of the Slough & Windsor Railway Society and moved to Slough, where full restoration commenced. After another move, to the Swindon and Cricklade Railway, restoration was completed and No.3 returned to steam in 2000. A major overhaul was undertaken in 2009 (completed November) in order to renew the locomotive's boiler certificate. | Middleton Railway | Slough Estates Railway lined green |  |
| No. 10 "Douglas" (Works 2890 WD75041 LMR107 NCB3882) | Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0 ST | Operational – Built for the War Department in 1943 as 75041, the engine was later moved to the Longmoor Military Railway and was renumbered 107, later sold into industrial use with the Nation Coal Board before being preserved in 1976. Purchased for use on the Mid Hants line in the late 1990s the engine was rebuilt and converted from a saddle tank to a 0-6-0 tender configuration resembling 'Douglas' from the Thomas the Tank Engine series. The tender frame was a former LMS Fowler 3500 gallon example purchased from British Railways after use as an internal user vehicle but with a new body of a unique design. After several years of use on the line the engine and tender were sold to a private owner and subsequently moved to the Ribble Steam Railway, the engine is now operational following an overhaul. | Ribble Steam Railway | LNER lined black, number on tender. |  |
| No. 701 "Franklin Roosevelt" (3278) | USATC S160 Class 2-8-0 | Under overhaul – Purchased from Greece in 1984 and delivered to the Mid-Hants, where the locomotive was restored and finished as Longmoor Military Railway 701 and named after the 32nd president of the US. The locomotive left the line and moved to the South Coast Steam. It has since moved to Tyseley to continue its overhaul. | Tyseley Locomotive Works | n/a |  |
| No. 5224 | GWR 5205 Class 2-8-0 T | Loan period completed and relocated from Ropley March 2012. | Peak Rail | BR Black |  |
| No. 3672 "Dame Vera Lynn" | WD Austerity 2-10-0 | Under heavy overhaul – Purchased from Greece in 1984 along with 90775 and 701 but sold and delivered to the Lavender Line at Isfield in August 1984. The locomotive was quickly overhauled and became active again in August 1985 when the locomotive was named Dame Vera Lynn by the Dame herself. The locomotive was finished in a fictional livery of BR passenger lined green with 'WD' branding on the tender and numbered as WD 3672. The locomotive was later sold and moved to the Mid-Hants in early 1986 where the engine was examined and found to require some major repairs, the locomotive was not steamed or used on the line and with no available space in the works queue for several years the owner moved to engine the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in December 1986. 3672 was steaming again in April 1989 and consistently ran high mileages on the Yorkshire line however by November 1998 the locomotive was withdrawn pending a works overhaul and placed in store. Overhaul began in 2016. | North Yorkshire Moors Railway | Lined Green |  |
| No. 30075 (62-669) | JŽ Class 62 0-6-0 T | Relocated Barrow Hill Roundhouse for boiler repairs/overhaul. [1] Now at Shillingstone for the work to be carried out. | Shillingstone Railway Project | Pseudo BR Black |  |
| No. 30076 (66-521) | JŽ Class 62 0-6-0 T | Relocated un-restored to Barrow Hill Roundhouse. Now stored at Shillingstone awaiting restoration. | Shillingstone Railway Project | N/A | |
| No. 30120 | LSWR T9 Class 4-4-0 | Operational – Preserved by British Railways via the NRM, this locomotive was stored until 1981 when loaned to the Mid Hants Railway and restored to working order in 1983. During 1991 the loan was ended and 30120 was relocated to the Swanage Railway for the remaining duration of its boiler certificate. In 1994, the locomotive was moved to the Bluebell Railway for display and storage until 2008 when again moved, to the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, for another restoration to working order. This was completed on 11 August 2010 when 30120 was returned to operational condition, the engine is now based at the Swanage Railway. No. 30120 has visited the Watercress Line recently in 2013 and 2016. [2] | Swanage Railway | BR Lined Black |  |
| No. 31625 | SR U Class 2-6-0 | Stored - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and moved to the Mid-Hants in 1980. The locomotive has been out of service since 2001 and has been painted as James the Red Engine. It departed the line in August 2014 following the expiration of its loan agreement and is currently stored at Swanage following cosmetic restoration. | Swanage Railway | BR Lined Black |  |
| No. 31806 | SR U Class 2-6-0 | Operational - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and moved to the Mid-Hants in 1976. This locomotive returned to service following overhaul in 2010 and departed the line in September 2014 for Swanage following the expiration of its loan agreement. It is the only surviving example of a rebuilt SR K Class 2-6-4T. | Swanage Railway | BR Lined Black |  |
| No. 31874 | SR N Class 2-6-0 | Under Overhaul - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and moved to the Mid-Hants in 1974. The locomotive has been out of service since 1997 and it departed the line in August 2014 following the expiration of its loan agreement and is currently being overhauled to working order for use on the Swanage Railway. | Herston Works | N/A |  |
| No. 34016 "Bodmin" | SR West Country Class 4-6-2 | Stored - Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and a member of the Mid-Hants locomotive fleet for many years, while also spending a period of time running on the mainline. The locomotive departed the line in June 2014 following the expiration of its loan agreement and is currently stored at Carnforth pending overhaul. | Carnforth MPD | BR Lined Green |  |
| No. 34067 "Tangmere" | SR Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 | Mainline Operational – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered to the Mid-Hants where initial restoration began. Very active on both heritage and mainline railways over the years. She returned to steam in 2021 and is now mainline certified and based at Carnforth. | Carnforth MPD | BR Lined Green |  |
| No. 34073 "249 Squadron" | SR Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 | Stored – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered originally to Brighton Railway Museum. A move to the Mid-Hants followed, before a further move to the East Lancs Railway. It was moved again to Carnforth in 2014. | Carnforth MPD | n/a |  |
| No. 35009 "Shaw Savill" | SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 | Awaiting restoration – Placed on the Mid Hants Railway for a while during the 1980s/1990s. She is presently undergoing restoration at Riley and Son Ltd to modern mainline standards. | East Lancashire Railway | n/a |  |
| No. 35018 "British India Line" | SR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 | Mainline operational – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard in 1980, restoration started and had reached an advanced stage in 2003 when the engine left for South Coast Steam. She is now operational on the mainline and based at Carnforth. Restoration was completed in June 2017. | Carnforth MPD | BR Lined Green |  |
| No. 44123 | LMS Fowler Class 4F 0-6-0 | Under restoration – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered to the Mid-Hants where initial restoration began, later moved to the Avon Valley Railway in 1984. | Avon Valley Railway | n/a |  |
| No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" | LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 4-6-0 | Mainline operational – Purchased from British Railways directly in 1968, 45231 has been very active on both heritage and mainline railways over the years. 45231 arrived on the Mid Hants in February 2005 and was used on both mainline tours and local work on the railway, the Black Five departed in January 2007 to the East Lancs Railway. It is now based at Crewe under the ownership of Jeremy Hosking. | Crewe Diesel TMD | BR Lined Black |  |
| No. 47324 | LMS Fowler Class 3F 0-6-0 T | Under overhaul – Purchased from Barry Scrapyard and delivered to the Mid-Hants where initial restoration began, moved to Avon Valley line and then to the East Lancs Railway. | East Lancashire Railway | BR Black |  |
| No. 60019 "Bittern" | LNER Class A4 4-6-2 | Stored awaiting overhaul - Left July 2010 when its contract expired. After being based at Southall, it returned to the Mid-Hants in 2015 after its mainline ticket expired. It once again left in October that year, first for the Bluebell Railway for a gala, then to Crewe, and now at the Hornby visitor center | Hornby Visitor Center | LNER Garter Blue |  |
| No. 68011 (196) "Errol Lonsdale" | Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0 ST | Operational – Purchased from Kent & East Sussex Railway and used in the early years of operations gaining the nickname of 'puddle jumper', the engine was later sold and left the railway. Later painted faux BR livery and numbered 68011 as a LNER Class J94 on the South Devon Railway the engine was resold to a line in Belgium and exported in 2009. | Stoomcentrum Maldegem | BR Black |  |
| No. 76017 | BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 | Operational. Built in 1954. Purchased by Private Owner in 1970's and arrived at Mid Hants Railway in 1978. Following overhaul 76017 returned to steam in 1984. Following second overhaul returned to steam in 2016. Following change of ownership the engine departed the MHR by rail behind a BR Class 33 no 33025 on a move to the Bluebell Railway in October 2022 for the railway's "autumn steam gala". Later moved by rail to Southall Motive Power Depot in November 2022. | Southall MPD | BR Black, Early Crest |  |
| No. 90775 ("Sturdee") | WD Austerity 2-10-0 | Operational – Purchased from Greece in 1984 and delivered to the Mid-Hants where the locomotive was restored and finished in both fictions BR livery as 90775 in 1986 and later as Longmoor Military Railway 601 and named "Sturdee" after the Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee. Sold to a group on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1992 the locomotive left that line in 2003 and was sold to Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society on the North Norfolk Railway. She was renamed "The Royal Norfolk Regiment" in September 2017. | North Norfolk Railway | BR Black |  |
| No. 600 ("Gordon") | WD Austerity 2-10-0 | Static Display - Was at the Mid-Hants for a short time in 1980. | Severn Valley Railway | LMR Blue |  |
| Number | Class | Current Status | Location | Livery | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601 (890) "General Lord Robertson" | Sentinel/Rolls-Royce 0-8-0 DH | In Service – Last new locomotive to be delivered to the Longmoor Military Railway in 1963. Moved to the Mid Hants in 1985 and again moved to the Avon Valley in 1987 following transmission damage and damage to point work around Ropley. | Avon Valley Railway | LMR Blue |  |
| 12049 | BR Class 11 | Scrapped - Undergoing body repairs and repaint, when heavily damaged by fire on 26 July 2010, which consumed the Mid Hants railway carriage and paint shop. Replacement locomotive 12082 was purchased as its replacement and was renumbered 12049. Later returned to its original 12082 number. | N/A | N/A |  |
| 12139 | BR Class 11 | In Service – Arrived on the Mid-Hants in 1982 and left in 1983, this locomotive is identical to the BR Class 11, however this example never served with the LMS or British Railways and carries the next number in the class sequence. | North Yorkshire Moors Railway | BR Black |  |
| 25067 (D5217) | BR Class 25 | In Service – | Battlefield Line Railway | BR Green |  |
| 27007 (D5353) | BR Class 27 | Left the Watercress Line in 2018 for further restoration. | Caledonian Railway (Brechin) | BR Green | |
| 33012 (D6515) | BR Class 33 | In Service – | Swanage Railway | BR Blue |  |
| D6836 (37905) | BR Class 37 | Departed the Railway in 2015. In use at UK Rail Leasing's depot in Leicester as a super shunter. | Leicester | BR Green |  |
| 45132 | BR Class 45 | Under Overhaul. Relocated in September 2014 to the Epping and Ongar Railway. Built in 1961. One of the first batch of 'Peak' diesels, it has a split headcode box for corridor working, which was never used in active service. Withdrawn from British Rail in 1987. | Epping Ongar Railway | BR Blue |  |
| 73003 (E6004) "Sir Herbert Walker" | BR Class 73 | In Service – | Swindon and Cricklade Railway | BR Green | |
| L721 formed 51363 (DMBS), 59510 (TCL), 51405 (DMS) | BR Class 117 | 3 car DMU. Operational. | Now in service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway | BR Green |  |
| W55003 [4] (DMBS) | BR Class 122 | Single railcar. Operational. Has a Main-line Certification. | Now in service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway | BR Green |  |
Many locomotives have visited the Watercress Line over the years.
| Number & Name | Class | Current Status | Location | Livery | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Metropolitan Railway E Class | Built in 1898. Visited in the Watercress Line in March 2009. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. No. 1 Operated on the London Underground in 2013 as part of a historic train as part of the Met's 150th anniversary celebrations. | Buckinghamshire Railway Centre | Metropolitan Railway Red |  |
| No. W24 Calbourne | LSWR O2 class | Built in 1891. Visited the Watercress Line in May 2012. | Isle of Wight Steam Railway | BR Lined Black, Late Crest |  |
| No. 96 Normandy | LSWR B4 class | Built in 1893. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2006 for their Spring Gala. | Bluebell Railway | LSWR Black |  |
| No. 2999 Lady of Legend | GWR 2900 Class | Built in 2019. New member of class rebuilt from 4942 Maindy Hall. Visited the Watercress Line in December 2022 for the festive trains. | Didcot Railway Centre | GWR Lined Green, Garter Crest |  |
| No. 3440 City of Truro | GWR 3700 Class | Built in 1903. Famous for its 1904 run. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2005 for their gala. | Museum of the Great Western Railway | GWR Lined Green, Garter Crest |  |
| No. 5029 Nunney Castle | GWR Castle Class | Built in 1934. Visited the Watercress Line in September 2008 as a guest star at their gala. | LNWR Heritage, Crewe | N/A |  |
| No. 5164 | GWR 5101 Class | Built in 1930. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2013. Now on static display at Barrow Hill Engine Shed as of 27 October 2018, although normally located at the Severn Valley Railway. | Barrow Hill Engine Shed | GWR Unlined Green, Great Western Lettering. |  |
| No. 5199 | GWR 5101 Class | Built in 1934. Visited the Watercress Line along with fellow Llangollen locomotive GWR 7800 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor in October 2018 for their Autumn Steam Gala. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. | Llangollen Railway | GWR Unlined Green, Great Western Lettering. |  |
| No. 5322 | GWR 4300 Class | Built in 1917. Visited the Watercress Line in September 2012. Now on static display at Didcot Railway Centre as of 27 October 2018. | Didcot Railway Centre | BR Black, Early Crest |  |
| No. 6024 King Edward I | GWR King class | Built in 1930. Visited the Watercress Line in May 2002 for their gala. Owned by Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust. Currently under overhaul to mainline standards. | West Somerset Railway | N/A |  |
| No. 7822 Foxcote Manor | GWR 7800 Class | Built in 1950. Visited the Watercress Line along with fellow Llangollen locomotive GWR 5101 No. 5199 in October 2018 for their Autumn Steam Gala. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. Based at the Llangollen Railway but currently at the West Somerset Railway. | West Somerset Railway | BR Unlined Black, Early Crest |  |
| No. 30053 | LSWR M7 Class | Built in 1905. Visited the Watercress Line in 1993 while it was mainline certified. It also visited the Watercress Line again in 2012 in Southern wartime black. Now under overhaul. | Swanage Railway | BR Lined Black, Late Crest. |  |
| No. 30541 | SR Q class | Built in 1939. Visited the Watercress Line in February 2016 with LSWR T9 class No. 120. | Bluebell Railway | BR Black, Late Crest |  |
| No. 30585 | LSWR 0298 Class | Built in 1874. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2009. Now on static display as of 27 October 2018, after boiler ticket expired in 2016. | Buckinghamshire Railway Centre | BR Black, Early Crest |  |
| No. 32473 Birch Grove | LB&SCR E4 Class | Built in 1898. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2007 for their Spring Gala. | Bluebell Railway | SR Olive Green |  |
| No. 45231 | LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 | Built in 1936. Visited the Watercress Line in March 2005 for their gala. Currently operational and mainline certified. | Crewe Diesel TMD | BR Lined Black, Late Crest |  |
| No. 45407 | LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 | Built in 1937. Visited the Watercress Line in April 2000 to operate a 'Green Train' charter, in place of BR Standard Class 5 73096. Currently operational and mainline certified. | East Lancashire Railway | BR Lined Black, Early Crest |  |
| No. 45596 Bahamas | LMS Jubilee Class | Built in 1935. Visited the Watercress Line in October 2020 for their Autumn Gala. | Keighley and Worth Valley Railway | BR Lined Green, Late Crest |  |
| No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton | LMS Coronation Class | Built in 1938 at Crewe. Visited the Watercress Line in March 1997. | National Railway Museum | LMS Crimson |  |
| No. 60103 "Flying Scotsman" | LNER A3 Class | Built in 1923 at Doncaster. Visited the Watercress Line in February 2020 for the reopening of Butts Bridge near Alton. | The National Railway Museum | BR Brunswick Green, Late Crest |  |
| No. 80078 | BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T | Built in 1954. Visited the Watercress Line in October 2000, in 2017 and in October 2018 for their Autumn Steam Gala. Currently operational as of 27 October 2018. | Mangapps Railway Museum | BR Lined Black, Early Crest |  |
Hants may refer to:
Alton is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England, near the source of the River Wey. It had a population of 17,816 at the 2011 census.
The British Rail Class 11 was applied to a batch of diesel shunting locomotives built from April 1945 to December 1952, based on a similar earlier batch built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) between 1934 and 1936.
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running 10 miles (16 km) from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days when it was used to transport locally grown watercress to markets in London. The railway currently operates regular scheduled services, along with dining trains, real ale trains and numerous special events throughout the year.
The British Railways Standard Class 4 4-6-0 is a class of steam locomotives, 80 of which were built during the 1950s. Six have been preserved.
The Alton line is a railway line in Hampshire and Surrey, England, operated by South Western Railway as a relatively long branch of the South West Main Line.
4464Bittern is a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class A4 steam locomotive. Built for the LNER and completed on 18 December 1937 at Doncaster Works as works number 1866, it received number 4464. After that it was renumbered 19 on 16 August 1946 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme, and finally 60019 by British Railways on 10 October 1948, after nationalisation. Of the 35 strong class, it is one of six to survive into preservation but it is one of only two currently scheduled to be certified for mainline use.
Alton railway station is a station in the market town of Alton, in the English county of Hampshire. The station is the terminus for two railway lines: the Alton Line which runs to Brookwood and on to London Waterloo, and the Mid Hants Watercress Railway which runs to Alresford. The latter once ran through to Winchester but was closed to passengers in February 1973; it reopened as a heritage line in 1985. Two other routes, both now closed, also served the station – the Meon Valley line to Fareham and the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway.
Ropley railway station is a railway station in Ropley, Hampshire, England, which opened in 1865 and reopened in 1977 after four years' closure, to be served by steam and select diesel trains on the Watercress Line which shares its terminus at Alton railway station along with the more major Alton Line.
Alresford railway station in Hampshire, England, is the terminus of the Watercress Line from Alton. It is in the small town of New Alresford, 7½ miles (12 km) northeast of Winchester, close to the town's market square, tea rooms, many small shops and museum.
Parry People Movers Ltd. (PPM) is a British company manufacturing lightweight trams and railcars that use flywheel energy storage (FES) to store energy for traction, allowing electric systems to operate without overhead wires or third rails, and railcars fuelled by small gas, diesel or hydrogen engines.
The River Alre is a tributary of the River Itchen in Hampshire in the south of England. It rises in Bishop's Sutton and flows west for 6 km (3.7 mi) to meet the Itchen below New Alresford.
Washford railway station is a station on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway in England. The station is situated in the village of Washford, which is itself within the civil parish of Old Cleeve in the county of Somerset.
Butts Junction was a railway junction located in Alton in Hampshire, England. The junction was the location at which the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway and the Meon Valley Railway diverged from the Mid-Hants Railway which runs from Alton to Winchester. The junction became operational in 1901.
SR Merchant Navy Class No. 35009 Shaw Savill is a 're-built' SR Merchant Navy class 'Pacific' (4-6-2) steam locomotive, named after the Shaw Savill Line, a British merchant shipping company. The locomotive was built at Eastleigh Works in June 1942 in its original air-smoothed form, and given the number 21C9. One of a batch of eight Merchant Navy class locomotives whose air-smoothed casing was made of asbestos board, 21C9 was from the start in wartime black livery. It was allocated to Salisbury shed.
SR Battle of Britain class 34073 249 Squadronis one of 20 surviving Bulleid light pacifics. Built-in May 1948 as a British Railways-built example of a Southern Railway design, and named after the RAF's 249 Squadron, it remained in service until June 1964, after which it was ultimately sold the following year to Woodham Brothers Scrapyard. It awaited restoration at Ian Riley's workshop, Bury before moving into storage at Carnforth. It had over time given several parts to sibling 34067 Tangmere.
Day Out with Thomas is a trade name, licensed by Mattel for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more engines decorated to look like characters from the popular long-running classic British children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. The events are held around the world in Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. They include a full-day of activities for families in addition to rides on trains pulled by the iconic engine, Thomas.
The Itchen Abbas railway station was in the county of Hampshire in England and opened on 2 October 1865 by the Mid-Hants Railway. It closed on 5 February 1973.
British Railways Standard Class 5 No. 73096 is a preserved British steam locomotive, unnamed in service. It has spent most of its time in preservation in the care of the Watercress Line.
The Watercress Line operates a wide variety of locomotives and other stock as part of its preserved operations. A comprehensive bank of information about the railway's locomotives and rolling stock can be found on the Watercress Line's website in the "Rolling Stock" section.
