Pictures of A4 Bittern

The rain held off for the whole weekend, and what a great day I had. After a six year rebuild, the Mid-Hants Railway unveiled it's latest steam power - a Gresley masterpiece, A4 Bittern. The loco looked fine in BR green and sounded great, as though it wanted to stretch its legs after many years in pieces.

There was a brief drama on Sunday afternoon when the AWS battery needed charging. It missed a turn and took the next stock on the roster. The diners in the posh Pullman coaches didn't notice and the real enthusiasts got to ride behind a real racehorse again.

All the rest of the MHR stock ran under different identities for the weekend which celebrated (!?) the end of Southern steam, forty years ago. It was a little confusing to see familiar loco's with unfamiliar names and numbers. Well organised with lots of trains running all day the MHR put on a good show.

A great weekend, glad I went.

Go to the   railways - real trains   files in the Navigation box to see the pictures.