War on the line - A Watercress Line special weekend event

The Watercress Line, running from Alton to Alresford, also known as the "Mid Hants Railway", is preserved steam line of over 10 miles, with "probably" one of the steepest gradients on any UK line.... to the drivers and firemen of the steam loco`s, it is referred to as "going over the Alps"... At the Alton end, the line runs in to a seperate platform in a shared station with the "normal" rail network, which has the effect of extending the line from London, to Alresford.... Between Alton and Alresford are two small stations and an extensive workshop... the whole line is preserved and worked as though it still belonged to the Southern Railway, before it was "made redundant" by the infamous Doctor Beeching, who decided that non profit making sections of the railways should be shut down completely....

Fortunately some volunteers formed themselves into a Preservation Society, and now the line gives thousands of people a real experience of "how it used to be"... To make the railway pay, they have "Special Event" weekends, (including Thomas the tank !)... and last weekend it was the turn of "War on the Line"... where military preservation groups, come to re-enact a wartime scenario, outside Alresford station, and along the line ...

The event is "Free" to visit, but is intended to stimulate travel on the railway, and at £14 per adult, for all day riding on the trains, (usually at least 3 different classes of steam loco) is pretty good value.


Here are some pics taken at Alresford,..... No commentary on them, as they are pretty much explanatory.

See if you can spot the "refugee children" in the pics below ! ! !

If you click on the PIC it will E N L A R G E  ! ! ! ......

Sepia gives a flavour of the era, I think, but have added the colour versions too ....

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