Life on the Watercress Line Archives - The MrT Podcast Studio

About Life on the Watercress Line Archives - The MrT Podcast Studio

Podcasts that are entertaining, informative - and fun!

Publisher

MrT

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Sept 2018

Latest episode

28 Apr 2021

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Apr 2021

   LotWL Episode 31 – Autumn Steam Gala 2019

   Episode 31 - The Autumn Steam Gala 2019 Welcome to The Autumn Steam Gala 2019 where I see some locomotives in pristine condition and talk to people. This is being published in time for the Spring Steam Gala 2021. To view the photographs that accompany this podcast: Please click here to open the gallery in another tab (https://www.themrt.studio/rl_gallery/autumn-steam-gala-2019-lotwl-episode-31/). When the gallery is open 'hovering' over a picture shows arrows to move forwards (or back), enlarge the picture (an 'X' in the top right hand corner) and close the gallery (an 'X' in the bottom right hand corner). Alresford to Medstead &amp; Four Marks: The Gala takes place on a beautiful Autumn weekend. The railway cannot operate into Alton because a bridge is being replaced. This also means that there is no access to the mainline via the link at Alton Station. The 2019 Autumn Steam Gala is using the Watercress Line's fleet of steam locomotives. D8059: The British Rail Class 20 locomotive is doing a sterling job getting the steam locomotives into the right place. It is busily going hither and thither around the Ropley tracks. Known as 'Choppers' because, under load, they sound like like helicopters, 228 of these locomotives were built between 1957 and 1968. The locomotives weigh 73 tonnes and can deliver 1,000 HP. These locomotives worked mixed freight traffic at up to 75 mph. D8059 entered service in 1961 and was based at depots in the Sheffield area until British Rail retired it in 1990. You can find a video of D8059 in action at the Gala here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYlrp-ixAlc). Cheltenham: Cheltenham is looking magnificent. Freshly painted and sporting the British Railways designation 30925. Cheltenham is a Richard Maunsell design and was built at Eastleigh. They are the most powerful 4-4-0s built in Europe. The class was withdrawn in 1961 / 62 and three, including the National Rail Museum owned Cheltenham, are at heritage railways. S15 Class number 506: Robert Urie designed this class for the London and South Western Railway.  The L&amp;SWR also built the Watercress Line. The locomotive has just come back into service after a long overhaul and this is it's first Gala Weekend. The paintwork is in the style used by Southern Railway freight locomotives post 1927. No. 506 first entered service in October 1920 and continued until January 1964. Over a million miles steamed she broke down on her way to Woodham Brothers scrap yard. 7 of the class live on in preservation. Find out more about the Watercress Line: To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link to the Watercress Line. (https://www.watercressline.co.uk/) Please consider donating to the Line at this time because over the past year  costs continued but there was very little income. To donate please click here. (https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?uniqueVmgCharityUrl=watercressline) Events at the Watercress Line: You can find out more about the Day Out with Thomas, running from 29th May to the 6th June 2021 by scrolling down on this page (https://watercressline.co.uk/). About 'Life on the Watercress Line' This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox (https://castbox.fm/) , Deezer, Podchaser (https://www.podchaser.com/), Spotify, Stitcher and <a href="https://vurbl.

2. 

   17 Apr 2020

   War on the Line 2019 (part 2)

   Episode 30 - War on the Line 2019 (part 2) Welcome to War on the Line 2019 (part 2), where I talk to a number of characters from the local community. The 2019 event commemorates 75 years since D Day. Bomb Disposal: The Danger Unexploded Bomb sign was often seen in the early 1940s. A UXB requires a specialist to defuse it. These people are incredibly brave. Each time they pit their wits and experience against the bomb's designer. A mistake results in a large explosion with catastrophic results. The bomb disposal team: The team is represented by the Army and the Royal Navy. The Navy is here to deal with airborne mines because they have experience with mines at sea whilst the Army deals with the bombs. We learn about the different ways of dealing with the different types of mines and bombs. Butterfly bombs were first  used was against the people of Grimsby.  Sadly because they don't look dangerous children played with some that didn't explode immediately. The Government had to publicise their dangers in schools. Station entertainment: I meet May Blossom on one of the stations. I can't tell you which! She is singing and entertaining the troops and civilians passing through the station. Such is her popularity that there is quite a crush when a train arrives and two children show how well they can jive! The RAF Control Room: My final interview in this episode is with one of the RAF Air Controllers. She tells me about their work guiding the RAF aircraft to their targets. They are an essential back-room team. To view the photographs: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-01.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-02.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-03.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-04.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-05.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-06.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-07.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-08.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LotWL-Ep30-09.jpg) Find out more about the Watercress Line: To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link to the Watercress Line. (https://www.watercressline.co.uk/) Please consider donating to the Line at this time because whilst the costs continue there is no income coming in. To donate <a href="https://preservation.watercressline.co.uk/news/entry/temporary-closure-and-how-you-can-help-us-continue-our-work" target="_blank" rel="noop...

3. 

   4 Mar 2020

   War on the Line 2019 (part 1)

   Episode 29 - War on the Line 2019 (part 1) Welcome to War on the Line 2019 (part 1), where I talk to a number of characters from the local community. The 2019 event commemorates 75 years since D Day. The cycling Cobbler: I talk to a shoe repairer who uses his bicycle to visit different parts of the area so that he can provide a service. I find that he has a pair if shoes for a soldier. He doesn't know where the soldier has got to. Let's hope he'll come back to pay for the repairs! The Auxiliers: The next person I spoke to told me about the Auxiliers. They would stay behind if there was an invasion. The idea was to be an active resistance to the invaders. They would cause disruption though their activities. Their life expectancy after an invasion was only a few weeks. The Auxiliers had new and novel weapons including 'tommy guns' and exploding rats. There were over 3,000 very fit and extremely brave civilians in the Auxiliers. They were trained at Coleshill House in the Vale of the White Horse. The National Trust owns the property today. You can find out more by clicking this link. (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-buscot-and-coleshill-estates/features/coleshills-second-world-war-secrets) Travelling magician: I meet a magician on the train. I am not permitted to say where it was going! Careless talk ..... The magician was keeping the passengers entertained with three pieces of 'knicker' elastic. I could not see how he joined the three pieces together with just a wave of his hand! The Russian Army: I meet members from our allies in the Russian Army camped at one of the stations on the line. Their tinned food supplies are of great interest to the visitors. A hair do fit for the occasion: My final interview in this episode is with a hairdresser. They tell me that there was a queue outside before they had set up. We all know about queuing in wartime. To view the photographs: Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery: (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-01.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-02.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-03.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-04.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-05.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-06.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-07.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-08.jpg) (https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-09.jpg) <a href='https://www.themrt.studio/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LotWL-Ep29-10.

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