Blog - Watercress Line

Building Blog – April Update

Well things have been pretty busy what with one thing and another. The new volunteers who have joined the Department have certainly made a difference

Building Blog – February Update

The New Year stated with the normal storms predicted but fortunately the Railway didn’t suffer much from the effects of wind, rain, snow and cold

Building Blog – December Update

As another year comes to an end the work of the Buildings Department continues apace. Currently we are in the throes of creating a more

Building Blog – Autumn Update

A lot of work has been going on in the background of general maintenance and repairs and a quick catch-up of where we are on

Building Blog – Summer Update

At Alresford two more felted roofs have been constructed to be placed on storage containers down the headshunt. The photo shows a previous model fixed

Volunteer Welcome Day Success

Sunday 20th July saw the Watercress Line host another of its popular Welcome Day events, welcoming a group of 22 prospective new volunteers. The group

LoveTravelling Blog

LoveTravellingBlog recently visited us at The Watercress Line. Click here if you would like to read her article.

May Catch Up – Building Group

A bit of a catch up in this missive of a variety of activities the Building Department has been up to recently. We have also

Building Department – March Update

This years’ activities in the Building Department are well underway now. Firstly, we completed the replacement of the boarding on the footbridge at Alresford with

Building Blog: January Update

Well, another New Year has begun and best wishes to all and to the Watercress Line for another exciting year of events. At the end

Building Blog: Autumn Update

In the workshop at Medstead work has commenced on the preparation of woodwork to create picket fence panels for the outside seating area for the

Searching for the women who built Canadian Pacific

Our Heritage Lottery funded project, restoring 35005 ‘Canadian Pacific’ is in its final stages of completion. In September the team were finally able to reunite

Building Blog – September Update

Technical issues have interfered with blog production recently but hopefully things can now proceed again. At Medstead station further work has progressed on the barrier

May Buildings Group Update

Readers may have noticed that we have had the odd spot of rain in recent weeks, this has slowed some jobs down slightly but overall

Canadian Pacific Record Holder

With our flagship locomotive ‘Canadian Pacific’ in her final stages of restoration we are taking a look back at some of the fantastic stories about

February Building Department Update

Following the construction in the workshop of the new booking hall doors for Ropley station-those that face the staff car park and get all the

Building Department January 2024 Update

Recently the Buildings Department has been assisting in the setting up of the new temporary signal box/relay room at Medstead Station. This structure becomes operational

Buildings Department – October 2023 Update

Ropley Downside Board Following our efforts to complete the extended pathways around Alresford station we have managed to return to some jobs that have been

August – Busy Times in the Buildings Department

Walkway Frame Adaptions A few years ago we were requested to make a series of wooden back boards for lighting units to illuminate the trackside

Board Stiff

Photo: Second balustrade at Ropley footbridge JUNE 2023 Following the relocation of the staff foot crossing at Alresford to better suit the position of the

A Breathe of Fresh Air

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service When the new workshop container was positioned in the lower yard at Medstead it was initially place on cut sleeper

The Shovel Has Landed

At Ropley we have created a base in the granite setts on which an interactive exhibit has now been mounted as a further informative attraction

February update from the Buildings Group

Well, we are well into the year now and the Christmas and New Year seem a long time ago. The adapted door from the shop

November – Buildings Update

As Autumn set in the work schedule kept going in spite of the change in the weather conditions, but on the whole we have managed

Building department – October update

Following the delivery of a fuel tank to supply a heating system in the wheel drop shed, both to make the working conditions in winter

Holidays by Train and Other Journeys

Camping Coaches at East Budleigh Station, Devon in the early 1960s. See Greg Freeman’s memories below These accounts of travelling by train were all collected

Building department – August blog

Well the weather certainly proved a bit taxing over the last few weeks and copious amounts of tea had to be consumed to keep the

June Update from the Building Department

The backboards for the new lighting scheme at Ropley we produced some time ago in the workshop are now being installed. The new length of

Railway Workers’ Memories

The engine sheds at Nine Elms, Battersea where many of the locomotives on the Watercress Line would have been serviced from time to time and

Building Department – March Blog

At Alresford the replacement doors and some of the frames for the booking hall and West Country Buffet (originally from Lyme Regis station) have been

Building Department – February Blog

At Alresford we installed a new post mounted cabinet to house the point clips/lever used when the points are used for movements from the catering

New Year- Building Department greetings

A happy New Year to all readers. Following last years busy activities we start again with more improvement tasks to enhance the Railway’s heritage attractions.

Building Department Pre-Christmas Bulletin

December At Alresford another task that has resulted from the re-alignment of the track and building arrangements is the provision of lighting to illuminate the

BLOG: Wagon Group Report 16th November 2021

An update from the Wagon Group over the past few weeks… At Alton our toilet /washroom shed has now been completed, albeit operating with a

Blog – Autumn Update – Building Department

October At Medstead work has continued on the exterior of the signal box with the timber cladding being replaced after new breathable membrane was attached

BLOG: Wagon Group Report September

Update of Wagon Group activities over the past few weeks… At Alton lipping brake blocks on a couple of vans have been ground off, and the

BLOG: The Great Wall of Medstead

September At Medstead teams both from the Building Department and the Medstead station maintenance team have built a retaining wall behind the signal box and