Spring Steam Gala

It was Martin's birthday yesterday so today we allowed him to indulge himself (and my Mum and me !) with a trip to  the  Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line)where they were having  a Spring Steam Gala. The main blip, taken  at Ropley station, shows a guest loco, GWR 5205, 5239 "Goliath" which was hauling  a freight train. It originally hauled coal trucks from the South  Wales mines, but now is owned by the Dartmouth Steam Railway.  
The extra shows one of the  home loco's,  S15 class 6506, which would have worked on this line, in the past, (but I thought it was some stretch of the imagination to suggest  it would be flying to Eastleigh today!).Behind it, emerging from the sheds is 4079 "Pendennis Castle",  on loan from Didcot Railway Centre. This engine proved a bit temperamental early  on today, but eventually was brought in to service.

After our slow, but nostalgic, railway  trip we went for a walk to the river in Alresford where the ducks congregate (we also spotted some spectacular Grayling fish )  before taking my Mother back to the care home.