BOSSES at the Mid-Hants Watercress Line is urgently seeking skilled volunteer machinists to assist with its latest restoration project.

Behind the scenes at Ropley station there is an ambitious project to restore the line’s flagship steam locomotive, Canadian Pacific, to its former glory.

As well as this work, there is ongoing background maintenance of the heritage line’s other heritage locomotives and carriages.

In order to keep this vital operation working at “full steam” MHR has put out an SOS for new skilled volunteers to join its friendly team.

Fifty years ago, all steam locomotives were withdrawn from service in Southern England and with them went the facilities to maintain them. Today, steam engines are not only older than ever, but spare parts are even harder to find. The amount of parts needed to keep the steam fleet running is increasing while spare parts have virtually all been exhausted. So more parts are needed and in most occasions, they have to be manufactured.

The railway has what is probably one of the best equipped machine shops in the railway preservation movement to do just this at its engineering facilities in Ropley.

The machine shop has a number of manual machines that can make the huge variety of parts needed to keep the heritage locomotives and carriages in working order, and it is here that the Watercress Line is seeking to increase its skilled volunteer workforce.

Dave Deane, Canadian Pacific project supervisor, said: “The sight, sound and smell of a steam engine is a magical experience for all to enjoy when they visit the Mid-Hants Railway Watercress Line.

“But the magic of this powerfully evocative recreation is created by many volunteers working behind the scenes to restore, maintain and run these ‘iron horses of the Steam Age’.

“It’s easy to forget just what work is required in the background to keep this wonderful steam railway in good working order.”

If you have good experience working with lathes, vertical or horizontal borers or jib mills or know someone who does, e-mail Trevor Paige at [email protected] or call Trevor or Dave Deane on 01962 733810.