A MASSIVE blaze swept through a new workshop at the Watercress Line railway at Ropley on Monday evening just six months after the building was officially opened.
Half of the workshop was badly damaged, and a 66-year-old diesel locomotive and its tender and two carriages were destroyed as part of the roof collapsed.
Fifty firefighters were at the scene at the height of the blaze, which broke out just before
6pm.
But steam trains on the line, which runs from Alresford to Alton, were given the go ahead to continue running as normal yesterday.
Marketing manager Tim Beere said all scheduled activities would continue during the school holidays – including A Day Out With Thomas, featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, from August 7-15.
Fire investigators were examining the scene yesterday (Tuesday) to try and ascertain the cause of the blaze.
The workshop had been part of a £1.1m project, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which was officially opened by record producer and railway fanatic Pete Waterman in February.
Mr Beere said: "The building was in two parts separated by a fire door –the front part was the boiler workshop, and the rear was the carriage and wagon part.
"The carriage and wagon part has been pretty much destroyed, but the fire door seems to have done its work and from what we can see the rest of the building is smoke damaged."
A diesel shunter dating from 1944 was destroyed, as were its tender and two carriages, one of which was about 90 years old.
Mr Beere said: "The diesel shunter was privately owned. It was in the process of being repainted, and work on it was almost finished. It looks like it has been pretty much gutted.
"The tender had just been painted and was in the back of the workshop waiting for the front half of the loco to be done. From what I can see, that has also been destroyed.
"Until we can get in there we won't know if we can salvage anything, but at this stage it doesn't look good."
Craig Mowatt, of Hampshire Fire and Rescue, said the building had initially been cordoned off because of fears that oxy acetylene cyclinders could explode in the fire – but the hazard warning was later lifted.
Crews from eight fire stations – including two crews from Petersfield – dealt with the incident. A special equipment unit and a water carrier were also called in because of the isolated location.
Mr Mowatt said investigators faced a major task because of the building's size.
