RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society:
http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/
NETWATCH
============
The Great Central Railway at Loughborough is the subject of a series of
TV programmes that started on Wednesday 6th October (repeated on Saturday
9th October):
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/About_Us/News.aspx?ID=175
(Spotter: Nick Wheat)
Pictures of the Autumn Gala at the West Somerset Railway last weekend:
http://paulgildersleve.fotopic.net/
Nene Valley-based German standard guage steam loco on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250701252161
(Spotter: Ted Millward)
"All Our Yesterdays" feature from the Huddersfield Examiner focusing on
Huddersfield station in the years 1952, 1953 and 1954.
http://tinyurl.com/2u8ynyg
(Spotter: Ralph Rawlinson)
Yosemite Valley Railroad merchandies with a number of different logos:
YV El Capitan Logo -
http://www.cafepress.com/el_cap
YV Vernal Falls Logo -
http://www.cafepress.com/verna_falls
Locomotive 23 Logo -
http://www.cafepress.com/Loco_23
Locomotive 26 Logo -
http://www.cafepress.com/Loco_26
Hicks Logo -
http://www.cafepress.com/Hicks_Loco
============
Videos...
37075 makes its first crossings of Apesford Crossing, MCR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dmOHzhdCX8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpG9cTNK1kU
8F 8624 works the first passenger train on the Cauldon Lowe line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VppypBBCZ3k
A walk around Ribblehead Viaduct:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9OirN1e9W0
Russia Today reports that a broad gauge line will soon link Vladivostok to
Vienna (see also Slovakian item in Ralph's Roundup).
http://rt.com/Business/2010-10-03/single-gauge-system-make.html
(Spotter: Ralph Rawlinson)
============
Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup
Network Rail
David Higgins, the London 2012 head who is to become the new chief
executive of Network Rail, has vowed to completely overhaul the
organisation's controversial "command and control" working style, cut
costs and introduce a collaborative and open culture.
http://tinyurl.com/24bw4ok
Paintings
Terence Cuneo's picture of LNER A4 pacific Union of South Africa is up for
sale.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Art-lovers-set-to-go.6561287.jp
Meanwhile a tiny art gallery with big intentions has opened in an old
public toilet at Worcester Foregate Street station.
http://tinyurl.com/3ybjlk6
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9054000/9054056.stm
Victoria
Last week it was reported that Grosvenor bridge, the first railway bridge
across the Thames, celebrated the 150th anniversary of its opening on 1st
October. It was stated that the original four brick arches were renewed
in steel by BR between 1963-67. In fact, the length of the spans would
have precluded the use of brick, and prompted by a response from Peter
Tatlow, further research shows that the eastern side was built by the
Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway (a consortium of the LBSCR, LCDR, GWR
and LNWR) in 1858-60 to carry trains into Victoria station. The designer,
Sir John Fowler, was instructed to build a bridge with piers conforming to
the neighbouring Chelsea Bridge, just 150 yards upstream. The western
side was built by the LBSCR in 1865-66 to provide their own independent
line to the station. This 100ft wide bridge, designed by Sir Charles Fox
to match the existing bridge, was opened in 1866. Both bridges were
rebuilt in steel as reported, the original piers now being encased in
concrete. The designers for this work were Freeman Fox & Partners.
Oyster Cards
Since availability of the Oyster pay-as-you-go card was extended to all
350 stations on the national network in Greater London, a million extra
rail journeys are being made each week. (Editor's note: Guernsey buses
recently introduced their Ormer Card scheme - the ormer being their local
oyster-like delicacy!)
London Underground
The main five mobile phone companies are to share the massive cost of
installing and maintaining a mobile phone signal across the underground
network. Coverage will be accomplished with a transmitter running along
the top of the tunnels and an antenna fitted at end of each carriage.
London Crossrail
Kensington & Chelsea Council has agreed to fund a feasibility study
into providing an additional station at Kensal Rise.
http://tinyurl.com/2vd8s9b
Watford-St Albans
For the proposed light rail conversion Chinese vehicle supplier CSRE is
offering to supply light rail vehicles similar to 1,500V DC trams in
service in Hong Kong. Battery electric traction is one suggested option
eliminating the need for overhead line electrification.
Southampton
A new ticket office completes the first phase of the refurbishment of
Southampton Central. The remaining work will see the booking hall enlarged
along with the installation of new waiting areas and toilets.
http://tinyurl.com/38p9e5h
Ardingly branch
Hanson Aggregates has submitted a planning application to West Sussex
Council to demolish their asphalt plant at Ardingly and expand the site.
If it is granted they plan to construct a new aggregates processing plant,
storage and rail discharge facilities, new offices, HGV access point and
new run round loop.
Northampton
Plans are being prepared for the redevelopment of the station.
http://tinyurl.com/3yyyyrf
Alconbury
Urban & Civic, owners of the former Alconbury military airfield in
Cambridgeshire, now an industrial complex located just west of the ECML,
intend installing a rail link and, if permission is granted, to build
housing; a new passenger station is also a possibility. Until 1958 there
was a station serving nearby Abbots Ripton.
North Hykeham, Lincs
A semi-detached home was due to go under the hammer on 29th September for
105,000, complete with a 1,000ft model railway in the back garden.
http://tinyurl.com/2544ru6
Warrington Central
The ex-CLC station is being transformed with a new entrance, canopy, and
illuminated signs. The ticket hall will be modernised, and the shop
expanded.
Scarborough resignalling
Because of essential works, train services into Scarborough will be
suspended from 6th October to 1st November 2010. They will be replaced by
buses for all or part of the journey from Scarborough and Seamer to
Malton, whilst over the weekends of 23rd/24th and 30th/31st October, road
coaches will run to and from York. In August, Scarborough Council agreed
that the listed Falsgrave signal gantry can be dismantled and relocated to
the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It should be erected at Grosmont early
in 2011, and will ultimately control the layout at the north end of the
station (including the route onto the Esk Valley line into Whitby). The
removal of the gantry will be the first task after 6th October, after
which it will be taken away for refurbishment. Falsgrave signal box,
which is also listed, is due to close on 7th October 2010, and a new user
for it is actively being sought.
Shetland
An enthusiast has opened his own 32mm gauge line.
http://tinyurl.com/382yqoy
England-France
The new London-Paris cyclepath uses disused railways on both sides of the
Channel. In the UK you have the Worth Way (Crawley-East Grinstead) and
the Forest Way (East Grinstead-Groombridge).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11447348
The Balkans
The first train of the multi-national Balkan railway company Kargo 10 was
scheduled to leave the Slovenian capital Ljubljana at 12.00hrs on Friday
1st October 2010. The protocol between Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia on
the creation of the joint venture was signed on 9th September. A few days
later Macedonia joined the project. Montenegro wants to follow suit,
although the two non-founding partners will co-operate with, but not
invest in, the company.
http://waz.euobserver.com/887/30892
Slovakia-Austria
The decision on the construction of a broad gauge line from Kosice, the
Slovakian town near the Ukrainian border to the capital Bratislava and on
to Vienna may be made before the end of 2010, said Vladimir Yakunin, RZD
President at a railway conference in Bratislava.
http://tinyurl.com/35rb7qz
Saudi Arabia
The long awaited Haramain Railway looks set to open by early 2013. The
450km line will link the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina with the port
city of Jeddah.
http://tinyurl.com/3x9py5m
Russia-Ukraine
Russian Railways (RDZ) and Ukrainian Railways (UZ) are planning to develop
high-speed passenger services between the two countries. Moscow-Kiev is
seen as a priority but Moscow-Kharkov-Adler and Moscow-Sebastopol are also
being examined. The fastest current time Moscow-Kiev is ten hours.
Ukraine
The Chinese Government will provide a loan of $950 and a Chinese
construction company will build a 30km line from Kiev to the main
international airport Borispol. Work is planned to start in 2011 with
services commencing in 2014.
The Darnytsia rail and road bridge across the River Dnipro in Kyiv was
opened to regular railway services on Monday 27th September 2010. It will
not, however, be fully opened to road traffic until 2011. The old rail
bridge is closed but proposals will be drawn up for its overhaul.
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/83966/#ixzz10llJIk2n
Ghana
If you can believe this propaganda site the new Accra-Tema rail lines is
98% complete, and will soon be carrying passengers.
http://news.peacefmonline.com/social/201010/87643.php
India
The railways in Andhra Pradesh will take up seven new projects in
collaboration with the state government. Four new lines: Nadikude-
Srikalahasti (309km), Bhadrachalam Road?Kovvur (151kms), Manuguru-
Ramagundam (199km) and Gadwal?Macherla (233km). Doubling and
electrification: Vijayawada?Narsapur and Gudivada?Machilipatnam (175km)
and Guntur?Tenali (59km). MMTS Phase-II (82.8km) and the Kadapa-Bangalore
new line have been taken up in earnest.
http://tinyurl.com/23a3sg3
Pakistan
Despite the fact that Pakistan Railways has been facing severe problems
the Minister for Railways claims that it is still the intention to double
700km of track over the next three years. This includes 127 (Sahiwal-
Raiwind), 135 (Shahdra Bagh-Faisalabad), 126 (Shahdra Bagh-Lalamusa), 151
(Lalamusa-Chaklala) and 160 (Golra-Peshawar).
http://tinyurl.com/32wh7so
China
The 202km Huhang high-speed railway, which runs from Shanghai to Hangzhou
will be officially open to traffic in late October. Nine stations are
along the route, seven of which have been recently constructed in suburban
districts of Shanghai and some cities of Zhejiang. It is expected to
transport 80 million passengers per year. In a speed test it is claimed
that train CRH-380A created a new world record of 416.6kph/258.9mph
(although in April 2007, a TGV broke its own 1990 record with a speed of
574.8kph/357.18mph.) At present, China has 7,055km of high-speed railways
in operation, ranking first in the world, and by 2012 it will have a
network of 110,000km, 13,000km of which will be high-speed rail.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7154724.html
Work has started on building an extension to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway
(opened in 2006). The 253-km line will link Xigaze, the second largest
city in the southwestern Tibet, to the capital Lhasa. It will pass
through five counties as well as over the 90-km long Yarlung Zangbo Grand
Canyon and is expected to open in 2014.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-09/26/c_13530486.htm
============
IN THE NEWS
GE main line shut due to fire at Wivenhoe:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-11458777
Minister backs high-speed rail to Manchester and Leeds:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11465786
Protest over HS2 proposals in West Midlands:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11458880
Man drives car onto station platform:
http://tinyurl.com/35a8gx7
Southern December timetable changes:
http://tinyurl.com/36nroty
Second London Underground strike leads to travel chaos:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11464012
Safety checks on LUL sub surface stock:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11483455
RAIB investigation into runaway freight train at Shap:
http://tinyurl.com/2wx7y25
RAIB report on level crossing accident near Taunton:
http://tinyurl.com/369qz5e
Plan to restore theatre at Midland Railway Institute:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11486692
Death of Greg Fox of Foxline Publishing:
http://www.lostockhallmpd.org.uk/obituaryaaa.html
Tetbury signal box moved to Dronfield, Derbyshire:
http://tinyurl.com/2ugcw23
Belmont Viaduct scheme "on track":
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wear-11480752
Or is it "off the rails"...?
http://tinyurl.com/29bd4wa
Maybe Durham's press release will help:
http://www.durham.gov.uk/pages/pressrelease.aspx?pid=1747&archive=0
Full steam ahead for Morpeth restoration shed:
http://tinyurl.com/25a49zh
Erosion reveals war relic in Fife:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11443181
Russian railway tourism:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11434770
Derailment in New Zealand:
http://tinyurl.com/2dxupha
Train crash in Java:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11458085
Edinburgh set to rip up tram contract:
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/City-set-to-rip-up.6562087.jp
British Airways flight returns to Heathrow after door fault:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11458850
Plans for concrete runways at Redhill airfield:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-11479376
Work starts on new bridge at Poole:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-11475088
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Ralph Rawlinson
TV and RADIO
09/10/10 BBC2 1955-2045
"Coast" Cardiff to St Davids
09/10/10 Discovery Shed 2200-2230
"Central Steam" 1/15 Summer Gala
http://tinyurl.com/32of3r7
09/10/10 Discovery Shed 2230-2300
"Central Steam" 2/15 Diesel Gala
http://tinyurl.com/32of3r7
10/10/10 BBC4 1900-1930
"A Time to Remember" Archive film of World Wars I and II
10/10/10 BBC4 1930-2000
"The Beauty of Maps" 2/4 London
10/10/10 BBC4 2000-2130
"All Our Working Lives Revisited" 3/4 Shipbuilding
11/10/10 Five 1930-2000
"How Do They Do It?" The US mint
11/10/10 Channel 4 2100-2200
"Titanic: the Mission" Reconstructing the ship to scale 3/5
11/10/10 BBC4 2340-0115
"All Our Working Lives Revisited" 3/4 Shipbuilding
12/10/10 BBC4 2000-2030
"Britain's Best Drives" St Ives to Lands End
13/10/10 BBC4 2000-2100
"Explosions: How We Shook the World" History of explosives
13/10/10 Discovery Shed 2200-2230
"Central Steam" 3/15 Wedding
http://tinyurl.com/32of3r7
13/10/10 Discovery Shed 2230-2300
"Central Steam" 4/15 Steam Gala
http://tinyurl.com/32of3r7
14/10/10 Five 1930-2100
"World's Most Extreme Airports" Ten spectacular landing sites
15/10/10 Five 2000-2100
"Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers" 4/6
EVENTS
For up-to-date information on many of the tours mentioned in Raildate (and
others) often with timings, see the Steam Tours pages at:
http://www.uksteam.info/index.shtml and also
http://railwayherald.co.uk/railtours/
All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is
taken for inaccuracies or changes.
08/10/10- Keighley & Worth Valley Railway: Autumn Steam Gala Event
10/10/10
http://www.kwvr.co.uk
08/10/10- Ffestiniog Railway: Vintage Weekend
10/10/10
http://www.festrail.co.uk/
09/10/10 Shaftsbury Book Fair
United Church Hall, Bell Street, SP7 8AR
http://www.fairharebooks.com/
09/10/10- Farnham and District Model Railway Exhibition
10/10/10 Connaught Leisure Centre, Tongham Road, Aldershot GU12 4AS
http://www.farnhammrc.org.uk
09/10/10- Blandford Railway & Transport Exhibition
10/10/10 Milldown School, Milldown Rd, Blandford, DT11 7SQ
To mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first part
of the Dorset Central Railway from Wimborne to a temporary
terminus at Blandford St Mary, eventually to become an
integral part of the S&DJR
1030-1700 (Sat), 1000-1630 (Sun)
http://www.blandfordtownmuseum.org/railway_club.htm
09/10/10- Bodmin & Wenford Railway: Branch Line Weekend
10/10/10
http://www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk
09/10/10- Churnet Valley Railway: Diesel Gala
10/10/10 *** Cancelled - replaced by MCR Gala Weekend on 26th, 27th and
28th November
10/10/10 Mid-Hants Railway: Rolls Royce Sunday
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/
16/10/10 Mid-Hants Railway Real Ale Train (RAT)
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/rat.htm
16/10/10- Eastleigh Lakeside Railway: Big 4 Weekend
17/10/10
http://www.steamtrain.co.uk
16/10/10- Christchurch MRC Model Railway Exhibition
17/10/10 Bishop of Winchester School, Mallard Road, Castle Lane,
Bournemouth, BH8 9PW
1030-1630 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun)
http://www.christchurchmrc.org.uk
16/10/10- Uckfield MRC Model Railway Exhibition
17/10/10 Uckfield Civic centre, Civic Approach, Uckfield, TN22 1AE
1030-1700 both days
http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk
16/10/10- Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Model Railway Exhibition
17/10/10
http://www.wyvernrail.co.uk/
16/10/10- National Festival of Railway Modelling
17/10/10 East of England Showground, Peterborough, PE2 6XE
1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1630 (Sun)
http://www.brmodelling.co.uk
17/10/10 Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum: Steam
Swanwick Lane, Swanwick, Southampton, SO31 7GW
The editor of Raildate will be attending with the
Kestrel Railway Books sales stand
http://www.bursledonbrickworks.co.uk/
17/10/10 The Isle of Wight Bus Museum: Annual Running Day
http://www.iowbusmuseum.org.uk
17/10/10 Horndean Book Fair
Merchistoun Hall, 106 Portsmouth Rd, Horndean, PO8 9LJ
http://www.fairharebooks.com/
17/10/10 Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre: Autumn Industrial Trains Day
http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
22/10/10- Bluebell Railway: Giants of Steam
24/10/10
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/
23/10/10 Solent Railwayana Auctions
Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham, Hants, PO17 5AL
http://www.solentrailwayana.com
23/10/10 Didcot Model Railway Exhibition
Willowbrook Leisure Centre, Bowmont Water, Didcot, OX11 7AF
23/10/10 Folkestone Book, Paper & Print Fair
The Grand, Folkestone
http://www.pbfa.org/
http://www.ephemera-society.org.uk/
23/10/10 Carmarthen Model Railway Exhibition
Community Education Centre, Furnace Road, Carmarthen SA31 1EU
1030-1630
Adult: 3.50, Concessions: 3, Child: 2, Family (2+2): 7
Refreshments available, disabled access
23/10/10- Didcot Railway Centre: GWR 175 (last of four special events)
24/10/10
http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk
23/10/10- Rail-Ex Southwest (Taunton)
24/10/10 Taunton School, Staplegrove Road, Taunton
http://www.somerset-modellers.co.uk
23/10/10- North Norfolk Railway: Altogether Now! Kids help run the
railway
24/10/10
http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/
23/10/10- Foxfield Railway: Autumn Gala
24/10/10 Includes recently restored Dubs crane tank
Early morning photo charter at Foxfield Colliery on Saturday
(contact
d.fletcher47@btinternet.com)
23/10/10- Peak Rail: Shunter Hunter Extravaganza
24/10/10
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/
23/10/10- Mid-Hants Railway: Wizard Week
31/10/10
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/
23/10/10- Swanage Railway: Half-term Fun Week
31/10/10
http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
24/10/10 Crich Tramway Village: Red Oktober
http://www.tramway.co.uk/
28/10/10- Talyllyn Railway: Hallowe'en Specials
29/10/10
http://www.talyllyn.co.uk
29/10/10- Kew Bridge Steam Museum: Ghostly Tours
31/10/10
http://www.kbsm.org
30/10/10 New Forest Book Fair
The Community Centre, High Street, Lyndhurst, SO43 7NY
http://www.fairharebooks.com/
30/10/10 Churnet Valley Railway: The Ghost Train
http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
30/10/10 Crich Tramway Village: Starlight Halloween
http://www.tramway.co.uk/
30/10/10- Leawood Pump Steaming Weekend, Cromford Canal
31/10/10
http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/
30/10/10- Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway: Hallowe'en Ghost Trains
31/10/10
http://www.cleethorpescoastlightrailway.co.uk
31/10/10 Chinnor & Princes Risborough Rly: Hallowe'en Spooks Express
http://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk
Cheers, Howard.
editor(at)raildate.co.uk replace (at) with @
Previous issues of Raildate are at:
http://www.raildate.net
This page includes a master catalogue of items that have appeared in
previous editions of Raildate.
(C) Howard Sprenger and Hursley Park Model Railway Society 2010.
The external edition of Raildate may be freely distributed without
permission as long as no changes whatsoever are made to the original
document distributed by the Editor. You can subscribe to the external
edition here:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/RAILDATE/