RAILDATE - your free weekly guide to what's happening, what's new and what's on
BOOK NEWS
Civil Engineers Wagons Volume 1 - British Railways: 1948-1967 by by David Larkin
The five previous Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning
wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its immediate successor, British Rail. This
volume is the first of three looking at the substantial fleet of specially-designed wagons that
were used for track maintenance. The fleet included open wagons to take fresh materials to
site, ballast hopper wagons that could be discharged on site, flat wagons to convey new rails
and carry old rails away for scrapping, and specialized brake vans to distribute ballast and
take gangs of men to remote locations.
Most of the wagon types seen in this volume were either built for the "Big Four" railways
before 1948, or were derived from them; all are fully covered. Towards the end of the period,
former revenue-earning wagons were transferred into the Civil Engineers fleet, and these are
also included in this volume. Finally, there is an examination of the telegraphic code names
used to identify the genuine Civil Engineers wagons throughout the period, the reasons why they
were necessary, and the original allocations of these wagons.
There is quite an overlap throughout the three volumes in this series, but this volume
concentrates on the period from 1948 to 1967 - a very labour-intensive period, with little
being achieved towards the mechanization that will be fully covered in subsequent volumes.
Softback: 96 pages with 147 photographs
273 x 215mm
978-1-905505-23-4
Price: 14.00 post free from the publisher
http://www.kestrelrailwaybooks.co.uk/
Chard and Ilminster feature in new book on railway history:
http://tinyurl.com/4x79kg7
(Spotter: Richard Buckby)
NETWATCH
Rick Eborall's pictures of a photo charter at the Great Central Railway with 34007 on 19th
October:
http://rickeborall.zenfolio.com/p502214392
Graham Turner's photos of 33035's passenger debut on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, 22nd
October:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/railblue/
Photos of Trevor Watkins' Yosemite Valley Railroad in N gauge:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cabooseman/sets
The La Mure Railway is suffering badly after two rock falls last year. Details (in French) are
here together with a petition form:
http://christophe.lachenal.free.fr/francais/infos/fr_infos_petition_sos.htm
East Lancs Autumn Gala 22nd October:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD76SIhdnPQ
(Spotter: Ted Millward)
The Titfield Thunderbolt - behind the scenes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pEqKxXkus
(Spotter: Nick Wheat)
Blaster Bates - Avoiding The Railway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YrZ_t3SKpQ
(Spotter: Richard Buckby)
Cit du Train, Mulhouse:
http://www.citedutrain.com/en/home
Cit de l'Automobile, Mulhouse:
http://www.citedelautomobile.com/en/home
A source of home-made model trees:
http://www.on30.co.uk/page21.html
Stuart Bell's Buses Around the World:
http://stuarts-world-buses.smugmug.com/
New Forest WWII history project given 551,000 lottery money
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15470360
Want to see pictures of your local TV mast (or someone else's for that matter)?
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/google/alltx.php
(Spotter: Nick Wheat)
============
IN THE NEWS
Basingstoke ticket error sees 1,500 passengers overcharged
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-15422629
Extra peak hour seats from December timetable
http://tinyurl.com/5szuet3
Heart of Wessex designated to be a "community line"
http://tinyurl.com/5sbdedb
CCTV of train crash with farmer's trailer left on line
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15497734
Repairs to Norfolk swing bridges
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-15401833
Grayrigg crash: Woman called for dying mother
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-15425732
Grayrigg crash: Black box shows how train jack-knifed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-15468600
Greater Anglia franchise awarded
http://www.rail.co/2011/10/20/abellio-awarded-greater-anglia-franchise/
Oyster Card area extended on East Anglia suburban routes
http://tinyurl.com/69c5zzr
East Midlands Trains launch 'Derbyshire Day Out' ticket for Londoners
http://tinyurl.com/63jgqpg
East Midlands Trains invests in new collection-only ticket machines
http://tinyurl.com/6kuxmgh
DRS container service from Teesport
http://tinyurl.com/6f9q7n9
Virgin train cleaners on West Coast Mainline to strike
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15426782
Girl dies at Liverpool railway station fall
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-15442783
Tube bosses 'plan to cut 1,500 jobs and ticket offices
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15422882
Speedy Taff Trail cyclists in Cardiff told 'slow down'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15294323
East Anglian Railway Museum unveils 1.2m redevelopment plans
http://tinyurl.com/42m8d77
Flying Scotsman saviour Tony Marchington dies
http://tinyurl.com/63mztyx
Crewe Heritage centre lease sell-off decision
http://tinyurl.com/68cnatn
http://tinyurl.com/6jmflvt
Farewell 150 tour of the West Midlands
http://www.londonmidland.com/your-journey/farewell-150
Barbie maker Mattel to buy Thomas the Tank Engine owner
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15430842
http://tinyurl.com/64me5sw
Inside twice-homeless billionaire's private train car
http://tinyurl.com/3g76g3c
Improvements to Kirk Yard, Chicago
http://tinyurl.com/6go6u49
Could a Russia-US rail tunnel be built?
Video:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15387714
SBB/Stadler reveal "hybrid" loco
http://tinyurl.com/6zwy9ja
Etihad Railway (UAE) to order GM locos
http://www.rail.co/2011/10/14/etihad-rail-awards-locomotive-contract/
Spanish consortium to build Saudi high speed route
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15465865
Volunteers work to restore Lichfield canal stretch
http://tinyurl.com/6fs5wpw
An earlier news item involving the same strecth of canal
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4928558.stm
Old brewery chimney sold on e-bay
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-15474230
Roof knocked off bus in Bristol
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15431703
Overnight sleeper bus service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15392845
Tamar road bridge reaches its half century
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15395882
Proposed Menai Straights ferry service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-15426609
Catalina stuck at Lough Erne awaiting repairs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15451497
First Boeing 787 commercial flight completed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15456914
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Mike Pearce, Glynn Waite, Nick Wheat
TV and RADIO
29/10/11 BBC Radio 4 0607-0630
"Open Country" Aircraft wrecks in the Peak District
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016k6x8
29/10/11 BBC1 South/South East 1710-1740
"The Road to Nowhere" The 25th birthday of the M25
29/10/11 BBC2 1840-1940
"Operation Jericho" Documentary about a 1944 Mosquito mission
29/10/11 BBC2 2040-2140
"Code-Breakers: Bletchley Park's Lost Heroes"
30/10/11 BBC4 1900-2000
"The Story of British Pathe" 1/4 The Birth of the News
01/11/11 BBC4 2030-2100
"Blackpool on Film" Archive film
01/11/11 BBC2 2100-2200
"The Most Courageous Raid of World War 2" The Cockleshell Heroes
03/11/11 BBC Radio 4 1500-1527
"Open Country" Aircraft wrecks in the Peak District
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016k6x8
EVENTS
All details are correct to the best of my knowledge, but no responsibility is accepted for
inaccuracies or changes.
29/10/11 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Hallowe'en Trains
http://www.e-v-r.com
29/10/11 Churnet Valley Railway: The Ghost Train
http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
29/10/11 Peak Rail: Halloween Ghost Train (Evening Only)
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/
29/10/11 Alsager Railway Association: Open Afternoon
Clubrooms at Moorhouse Avenue, Alsager, ST7 2DQ
1200-1700, admission 1
Their 0 Gauge layout, Hassell Harbour Bridge, will be operating
Visitors are welcome to bring their own stock
29/10/11- Leawood Pumping Engine, Cromford Canal
30/10/11 World Heritage Site Discovery Days
Engine in motion 1200-1700 (Sat), 1100-1600 (Sun)
http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/
30/10/11 Isle of Wight Steam Railway: Wizard Week
http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/
31/10/11 Rob Foxon Film Show
Corn Market Hall, Kettering - 7.30pm
05/11/11- Wight Model Railway Group Model Railway Exhibition
06/11/11 Medina Leisure Centre, Fairlee Road, Newport, IoW, PO30 2DX
05/11/11- Peak Rail: World War II Winter Camp
06/11/11
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/
06/11/11 Romsey Signal Box Open Day
Admission free (donations welcome!)
1000-1600
ex-Romsey Infants School, Plaza Parade, Winchester Rd, Romsey
Car park in old school grounds
http://www.romseysignalbox.org.uk
07/11/11 Rob Foxon Film Show
The Rothley Centre, Rothley, Leicestershire - 7.30pm
07/11/11 Peak Railway Association (Sheffield Branch) Slideshow
The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery Street, Sheffield S3 8GG
Along Cheshire Lines - Then & Now, Ken Grainger
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/SheffieldBranch
12/11/11 Manchester Victoria signalling school layout operating day
National Railway Museum, York
http://www.nrm.org.uk/
12/11/11- Hull Model Railway Show
13/11/11 Costello Athletics Stadium, Anlaby Park Road, Hull, HU4 6XY
1000-1700 both days
Adult: 4, Child: 1
18 layouts in scales ranging from 0 to T
http://www.hullmrs.org
13/11/11 Rob Foxon Film Show
Phoenix Square, Leicester - 2.30pm
Cheers, Howard.
editor(at)raildate.co.uk replace (at) with @
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 Raildate here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RAILDATE/
Issues of Raildate up to and including 18th December 2009 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 2011.