RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society: http://steam.to/hpmrs
"Rowsley: A Rural Railway Centre" by Glynn Waite and Laurence Knighton Published by the Midland Railway Society ISBN 0953748626: available in softback at £15.95 and hardback at £19.95
Glynn Waite and Laurence Knighton are respectively Chairman and Vice- Chairman of the Midland Railway Society. They were both born locally and have studied the development of railways in the Rowsley area over many years - in fact, Glynn was the Chief Clerk at the engine shed when it closed in 1966. They have used material from their extensive archives to produce this 128-page detailed history of railways in the Rowsley and Darley Dale area from their origins in the 1840s to the present day. The book contains 250 illustrations, many of which have not been previously published. Details of staff, train services and other features that do not fit easily into a chronological account of the area, are contained in 23 appendices. One of these deals with special trains and special passengers, which were regular features 100 years ago when Royal Trains brought King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Rowsley en route to Chatsworth for the famous house parties.
That, however, was the 'glamour' side of Rowsley, for until the mid-60s there was also a large engine shed and marshalling yard. The book tells how the rural peace was disturbed by the coming of the railway in 1849 and how, from the 1870s, it became by far the biggest employer in the area. At its peak just after the Second World War there were approximately 550 staff based at Rowsley. It also shows how quickly this dedicated workforce was disbanded and the railway closed down. In recent years part of the line has re-opened and there are plans for extensions. But one thing is certain - we will never again see the concentration of activities and labour that were so common on the railways of yesteryear, and which are described in some detail in the book.
Copies of the book can be obtained from David Reed at Withen View Cottage, Grindlow, Great Hucklow, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8RJ. Non-members of the Midland Railway Society should add £1.50 for the softback and £2.00 for the hardback as a contribution to postage and packing costs. Cheques should be made payable to 'Midland Railway Society'. Non-UK purchasers should request a postage quote in advance.
People with PayPal accounts should send payment and address details to midlandrailwaysociety@derby.org but add 5% to cover mandatory PayPal fees.
For further information contact DavidReed@withenview.fsnet.co.uk or Glynn.Waite@btinternet.com
An image of the book cover is at: http://irwell.mimas.ac.uk/~zzaascs/mrsoc/publications/rowsley/
The book is similar in size and format to the popular "Foxline: Scenes from the Past" series.
Paul Bartlett's fotopic site update...
BR Concreting train in South Wales - 9 photographs of converted Plates with a Lowmac: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=95969
BR Plate wagons - as Winkle departmental wagons - 6 photographs: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=95426
BR Plate wagons - as Cable drum wagons - 5 photographs - they work with the similar Bogie bolster E conversions: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=94716
BR Plate wagons - revenue and departmental - 62 photographs: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=94121
BR Plate wagons - as under runners RRV, ZEB - 16 photographs: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=93596
BR Plate wagons - as Reach wagons - 7 photographs: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=93181
PRA China Clay RLS63xx - 9 photographs: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=91558
Ravenscraig, internal wagons, locos, scenes - 53 photographs. Very popular with many of you last week - the best I'll manage on the early BR pig irons - and confirmation they got VB - and some nice locos - including from Teeside. Torpedos, slag ladles and some generally local builds, http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=91441
Cowan Sheldon 6 1/2 and 10 ton hand cranes on BR - 15 photographs. John Isherwood confirmed we should all have bought the Tri-ang version - remember the CKD - when they were available: http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=88721
BR Whale Ballast hoppers - 10 photographs - yes I'm getting old - some of them being delivered when new! http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=88357
Website for Jubilees:
Pictures of Skegness line boxes have been added to:
http://mysite.freeserve.com/Johntilly/Gallery/gallerysig.lwp/odyframe.htm
Free downloads for the Microsoft Train Simulator:
First tilting train arrives early: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3366951.stm
Rush-hour delays casued by crane falling over: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3368081.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3371245.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3376103.stm
Rush-hour delays caused by fire: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3377635.stm
Delays on ECML: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3378245.stm
Forth Bridge closures staggered: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3368179.stm
Rail watchdog being undermined: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3371753.stm
Rail firm bids for tracks: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/3378379.stm
Advance rail bookings barred: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3367273.stm
B-lingual train plan hits buffers: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3375423.stm
"Early start" plea for train jobs: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/3375095.stm
| Sat Jan 10 | 2010-2100 | BBC2 'Seven Wonders of the Industrial World' Bell Rock lighthouse |
| Sun Jan 11 | 1240-1330 | BBC2 'Pole to Pole' Final part |
| Sun Jan 11 | 1900-1920 | BBC4 'Cityscapes' London's architecture |
| Sun Jan 11 | 1950-2120 | BBC4 'Restoration Secrets' East Anglia's architectural heritage |
| Mon Jan 12 | 0205-0335 | BBC4 'Restoration Secrets' East Anglia's architectural heritage |
| Mon Jan 12 | 1845-1900 | BBC2 'What the Romans Did For Us' |
| Mon Jan 12 | 1900-2000 | BBC2 'Sahara with Michael Palin' |
| Mon Jan 12 | 2000-2030 | BBC2 'Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam: The Transport Revolution' |
| Mon Jan 12 | 2000-2100 | C4 'Nazi Grand Prix' 1930s British racing driver Richard Seaman |
| Mon Jan 12 | 2100-2200 | C4 'Spitfire Ace' Modern pilots train in a Spitfire |
| Mon Jan 12 | 2235-2315 | BBC1 'Rail Cops' A look at the British Transport Police |
| Mon Jan 12 | 2315-0115 (D+1) | BBC1 'Atomic Train' 1999 disaster movie - the title says it all |
| Tue Jan 13 | 1845-1900 | BBC2 'What the Romans Did For Us' |
| Tue Jan 13 | 2000-2100 | BBC2 'Crafty Tricks of War' Unusual weapons |
| Tue Jan 13 | 2000-2100 | C5 'Disaster in the Air: Fire on Board' |
| Wed Jan 14 | 1310-1330 | BBC2 'Big Screen Britain' The background to 'The Dambusters' |
| Wed Jan 14 | 1845-1900 | BBC2 'What the Romans Did For Us' |
| Wed Jan 14 | 2100-2200 | C4 'Grand Designs' A Chesterfield waterworks home conversion |
| Thu Jan 15 | 1430-1500 | ITV 'Wish You Were Here... Today?' Trans-Siberian Railway (1) |
| Thu Jan 15 | 1845-1900 | BBC2 'What the Romans Did For Us' |
| Thu Jan 15 | 1930-2000 | ITV Meridian 'The Way We Were' Archive film from the last 50 years |
| Fri Jan 16 | 0100-0230 | BBC4 'Restoration Secrets' East Anglia's architectural heritage |
| Fri Jan 16 | 1430-1500 | ITV 'Wish You Were Here... Today?' Trans-Siberian Railway (2) |
| Fri Jan 16 | 1845-1900 | BBC2 'What the Romans Did For Us' |
| Fri Jan 16 | 1930-2000 | C5 'Mission to the Deep' The search for 'USS Carpathia' |
| Fri Jan 16 | 2100-2150 | BBC2 'The Lost Liner and the Empire's Gold' Finding the 'Persia' |
| Fri Jan 16 | 2150-2200 | BBC2 'Industrial Nation' Reconstructing our industrial heritage |
See Mainline Steam Tours page for up-to-date info on many of these tours, and others, often with timings.
| 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 | ||
| All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is taken for inaccuracies or changes. | ||
| Sat Jan 10 - Sun Jan 11 | 1000-1700(Sat) 1000-1630(Sun) |
Bognor Regis Model Railway Club Exhibition
Felpham Community College, Felpham, Bognor Regis 1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1630 (Sun) |
| Sat Jan 10 - Sun Jan 11 | 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Chiltern MRA Model Railway Exhibition
St Alban Arena, St Peter's Street, St Albans 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) http://www.cmra.org.uk |
| Sat Jan 17 | 0930-1700 |
Astolat Model Railway Circle Exhibition
Methodist Church Hall, Woodbridge Road, Guildford 0930-1700 |
| Sat Jan 17 | 1030-1930 |
Brambleton Model Railway Club Exhibition
Harpenden Public Halls, Southdown Road, Harpenden 1030-1930 |
| Sat Jan 17 | ? |
Gauge O Guild Workshop
Model Railway Club, London N1 |
| Sat Jan 17 - Sun Jan 18 | 1000-1800(Sat) 1030-1700(Sun) |
Little Midland Society Model Railway Railway Exhibition
The Winding Wheel, Holywell Street, Chesterfield 1000-1800 (Sat), 1030-1700 (Sun) |
| Fri Jan 23 - Sun Jan 25 | 1030-1800(Fri, Sat) 1030-1700(Sun) |
London Model Engineering Exhibition
Wembley Exhibition Centre 1030-1800 (Fri, Sat), 1030-1700 (Sun) http://www.meridienneexhibitions.co.uk |
| Sat Jan 24 - Sun Jan 25 | 1000-1700(Sat) 1000-1630(Sun) |
Erith Model Railway Society Exhibition
Temple Hill Primary School, St Edmunds Road, Dartford 1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1630 (Sun) http://www.erithmrs.org |
| Sat Jan 24 - Sun Jan 25 | 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Pontefract Model Railway Show
New College, Park Lane, Pontefract 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) |
| Sun Jan 25 | ? | Midland Railway Centre, Butterley - Winter Warmer Trains http://www.midlandrailwaycentre.co.uk |
| Sat Jan 31 - Sun Feb 01 | 1030-1730(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Southampton Model Railway Exhibition
The Eastpoint Centre, Burgoyne Road, Thornhill, Southampton 1030-1730 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) http://www.hants.gov.uk/smrs |
| Sat Jan 31 - Sun Feb 01 | 1030-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Wimbledon Model Railway Exhibition
Overton Grange School, Stanley Road, Sutton, Surrey 1030-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) |
| Sat Jan 31 - Sun Feb 01 | 1030-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Stafford Railway Circle Model Railway Exhibition
Stafford County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford 1030-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) http://www.staffordrailwaycircle.org.uk |
| Sat Jan 31 - Sun Feb 01 | 1030-1700(both days) |
Rochdale Model Railway Group Exhibition
Oulder Hill Leisure Centre, Rochdale 1030-1700 (both days) |
| Cheers, Howard. howard@derby.org | ||