RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society: http://steam.to/hpmrs
A site full of Class 40 pictures:
http://www.wirralmafia.fotopic.net
Rail Renationalisation Group... If you think renationalisation (deprivatisation? publicisation?) is needed, there is a new discussion group devoted to the topic:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/railrenationalisation
Torre Signal Box was broken into on the night of 5th/6th March. All items of any value were stolen including Block Switch, Block Bells and Block Instruments. Further information is on their website:
http://www.torre-signal-box.co.uk/index.shtml
A new product aimed at modellers is looking for beta testers. It is a fully customisable interlocking lever frame kit that also includes a software package to help you determine what you need to build it.
Check the 'guest lounge' SigScribe4 1.0.beta forum for links to some example files. Runs on mac and win:
On 9th March 2004, trams returned to the streets of Nottingham for the first time since September 1936. The Nottingham Express Transit system was officially opened the previous day by the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling MP.
Official NET web site: http://www.thetram.net/
Stephen Dee's unofficial site: http://www.nettrams.net/
Radio Nottingham's site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/features/2004/03/tram_index.shtml
Apparently many of the first day's passengers appeared to be male, forty plus, and carrying notebooks and video cameras...!
A series of seminars under the generic title "Transport and Travel in the Countryside" is taking place in June at the Centre for Rural History at the University of Reading:
1 June Mark Casson (University of Reading) The impact of railways on the rural economy, 1825-1914 Jill Murdoch (University of York) From Elephant to Penge West: the railway in the artist's landscape
8 June Stephen Hipkin (Canterbury Christ Church) The metropolitan grain trade of Kent and the local politics of dearth, 560-1640 Michael Winstanley (University of Lancaster) Corn and potatoes: the food supply of industrial Lancashire, c.1780-1850
15 June Brian Griffin (Bath Spa University) Cycling and rural Ireland in the 1880s and 1890s Peter Merriman (University of Reading) '"Beautified" is a vile phrase': the politics and aesthetics of roads in mid twentieth-century Britain
All sessions will take place in the seminar room of the Museum of English Rural Life, Chancellor's Way, Whiteknights, University of Reading. They will begin at 2pm, with a refreshment break between papers. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Institute of Railway Studies & Transport History, York Railway Research Workshops 2003-04
Wednesday 21 April 2004 14.00-17.30 The railway problem in post-war Britain Charles Loft (Huddersfield) 'Whitehall and the railway problem, 1951-63' Gerald Crompton (UKC) 'Network Rail - forwards or backward? Not-for-profit in British transport'
Wednesday 26 May 2004 14.00-17.30 The economics and finances of mid-C19th British railways Tony Arnold (University of Exeter) 'Structure, amalgamation and profitability in the nineteenth century British railway industry' The paper is the product of joint work with Sean McCartney, of Essex University. Joerg Schimmelpfennig (Ruhr-Universitat Bochum) 'Were railways natural monopolies? Preliminary results from the LNWR in the 1850s and 1860s'
Wednesday 30 June 2004 14.00-17.30 Aspects of labour on the Pennsylvania Railroad Al Churella (Southern Polytechnic State University) 'The problem with 'discipline': the limits of managerial control and worker autonomy on the PRR' Geoffrey Channon (University of the West of England) 'The labour policies of the PRR: rhetoric and reality, 1920-1940'
All welcome. Refreshments will be served. NRM car-parking charges apply except for registered disabled. NB: Please note that although the workshops will continue to be held at the National Railway Museum, they will now be located in the Yorkshire Rail Academy. The YRA is accessible from within The Warehouse at the NRM, off the Great Hall. You will need to use the entryphone to get into the YRA. Please ask at the Museum's welcome desk or any information point if you need help.
Tube passengers urged to be alert: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3509898.stm
UK railway stations vulnerable: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3505054.stm
What could trains learn from planes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3512350.stm
Rail police need 200 more staff: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3513296.stm
Whistles speed up trains: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3518484.stm
Bombadier to cut 1,250 jobs: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/3519536.stm
Train service might cut services: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3504246.stm
Train complanies defend service: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/3503300.stm
| Sat Mar 20 | 1130-1200 | Discovery 'Mark Williams on the Rails' |
| Sat Mar 20 | 1430-1530 | Radio 4 'The Saturday Play: Beware of the Trains' |
| Sat Mar 20 | 1830-1900 | Discovery 'Mark Williams on the Rails' |
| Sat Mar 20 | 1915-2015 | C4 'Battle Stations' F-15 Eagle |
| Sun Mar 21 | 1325-1405 | BBC1 South 'Greatest Southerners - Brunel' |
| Sun Mar 21 | 1325-1405 | BBC1 West Midlands 'Local Heroes - R.J. Mitchell' |
| Sun Mar 21 | 1325-1405 | BBC1 West 'The Man Who Shrunk the World' Sir Frank Whittle |
| Sun Mar 21 | 1900-2000 | Discovery 'Time Team' Ironbridge Gorge |
| Sun Mar 21 | 2000-2030 | Discovery 'Mark Williams on the Rails' |
| Mon Mar 22 | 1300-1330 | Discovery 'Mark Williams on the Rails' |
| Mon Mar 22 | 1905-1955 | BBC4 'Great Railway Journeys' Calcutta to Rajasthan (Ian Hislop) |
| Mon Mar 22 | 1930-2000 | Five 'Demolition Squad' Blyth Power Station bites the dust |
| Mon Mar 22 | 2000-2100 | C4 'Salvage Squad' Restoring a 1960s hovercraft |
| Mon Mar 22 | 2000-2100 | Five 'Crashes that Changed Flying' Making flying safer |
| Mon Mar 22 | 2100-2200 | C4 'Time Team Special: Steel City' Sheffield's industrial past |
| Wed Mar 24 | 1100-1130 | Radio 4 'Mapping the Town' Gloucester |
| Wed Mar 24 | 1930-2000 | Five 'Weapons of World War II' Rockets |
| Wed Mar 24 | 2000-2030 | Discovery 'Mark Williams on the Rails' |
| Wed Mar 24 | 2100-2200 | Five 'The Curse of the Titanic Sisters: Revealed' |
| Thu Mar 25 | 0530-0600 | Discovery 'Mark Williams on the Rails' |
| Thu Mar 25 | 1930-2000 | ITV1 Meridian 'Country Ways' The Basingstoke Canal |
| Thu Mar 25 | 1930-2000 | ITV1 West 'Brunel - the Little Giant' |
| Thu Mar 25 | 1930-2000 | ITV1 West Country 'Brunel - the Little Giant' |
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 Mar 20 | 0830 |
Solent Railwayana Auction
The Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham, Hants Viewing from 0830; Auction usually starts around 1045 http://www.solentrailwayana.com/ |
| Sat Mar 20 | 1000-1700 |
Wealden Railway Group Personal Layout Show
Arundel 1st Scout Hall, Off Canada Road, Arundel 1000-1700 |
| Sat Mar 20 | 1000-1700 |
North Downs Model Railway Circle Exhibition
St Peter's Church Hall, Chipstead Way, Woodmansterne, Surrey 1000-1700 |
| Sat Mar 20 - Sun Mar 21 | 0930-1800(Sat) 0930-1700(Sun) |
East Midlands Model Railway Exhibition
Harvey Hadden Sports Centre, Bilborough, Nottingham 0930-1800 (Sat), 0930-1700 (Sun) |
| Sun Mar 21 | 1000-1630 |
Talyllyn Railway Pres Soc Model Railway Exhibition
Ferneham Hall, Fareham, Hants Meet Christopher Awdry! 1000-1630 |
| Sun Mar 21 | ? | Mid-Hants Railway Watercress Line: Mother's Day http://www.watercressline.co.uk |
| Sun Mar 21 | ? |
Dean Forest Railway: Mother's Day Dining
Royal Forester Dining Train http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk/ |
| Thu Mar 25 | 1930 |
Rob Foxon's 'Railways Remembered' Archive Film Show
Rolls Royce Pavillion, Derby LNER East Coast Main Line Show starts at 1930 Further information: http://www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk |
| Thu Mar 25 - Sun Mar 28 | ? |
West Somerset Railway: Spring Steam Gala
Locomotives expected: LMS Black 5 4-6-0 no 45407 BR Class 4 2-6-0 no 76079 GER J15 0-6-0 no 65462 SR West Country 4-6-2 no 34027 'Taw Valley'/'Exmoor' GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T no 5552 GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T no 5542 BR(W) Manor 4-6-0 no 7820 'Dinmore Manor' BR Class 4 2-6-4T no 80136 GWR 64xx Class 0-6-0PT no 6412 GWR no 5553 http://www.wsr.org.uk |
| Fri Mar 26 - Sun Mar 28 | ? | Great Central Railway: 1960s Steam and Diesel Gala http://www.gcrailway.co.uk |
| Sat Mar 27 | ? |
North Staffordshire Railway Study Group
George Hinchcliffe - 'Miscellany of Railway Anecdotes' Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke http://www.nsrsg.org.uk/ |
| Sat Mar 27 - Sun Mar 28 | ? | Swanage Railway: Members' Weekend http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk |
| Sat Mar 27 - Sun Mar 28 | 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
The London Festival of Railway Modelling
Alexandra Palace, London 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) HPMRS member Rod Blakeman will be attending with 'Southdown' http://www.brmodelling.com |
| Sat Mar 27 - Sun Mar 28 | ? | Kent and East Sussex Railway: 30th Anniversary Celebrations http://www.kesr.org.uk |
| Sun Mar 28 | 1030-1530 |
Toy and Train Collectors Fair
Queen Elizabeth's School, Blandford Road, Wimborne 1030-1530 http://www.wimbornetoyfair.co.uk |
| Sun Mar 28 | ? |
Main Line Steam - Cathedrals Express
Gloucester and return mailto:info@steamdreams.co.uk http://www.steamdreams.co.uk |
| Tue Mar 30 | 1930 |
West Somerset Railway Association Bristol Branch
BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton; 1930 for 1945 start Member's Evening wsrabristol@aol.com |
| Wed Mar 31 | 1930 |
Rob Foxon's 'Railways Remembered' Archive Film Show
Corn Market Hall, Kettering LNER East Coast Main Line Show starts at 1930 Further information: http://www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk |
| Sat Apr 03 | 1000-1630 |
Wessex Narrow-Gauge Modelers Exhibition
Sparsholt College 1000-1630 |
| Sat Apr 03 | 1000-1600 |
Berkshire Area Group of the N Gauge Society Exhibition
Baptists Church Hall, Bearwood Road, Sindlesham, Berkshire 1000-1600 |
| Sat Apr 03 | 1000-1700 |
West Bromwich Rail Model Railway Exhibition
St James Church Hall, Hill Top, West Bromwich 1000-1700 |
| Sat Apr 03 - Sun Apr 04 | 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Epsom & Ewell Model Railway Club - The Epsom Show
North East Surrey College of Technology, Reigate Road, Ewell Includes Bath Green Park 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) http://www.trainweb.org/eemrc/exhib.htm |
| Sat Apr 03 - Sun Apr 04 | ? | Kent and East Sussex Railway: 30th Anniversary Celebrations http://www.kesr.org.uk |
| Sat Apr 03 - Sun Apr 04 | ? | Churnet Valley Railway: Steam Gala http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk |
| Sat Apr 03 - Sun Apr 04 | ? |
ScaleFour North
Wakefield College, Thornes Park, Wakefield http://www.scalefour.org |
| Sun Apr 04 | 1000-1600 |
Romsey Signal Box Open Day
1000-1600; Admission free (donations welcome!)
Romsey Infants School, Plaza Parade, Winchester Rd, Romsey Car park in school grounds http://www.romseysignalbox.org.uk http://www.topica.com/lists/romseybox |
| Sun Apr 04 | ? |
London Bus Preservation Trust Open Day
Wisley Airfield Free travel on a huge variety of old and brand new buses http://www.kevinmcgowan.org/events.html |
| Cheers, Howard. editor@raildate.co.uk | ||