HPMRS RAILDATE 06 Jul 06

News

RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society: http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/

THANKS...

To all contributers - this week and every week - it does make life a lot easier, and I do appreciate it even if I forget to thank individuals for their contributions. I do get stuff that I don't use - either because by the time I send out RAILDATE it's too late, or too well-known already, or too long, or too short, or because for some strange reason known only to myself, it just doesn't fit! Please don't be put off if this is the case!

I usually manage to pick up most news items that appear on the BBC website (I have searches set up for them) but I'm always interested to see news items from other sources. My only plea here is that newspaper URLs are usually unfeasibly long, so I'd appreciate it if they come to me shortened using tinyurl (or similar).

Finally, RAILDATE has slowly grown in size over the years as a result of more people seeing it and sending material in. In theory, there is no size limit - being plain text, it's never going to measured in Mb, but I'm conscious that if it's too big, people might stop looking through it. If ever you feel it's outgrowing itself, do let me know... you are the best judges!

NETWATCH

They may not have been the most popular of trains, most notably with the TOC that operated them, but Friday 30th June was the class 458's last day of operation with South West Trains. A brief tribute to the 458s, including a shot of 8019+8018 running on the last day, appears on the home page of the Southern Electric Group website

http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/

There is a new discussion group for those who are interested in the Stour Valley Railway line:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Stour_Valley_Line/

And a new discussion group for those who are actively involved in the preservation of EMUs and their lines. It has been set up to hopefully encourage dialogue between groups and lines, and to share skills and knowledge at a practical level. Other groups exist for members within a specific group, or by invitation only from the owner/moderator. This one is open for active members from any EMU group or line in which they are based:

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/EMUworkers

John Tilly's signal box site continues to be updated:

http://www.tillyweb.biz/gallery/odyframe.htm

Adam Warr's Electra Railway Graphics website has been updated:

http://www.electrarailwaygraphics.co.uk

An entertaining railway enthusiast's blog, with links to others:

http://jmrail.blogspot.com

It looks look like the end of the line for the Old Dalby test site. Information here (an excellent site once you get past the virtually unreadable home page):

http://www.old-dalby.com

Chris Dadson was at Woody Bay on 2nd July and took photographs of Killington Lane:

http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/c938474_45.html

(The cutting he was standing in to take some of these photos will eventually be the start of the next half-mile extension towards Cricket Field Lane.)

Other photograps taken at Woody Bay can be viewed at:

http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/c938486_18.html

Chris adds: "If anyone has a passion for the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway you may care to join us in rebuilding the line. As a heritage railway, whilst the L&B is still in its infancy, what has been achieved thus far in rebuilding this ex-SR line is superb. The railway is almost 1000 feet above sea level, and being within 2 miles of the coast offers panoramic views across the Bristol Channel during the 1-mile train journey between stations. Even better, everyone is made most welcome at the L&B - there aren't many heritage railways where the footplate crew will actually condescend to talk to 'other' volunteers, let alone make them a cup of tea!!!"

http://www.lyntonrail.net2media.co.uk/

Thanks to Neil Kearns for spotting Wagons on the Web - pretty much everything you'll ever want to know about wagons - mainly current ones:

http://www.garethbayer.co.uk/wotw/

EWS, has announced that four new divisions will be launched in the autumn "to deliver an enhanced level of customer service".

EWS Energy - moving coal and other fuels for the energy sector: http://www.ews-energy.co.uk

EWS Industrial - moving heavy industrial materials, such as metals and petroleum products, for British industry: http://www.ews-industrial.co.uk

EWS Construction - moving products for the construction and waste industries: http://www.ews-construction.co.uk

EWS Network - services for Network Rail, the logistics sector and the rail industry: http://www.ews-network.co.uk

Some photographs by Steve McNally...

A couple of photos of some Bluebell Railway escapees at Brighton on 22nd September 1991: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/p31166457.html http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/p31166456.html

A few other new shots of SR interest on the site including 66158 passing the bottom of his garden: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/p31162302.html

Shots of Worksop open day in 1991 and the North Wales coal day the same year: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/c923306.html

Preserved locos at Worksop and also two Bluebell locos at Brighton: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/c915159_25.html

A fascinating article on the subject of "scale colour":

http://www.aidan-campbell.co.uk/Scale_Colour_Guide.shtml

Ralph Rawlinson describes the new China-Tibet line..

China's Qinghai-Tibet railway became the world's highest railway when it opened on Saturday 1 July 2006. Work on the line began in 1950 but was suspended after the section from Xining (the Qinghai capital) to Golmud (1,225 miles from the line's terminus in Lhasa) was complete. It resumed in 2001 with the government paying 20 billion yuan (£1.35bn) into the project.

Two pairs of express trains appear in the new timetable from Beijing to Lhasa, four between Chengdu (Chongqing) and Lhasa, and two between Xining and Lhasa. Travellers departing Beijing are now able to reach Lhasa some 2,834 miles away in two days. The new timetable sees a train departing from Beijing's West Railway Station at 2130, which will arrive in Lhasa, Tibet at 2058 on the third day, the trip taking 47 hours and 28 minutes. Trains will pass through six cities, including Shijiazhuang, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud and Nagqu township.

The 2,087 mile trip from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Lhasa takes 48 hours and 10 minutes. This train will pass Guangyuan, Baoji, then link to Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud and Nagqu township before it reaches Lhasa. The 2,270 mile trip from Chongqing to Lhasa will have eight stops, arriving in Lhasa 47 hours 8 minutes after departure. The journey from Lanzhou to Lhasa will take only 29 hours and 45 minutes to travel the 1,359 miles. The journey from Xining to Lhasa, will be 26 hours and 23 minutes.

The world's highest railway, extends 1,215 miles from Xining to Lhasa. Some 596 miles of its tracks are 4,000 plus metres (13123 ft) above sea level and the highest point is 16,640 ft, at least 650ft higher than the Peruvian railway in the Andes, which was formerly the world's highest altitude line.

With a third Tibetan airport also due to open in July, regional authorities say that by 2010 the number of tourist arrivals will be around five million and tourist funding in the region will rise to 5.8 billion yuan a year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5140514.stm Video: http://tinyurl.com/pnsfe

An interesting article on lines in Colorado:

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_4000351

IN THE NEWS

Additional spotters: Andy Sollis, Neil Kearns...

Lad takes train for joyride: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/5151370.stm

Residents win train horn battle: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/5149216.stm

Views sought on rail improvements: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5140506.stm

Threat to Cornish china clay industry: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/5149232.stm

Hatfield crash fine cut: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5149732.stm

Brunel celebration train: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/5151608.stm

Manchester Metrolink expansion approved: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5152948.stm

Valencia train crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5141542.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5147022.stm

Europe's history of rail disasters: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1245262.stm

Bamboo trains! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5110236.stm

TV and Radio

Events

See Mainline Steam Tours page for up-to-date info on many of these tours, and others, often with timings.