HPMRS RAILDATE 13 Oct 06

News

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

NETWATCH

34007 "Wadebridge" made a return to steam on 2nd October, and there are pictures of the momentous occasion taken at Boscarne Junction plus some more taken three days later at Bodmin Road. Click on the "News" link

http://www.wadebridge34007.co.uk

After last week's mention of Peter Burgess's webpages on the Carlisle & Silloth Bay Railway:

http://www.cumbria-railways.co.uk/carlisle_silloth_bay_railway.html

Brian Hall has pointed me to Brian Irwin's very interesting site. Amongst lots of interesting items and photographs, he also has a section on the Silloth Line:

http://www.deborahirwin.plus.com

Piers Connor's "Railway Technical" website:

http://www.railway-technical.com/

A BR crew-training video - Brighton to Hove and return

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhHj7C4l3mk

Photographic updates...

Paul Biggs' pictures of the Nene Valley Railway Diesel Gala on 6th/7th October: http://paulbiggs.fotopic.net/c1104984.html

Some pictures of the GCR Steam (and diesel!) Gala on 8th October: http://railshots.fotopic.net/

Chris Dadson visited Woody Bay on 8th October:

Ten images of Hunslet 0-4-0 locomotive No.409 "Velinheli" in steam on the last day of the engine's visit to the railway: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/c938486_21.html

Four images of the pair of steam road vehicles used at the L&B Steam Gala the previous weekend: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/c603089_62.html

Ralph Rawlinson's Global round-up...

France: L'Est Europeen This latest 186mph high speed line is due to open on 10th June 2007 and will complete the network for the TGV around France. New stations are being built at Champagne-Ardenne just to the south of Rheims and at Lorraine TGV between Nancy and Metz. The current journey time of over 4 hrs between Paris and Strasbourg will be cut to just 2 hrs 19 mins. The journey from Paris to Nancy will have a journey time of 90 mins saving almost 70 mins on the current time. Some journeys will be extended to Basel and Zurich using conventional track from Strasbourg. From June 2007 there will be one train each way from Paris to Frankfurt in a journey time of about four hours. The frequency of trains between Paris and Frankfurt will increase with the December 2007 timetable change. From Lille Europe there will be several direct services to various destinations on the new high speed line. It is estimated that, even with a waiting time at Lille, a London to Strasbourg journey should take less than six hours.

France: Paris Area On Sunday 14th October there will be an open day at Villeneuve-triage maintenance depot, SE of Paris, to celebrate 25 years of TGV operation. Free TGV shuttles will depart from Gare de Lyon hourly from 0900 to 1800. The depot can also be reached on RER Line D. 'Spectacular' demonstrations, including the synchronised lifting of a complete TGV set, will be provided and the 'Iris 320' set will be present.

Poland: Warsaw - Moscow PKP Intercity and Russian Railways have reached agreement to reopen the passenger route between these two cities from May 2007. There will be a daily service with a travel time of 18 hours. The loss-making passenger service was closed in December 2005 due to a declining market, which had reduced by some 50% in four years. The service was originally launched in June 1973 with a journey time of 21 hours.

China China's first electrified railway was opened for both passenger and freight traffic on 18th September. The line between Jiangxi and Zhejiang is the main trunk route in the southern part of the Yangtze River region and the line has a total length of some 585 miles. It connects with three other major routes: Beijing to Guangzhou, Beijing to Kowloon and Beijing to Shanghai. With a maximum speed of 125mph journey times have been cut by almost a half.

Thanks to Nick Wheat for spotting this rather unorthodox way of moving a retired RAF Lightning. I'm surprised they didn't just fire her up and let her taxi...

http://gyle-lightning.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_gyle-lightning_archive.html

IN THE NEWS

Rolling stock hitch for Grand Central: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6032759.stm

Future of GNER under threat: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6038734.stm Video: http://tinyurl.com/y7vofz

Rail signalling gets £413m boost: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6033747.stm

Line upgrade to disrupt commuters: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6035025.stm

New housing may help fund railway: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6044036.stm

Oakham railway station houses charity: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/5414184.stm Video: http://tinyurl.com/sbybd

"Steam train" leaves tracks clear: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6034843.stm Video: http://tinyurl.com/uztkv

Vintage cars at historic railway: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6031641.stm

Five die in French rail collision: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6040398.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6042856.stm

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