HPMRS RAILDATE 16 Feb 07

News

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

NETWATCH

John Wills has posted a pdf file of "A Report on Proposed Extensions to Electrification 1944" by Alfred Raworth, the CEE of the Southern Railway. It is available for download here: http://tinyurl.com/2my69w It will only be available for a few days - but beware - it is nearly 7Mb so may be a bit too much if you are on dial up.

Lost railways of Shropshire...

A look back at Oswestry from Cambrian beginnings to closure under BR: http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/history/2003/03/oswestry_railway_01.shtml

A look at Colonel Stephens' line from Shrewsbury Abbey Station to Llanymynech: http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/history/2003/11/potts_line_01.shtml

A look at the ill-fated Bishops Castle Railway: http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/history/2005/03/bishops_castle_railway_01.shtml

A large number of accident reports, and numerous other interesting items are held at: http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/

An excellent series of photos showing the present state of parts of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Ormskirk-Rainford Jn and the LNWR Rainford Jn-St Helens lines: http://bevan997.fotopic.net/c1171615_1.html

Freightliner's Polish web site! http://www.freightliner.pl/

Peter Kellett has put together a small collection of images of trains where road hauliers are using rail to convey their containers and goods: http://gallery58615.fotopic.net/c1208231.html Click the "Index" button at the bottom to see more of Peter's images.

WW2 stories - Hither Green disaster: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/60/a5086460.shtml

The Volks Electric Railway, Brighton: http://www.volkselectricrailway.co.uk

Information on the Tri-ang Minic Miniature Railway system introduced in 1963: http://www.tmnr.co.uk/

There is more on the Tri-ang Model Railways site: http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/

Specifically here: http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/OO%20Latest/MinicRailwayAAA.htm

Odd goings-on in Orkney, summarised by Ron Strutt, via Ralph Rawlinson...

Sanday Light Railway, Orkneys

According to the Orcadian (the local newspaper) the story behind this railway's closure is a little more involved that it first appeared. First of all there was the affair of the banned civil partnership ceremony on Sanday. Apparently this was to have taken place on the Sanday Light Railway, with the local registrar, who just happens to be the owner of the railway, presiding. However, Orkney District Council then decided that registrars on outlying islands do not have the power to carry out civil partnership ceremonies. For those who are interested, you can read the whole, somewhat bizarre, story here: http://tinyurl.com/yrmozc

Then the council came along, and declared that the railway, which is, in effect, an enlarged garden railway on private land, needed a public entertainment licence and suitable public liability insurance. The line's website is no longer operational though there's an archived version of it from April 2006 at http://tinyurl.com/yrkuce.

Nick Wheat has discovered an enormous list of possibly every airfield ever in UK with links to Live Local. The host seems keen on any feedback (I've got him to add a couple of sites :-). Take a look at Brooklands - racetrack banking at the bottom, the disjointed runway (in more ways than one) and the VC10 at the top. Also find the eight Vampire/Venom types outside at Bournemouth, and another one at East Midlands. Then there's the Vulcan at Wellesbourne, and why didn't I know about Burton-on-Trent airfield? (Grass strips just visible.) Even Hursley Park is included! My "Site of the Week" - hours of fun...! http://content-delivery.co.uk/aviation/airfields

IN THE NEWS

Transport targest not being met: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6363477.stm

Investment in Merthyr branch: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6342357.stm

Objections to Wrexham-Marylebone service: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6358899.stm

Nith Valley line between Gretna and Annan to be redoubled: http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=3762 A useful reference is: http://www.railscot.co.uk/_maps/index.htm

More locos delivered for Freightliner: http://www.freightliner.co.uk/news/newsdt.asp?NewsID=44

Freightliner HeavyHaul to operate Boulby Potash trains from April: http://www.freightliner.co.uk/news/newsdt_hh.asp?NewsID=43

Dispute over discounted fares: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6350257.stm

Possible strike on Central Trains: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6364081.stm

Merstham Cutting: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/6362977.stm

Metronet is to take over Old Dalby test track. It will be given 4km of 3rd and 4th rail and be used to test new underground stock being built in Derby by Bombardier, who are part of Metronet consortium. Whether 25kV is staying unknown at present. http://www.old-dalby.com/

Midland Mainline introduced a blanket ban on smoking on station platforms and staff areas from December 31 2006. The stations affected are Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering and Wellingborough. Ralph reports that smoking is also not allowed in the station areas at Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds. Can anyone add to the list? The ban on smoking in public areas (already in force in Scotland) comes into effect in Wales and Northern Ireland at Easter and in England on 1st July.

First group buys Greyhound buses in USA: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6345627.stm

Polish road signs in Shropshire: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/6364241.stm

Tendering arrangements for Cal-Mac ferry services: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6356763.stm

(Spotters: Neil Kearns, Ralph Rawlinson, Reg Nerps)

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