HPMRS RAILDATE 10 Aug 07

News

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

As hinted last time, a cut-down edition this week - no time for anything else, I'm afraid! Normal service should be resumed next week...

NETWATCH

Can you spot when and where these railtours took place? http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/trf/whatwhen.htm

Underground trains being tested in deepest Derbyshire: http://tinyurl.com/yqm5e2

Russell Saxton has started a fotopic site for "progressive" (or as he puts it, "arty farty") photography: http://russell-saxton.fotopic.net/

An LSWR email group: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/LSWRR

Richard Buckby sends details of a Virgin Media gallery of famous trains and locos commemorating the opening of the Surrey Iron Railway in 1803: http://www.virginmedia.com/digital/galleries/trains.php

Steve McNally advises that the last use for the Eurostar north of London sets has been testing, and now driver training on the soon to be opened HS1 from St Pancras. They will then follow the rest of the sub class to France where they are operating out of Paris Nord to Lille and other cities in Nord Pas de Calais. Also 73118 is in use at Temple Mills as the depot shunter for a few months until it makes the short journey to the North Woolwich site. Steve took a couple of shots of 73118 in its temporary home at Temple Mills: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/p43923285.html (plus thenext one). Also a few more Eurostar shots at St Pancras and Temple Mills starting with: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/p43922842.html and north of London set 3313/4 in and around the depot: http://steve-mcnally.fotopic.net/p43922843.html

For information on fonts used on road signs: http://www.cbrd.co.uk/roadsfaq/#36

IN THE NEWS

Network Rail fined for Portsmouth Resignalling over-run: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6921986.stm

SVR flood updates: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6936484.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6929853.stm

Level crossing near misses on Cambrian Coast Line: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/6927540.stm

LUL strike ballot: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6924757.stm

DLR longer trains: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6924214.stm

Feature on Indian Railway modernisation: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6287152.stm

Strike threat on German Railways: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6934605.stm

Leaking Llangollen canal: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6924074.stm

MSC Napoli - report on disposal of the ship: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6935009.stm

Stanstead Ryanair flight reductions: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6923530.stm

Points failure may be the cause of a derailment on the Isle of Man Railway that happened on 4th August 2007 when the 1615 train from Douglas to Port Erin derailed at Castletown station as the train passed over the facing points of the passing loop. The loco, Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T IOM No 13 "Kissack" was derailed on all wheels, and the leading coach was also derailed at the leading bogie. No-one was hurt and passengers derained and continued their journey by bus. It took until 0200 hours on 5th August to rerail the loco, which proceeded to Port Erin for repairs. Normal train services resumed later on the Sunday and normal services ran from Monday morning, 6th August.

Bath Chronicle 4th August: "Rail operator First Great Western has apologised to the people of Freshford after a tribute garden at the village railway station was destroyed. Contractors were employed by the firm to lop trees at the site but, despite being shown by a parish councillor which areas to cut, they strimmed the entire garden. Community group Friends of Freshford chairman Richard Blarney said his first thought was that vandals had attacked the garden. He later labelled the incident "organised desecration" after discovering FGW contractors were responsible. The gardens were cared for by three sisters in the village for almost 30 years. From the early 1970s to the mid-1990s Jill, June and Dinah Vaisey brought plants from their own gardens to the station but age and ill health forced the sisters' contribution to end. Last month the Friends of Freshford, the Freshford Parish Council and the Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership officially reopened the gardens after pledging £4,000 of funding. June Vaisey was present at the ceremony and unveiled a plaque dedicating the garden to the memory of the work she and her sisters gave to the station. She said: "I was appalled when I found out. I feel very sorry for everyone involved. I suspect the men were just told to take the trees down. It is very distressing to see. I feel very sorry for the parish council and the Friends of Freshford. It seems like the garden is back to square one." A spokesman for First Great Western said the company was very sorry about what had happened and the destruction of the garden was unintentional. He said: "It was a mistake and we will be ensuring that the damage will be put right. We are extremely sorry for any distress that this incident will cause local people. It is a shame because the Freshford garden is an attractive part of the station environment." (All that is left there now is the brass plaque saying that the garden was open on 26 July 2007 - not much of a life-span!)

Spotters: Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Chris Osment.

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