HPMRS RAILDATE 12 Oct 07

News

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

NETWATCH

I said last week that there couldn't be many viaducts with their own website, and was then made aware of two others with a web presence.

First, and local to us, Hockley Viaduct on the old DN&S at Winchester: http://www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/history/html/viaduct.html.

And a video of Bennerley Viaduct is on Paul Whydall's excellent Railway Walks website: http://www.railwaywalks.co.uk

Brian Carter came across a couple of resources for modellers.

This online magazine caters for 4mm scale modellers: http://www.trainsonlinemagazine.co.uk/

And this site is aimed at railway modellers in general: http://www.simplytrains.com/

And there's another... Similar in concept to Wikipedia, ModelWikiRail is aimed purely at railway modellers and just like Wikipedia you can add to, and edit, it yourself. At the moment it seems to be very much underused, possibly because it's relatively new and word about it hasn't got round much yet. http://modelwikirail.pbwiki.com/

However - a warning - because this site is written "by the people", there is some suspect information - in the Signals sections there is a reference to a "distance" signal, for example. (Now corrected.)

The Railway Herald is looking to rail enthusiasts around the country to help document, in-depth, the profile and operational aspects of the UK's National Rail network in 2007. The aim is for the results, which will be published in a downloadable special edition of Railway Herald and in an extended, professionally printed magazine, to become a highly detailed accurate reference source for future years. The date for the 'Census' week is 21st-27th October 2007 and sightings, information and photographs on everything from day-to-day DMU workings to test trains and one-off freight movements are needed. http://railwayherald.co.uk/2007RailwayCensus

The Federation of Britsh Historical Vehicle Clubs (FBNVC) has started a campaign to help save, preserve and display the technological and innovative treasures that belong to the nation, and that are held in the collection at the Science Museum. The Science Museum has around quarter of a million exhibits showing the history of man's ingenuity. This includes a substantial collection related to transport. Presently, the museum has space to display only a small fraction of these items with the remainder in storage in less than ideal conditions in dilapidated WW2 hangars on a 500 acre site at Wroughton, near Swindon.

It plans to reconstruct two of these giant hangars and link them with a state-of-the-art atrium to provide acres of exhibition space that will enable it to display the whole collection. The emphasis is very much on using the ingenuity of the past to inspire the developments of the future - and that gives the project its name - Inspired. It is all about stirring the imagination of the young and encouraging the scientists, technologists and engineers of the future.

Lottery money is being sought to fund the project, and a £50 million lottery jackpot will be decided by a public vote following a series of TV programmes that will go out in December. (Thus turning our heritage into even more of a lottery... Ed)

The Science Museum Inspired project is one of six projects vying for this 'winner take all' funding. The other projects are all worthy causes, but arguably none is so urgent or so important for our future: as someone commented "cycle paths and tree-top walkways can be built tomorrow, endangered artefacts can't wait".

For more information, and to see a video illustrating the scale of the project, go to: http://www.fbhvc.co.uk

You can help secure this essential funding in any, or all, of four ways:

1. Commit to vote at the appropriate time - good intentions are no help, it needs you to be certain to act. You can register your intention to vote NOW on the website noted above and you will then receive a reminder nearer the time.

2. Tell your friends, spread the word.

3. If you are able to get some information into a club publication, on a website, or distributed through any other kind of network please do - the staff at the Science Museum will be delighted to help with leaflets, text and links to put on websites etc.

4. If you chat on any web forums, get a thread started.

And if you can think of anything else, please let the Science Museum know!

Above all, recognise that unless all of us with an interest in science and engineering take the trouble to vote, £50 million of lottery money may go to fund a tourist attraction leaving national treasures (which, having been received by a national collection, cannot be sold) to moulder and decay.

A list of online signalling documents. In addition to Google Books, the Open Library has made a number of texts available online at: http://www.openlibrary.org.

A search of the Internet Archive for railway signalling gives these titles that are available for viewing directly or for download:

1. Railway Signalling by Everett Edgar King http://www.archive.org/details/railwaysignaling00kingrich

2. Railway Signalling in Theory and Practice by James Brandt Latimer http://www.archive.org/details/railwaysignaling00latirich

3. Railway Signalling; A Comprehensive Treatise on Modern Methods of Railway Signaling, Covering Principles of Operation and Types of Apparatus http://www.archive.org/details/railwaysignaling00pittrich

4. Power Railway Signalling by H Raynar Wilson http://www.archive.org/details/powerrailwaysign00wilsrich

5. American Telegraphy and Encyclopedia of the Telegraph: systems, apparatus, operation. Embracing electrical testing; primary and storage batteries; dynamo machines; Morse, duplex, quadruplex, multiplex, submarine, automatic, and wireless telegraphy; burglar-alarm, fire-alarm, and police-alarm telegraphy; printing telegraphy; military and naval signalling; railway block systems; telegraph wire, cables, and conduits; etc by William Maver, Jr http://www.archive.org/details/americantelegrap00maverich

6. The Invention of the Track Circuit: the history of Dr William Robinson's invention of the track circuit, the fundamental unit which made possible our present automatic block signaling and interlocking systems http://www.archive.org/details/inventionoftrack00newyrich

7. Railway Block Signalling: the principles of train signalling and apparatus for ensuring safety by James Pigg http://www.archive.org/details/railwayblocksign00piggrich

8. The Railway Signal Dictionary: an illustrated vocabulary of terms which designate American railway signals, their parts, attachments and details of construction, with descriptions of methods of operation and some illustrations of British signals and practice by the Railway Signal Association http://www.archive.org/details/railwaysignaldic00railrich

9. The First Principles of Railway Signalling Including an Account of the Legislation in the United Kingdom Affecting the Working of Railways and the Provision of Signalling and Safety Appliances CB Byles http://www.archive.org/details/firstprincipleso00bylerich

10. Railway-signalling - Automatic: an introductory treatment of the purposes, equipment, and methods of automatic signalling and track- circuits for steam and electric railways, for railwaymen, students, and others by Francis Raynar Wilson http://www.archive.org/details/railwaysignallin00wilsrich

11. Electric Interlocking Handbook by the General Railway Signal Company http://www.archive.org/details/electricinterloc00generich

An Exhibition entitled "Coals to Calder Grove" opens at the National Coal Mining Museum for England on 15th October and lasting until 13th January 2008. It looks back at the story of the Caphouse Mineral Railway. Museum opening times are: Thursday: 10.00am-12.30pm and 1.00pm-4.00pm Friday: 10.00am-12.30pm and 1.00pm-4.00pm Plus the first full weekend of each month (times as Thursday & Friday)

There is an accompanying lecture programme. All lectures are free and start at 2.00pm in the Conference Centre at the Museum and will last 45 mins to 1 hour. Full details will appear in the Dates section as they come up, but this is what's planned:

27th October 2007 Replicating Early Colliery Locomotives - Jim Rees

17th November 2007 Middleton Colliery Railway - Ian Smith

15th December 2007 The Caphouse Mineral Railway - John Goodchild

12th January 2008 The Bowes Railway - Anthony Coulls, Curator

National Coal Mining Museum for England, Caphouse Colliery, Overton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 4RH http://www.ncm.org.uk/

IN THE NEWS

Cross rail approved: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/default.stm

Shepherds Bush station - platform too narrow: http://tinyurl.com/3642gz

More passengers using Norwich-Cambridge rail link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7033914.stm

Volunteers revamp Market Rasen station: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/7033719.stm

Smoking to be allowed on station platform at Fishguard Harbour: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7032642.stm

Railway line and A12 blocked due to van fire: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7029656.stm

EWS response to Crossrail: http://tinyurl.com/2hkc4q

Level crossing collision in Cuba: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7032195.stm

Montgomery Canal developments: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7034810.stm

Spotter: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps

TV and Radio

Events

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