HPMRS RAILDATE 23 Nov 07


News

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

BOOK NEWS

A Pictorial Guide to Southern Wagons and Vans by Terry Gough

In the 1960s, Terry Gough realised that the traditional goods wagon was rapidly disappearing from British Railways, so he set out to measure, photograph, draw and eventually model as many wagons as he could find. To augment these early observations, Terry continued to gather information from the many wagons that have been preserved in the intervening years. The result is a comprehensive survey of wagons used on the Southern Region of BR that had survived from the pre- and post-grouping eras.

For each wagon, there are full details, dimensions, livery details, variations and conversions together with excellent photographs of the prototypes and 4mm scale drawings produced especially for the book. Diagram numbers are also included to aid reference to previous published works on SR wagons, and where examples of wagons can still be seen on preserved lines, full location details are given.

This book is not intended to replace the existing standard works on the wagons of the Southern Railway and its constituents, but builds upon them to present a large selection of freight vehicles that could have been seen from the 1900s, through to the BR years, and in many cases to the present day in preservation.

Hardback with jacket: 160 pages with b/w illustrations throughout 297 x 210mm ISBN 978-1-905505-04-3 Price: £25.00 Full details: http://www.kestrelrailwaybooks.co.uk

NETWATCH


Winchester News Extra, 15th November 2007

Plans for Viaduct

A GROUP campaigning to save a historic railway structure has been relaunched in Winchester. The Friends of Hockley Viaduct hopes to make the 2,014-foot bridge more accessible to the public. It is forming months after Winchester City Council agreed to spend £500,000 over the next 12 years - preventing the viaduct from deteriorating.

The Friends of Hockley Viaduct (FoHV) was officially relaunched at Peter Symonds College on Monday (12th November 2007). It is seeking members with an interest in railways and the countryside to help safeguard the historic viaduct and make it more easily accessible for walkers and cyclists.

The viaduct, now next to the M3, was built in 1891 to carry the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway across the Itchen Valley. The Friends along with WARG, the society for Winchester archaeology and local history, will organise work parties to control the vegetation and minimise future damage. Other supporters of FoHV are the City of Winchester Trust and the Winchester Residents' Association.

In launching the FoHV, founder member Chris Webb, said: "It is now time for citizen action to help Winchester City Council with their work. There are those that talk and those that do: we must now do."

Hockley Viaduct is unusual in that, although the visible structure is brick, the columns are made of concrete, and it is probably one of the earliest and largest such structures in Wessex. It played a vital part in the build-up to D-Day in 1944, when more than 16,000 trains crossed the viaduct with valuable stores and equipment.

South Today item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/southtoday/content/articles/2007/11/12/tell_tom_hockley_feature.shtml


Island Publishing railways section: http://www.island-publishing.co.uk/railways.htm


Trevor Stone has posted some shots of Eurostars during their last week on "the juice rail" on YouTube. Included are some shots at Wandsworth Road on the morning of the last day: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lp2k6jL5TR4


Ian Jenkins has compiled a list of sites featuriong class 33s: http://www.biglowe.freeserve.co.uk/Crompton/CromptonFrames.htm http://class33.fotopic.net/ http://33064xehg.fotopic.net/ http://www.martinbray-ukloco.com/locomotivepicturegallery.htm http://www.therailwaycentre.com/ http://tony-watson.fotopic.net/list_collections.php http://stevekempsbritishtransportphotos.fotopic.net/c809927.html http://jdsrailway-photos.fotopic.net/


The RAIB has released its report into a derailment of a freight train at Washwood Heath on 09 June 2006: http://tinyurl.com/2cff3m

Some pictures of the official launch of East Midlands Trains are on Paul Bigland's site: http://paulbigland.fotopic.net/c1406870.html

(Spotter: Richard Buckby)


The 2008 SEmG Calendar, compiled by Peter Richards, has been uploaded to the site: http://www.semg.org.uk/calendar/2008/calendar.html


Ralph Rawlinson points out that Barry Doe's website Directory of Bus and Rail Timetables, Web Sites & Enquiry Officesis a mine of information for bus and rail travel: http://www.barrydoe.plus.com/

Hidden away under Rail Operators in the British Isles is his National Rail Passenger Operators' map. The seventh edition, showing the November and December changes, is now available for downloading. It shows routes operators will use from December 2007, but not what some will eventually use from December 2008. Grand Central is included whilst an eighth edition in a few months will add, for example, Ebbw Vale once the route opens. The direct link is: http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/railmap7.pdf


Obituary for one of the very finest railway modellers, Guy Williams, in the Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2871447.ece


Gert van der Pijl's additions to Trains of Europe include 75 pictures of American trains, stations, metro and railway museums, trains in art, trains on paintings by Monet, new railway music: http://www.trainsofeurope.nl


Starting a two-mile long freight train with over 15,000 tonnes trailing weight on a 1 in 50 uphill gradient: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BZvV3QucW6M (Spotter: Richard Buckby)


An American organisation - the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills: http://www.spoom.org/


IN THE NEWS

Ken Livingstone to bid to take control of all commuter trains: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2903879.ece

Report on St Pancras from BBC East Midlands Today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastmidlandstoday/latest_stories/ (click on the link, bottom left)

Ebbsfleet opens to passengers: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7101240.stm

Eurostar line sell-off confirmed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7104538.stm

Chichester getting public transport hub: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7102621.stm

£18m development plan for Derby station: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/7101947.stm

Disabled fears over station plan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7107484.stm

South Devon Railway regulations for children: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7101226.stm

Increase forecast in Welsh use of railways: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7105264.stm

French trains "hit by sabotage": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7105045.stm

Koreas agree daily train service: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7106825.stm

Heathrow expansion plans announced: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7106524.stm

Hydrogen powered buses for London to be built by Wrights of Ballymena: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7101716.stm

Spotters: Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Nick Wheat


TV and Radio

Discovery's programmes are no longer included, but their daily schedules are here: http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/_listings/ and http://discoverywings.co.uk/_listings/
Sat Nov 24 2000-2100 BBC2 'Coast' Series 3 - Shetland to Orkney
Sun Nov 25 1750-1850 BBC1 'Cranford' Period drama of social change 1/5
Sun Nov 25 2000-2100 BBC2 'Top Gear' 40 years of British Leyland
Sun Nov 25 2100-2200 BBC1 'Cranford' Period drama of social change 2/5
Sun Nov 25 2200-2300 BBC4 'The Secret Life of a Motorway' History in three parts 2/3
Tue Nov 27 1930-2000 Five 'Chris Barrie's Massive Engines' High speed trains
Tue Nov 27 2000-2100 Five 'Titanic's Final Moments: the True Story'
Tue Nov 27 2200-2230 BBC2 'The 800 Million Pound Railway Station' St Pancras 5/6
Wed Nov 28 1900-2000 BBC2 'Top Gear' 40 years of British Leyland
Wed Nov 28 2200-2230 BBC2 'The 800 Million Pound Railway Station' St Pancras 6/6
Thu Nov 29 2000-2100 BBC4 'The Twenties in Colour' The autochrome process 4/4
Fri Nov 30 1930-2000 BBC2 'The Edwardians in Colour' The world of Albert Kahn 3/4

Events

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

For up-to-date information on many of the tours mentioned in RAILDATE (and others) often with timings, see the Steam Tours pages at: http://www.uksteam.info/index.shtml
All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is taken for inaccuracies or changes.
Sat Nov 24 ? Main Line Steam: London-York 'Union of South Africa' http://www.steamdreams.co.uk
Sat Nov 24 - Sun Nov 25 ? Swanage Railway: 1960s Weekend http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Sun Nov 25 1000-1700 New Forest Model Railway Society Open Day 1000-1700 http://www.nfmrs.co.uk
Mon Nov 26 ? 'Railways Remembered' introduced by Rob Foxon
Library Theatre, Tudor Square, Sheffield
Commences 7.30pm £5.50 - profits to Peak Rail Association Sheffield Branch
Thu Nov 29 ? 'Railways Remembered' introduced by Rob Foxon
Palace Theatre, Appletongate, Newark, Notts
Commences 7.30pm
Sat Dec 01 ? Main Line Steam: London-Bath-Bristol http://www.steamdreams.co.uk
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) Warley National Model Railway Exhibition
NEC, Birmingham 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) http://www.warley-mrc.org.uk
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 1000-1630(Sat) 1000-1600(Sun) Darlington Model Railway Exhibition
Longfield School, Longfield Road, Darlington 1000-1630 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun) http://www.darlingtonmrc.co.uk/
Mon Dec 03 1930 RCTS South East Branch
Elwick Club, Church Road, Ashford, Kent
Tramways of the Eastern Bloc
Starts 1930
Mon Dec 03 1945 West Somerset Railway Association: Taunton Area Group
The Great Western Staff Association Club, Taunton station
Christmas Quiz
Starts 1945
Fri Dec 07 ? Main Line Steam: London-Lincoln 'Union of South Africa' http://www.steamdreams.co.uk
Fri Dec 07 - Sat Dec 08 ? West Somerset Railway: Dunster by Candlelight http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/
Sat Dec 08 ? Copythorne Evening Christmas Spectacular
Christmas lights, traction engines, vintage buses
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Wigan Model Railway Exhibition
Robin Park Arena, Wigan
Sun Dec 09 ? Main Line Steam: Kings Cross-Ely 'Union of South Africa' http://www.steamdreams.co.uk

Santa Specials

Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? Mid-Hants Watercress Line: Santa Specials http://www.watercressline.co.uk
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? Swanage Railway: Santa Specials http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? Kent & East Sussex Railway: Santa Specials http://www.kesr.org.uk/
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? Spa Valley Railway: Santa Specials http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? Churnet Valley Railway: Santa Specials http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? Middleton Railway Leeds: Santa Specials http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/
Sat Dec 01 - Sun Dec 02 ? North Yorkshire Moors Railway: Santa Specials http://www.nymr.org.uk/
Sun Dec 02 ? Peak Rail: Santa Specials http://www.peakrail.co.uk/
Wed Dec 05 ? Churnet Valley Railway: Santa Specials http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Mid-Hants Watercress Line: Santa Specials http://www.watercressline.co.uk
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Kent & East Sussex Railway: Santa Specials http://www.kesr.org.uk/
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Spa Valley Railway: Santa Specials http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Swanage Railway: Santa Specials http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Dean Forest Railway: Santa Specials http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk/
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Churnet Valley Railway: Santa Specials http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Peak Rail: Santa Specials http://www.peakrail.co.uk/
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? Middleton Railway Leeds: Santa Specials http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/
Sat Dec 08 - Sun Dec 09 ? North Yorkshire Moors Railway: Santa Specials http://www.nymr.org.uk/
Cheers, Howard. editor at raildate.co.uk (spam-proofed)
Previous issues of RAILDATE are at: http://steam.to/raildate
This page includes a master catalogue of items that have appeared in previous editions of RAILDATE.
(C) Howard Sprenger and Hursley Park Model Railway Society 2007.
The external edition of RAILDATE may be freely distributed without permission as long as no changes whatsoever are made to the original document distributed by the Editor.

© HPMRS 1996,2007. All Rights Reserved