RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society: http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/
Very best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008!
An excellent free downloadable calendar from the Railway Herald: http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/2008Calendar/
The January 2008 edition of West Somerset Express, the unofficial online newsletter of the West Somerset Railway, is available from: http://trainsferriesbuses.co.uk/westsomersetexpress.htm
A superb collection of photographs: http://www.davidheyscollection.com/
And another: http://flickr.com/photos/loose_grip_99/collections/72157603269832299/
And another: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barkingbill/
Three recent items involving former LSWR lines in Devon, spotted by Ralph Rawlinson:
Sidmouth Jn - Sidmouth, closed pass 6.3.1967 Devon County Council is considering converting this route into a cyclepath and walkway.
Barnstaple Jn - Torrington, closed pass 4.10.1965 Because the Bideford site is too restrictive the Bideford & Instow Railway Group is examining the possibility of relocating further south at Torrrington.
Barnstaple - Lynton, closed 29.3.1935 The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, which at present operates over one mile of track between Woody Bay (Martinhoe Cross) and Killington Lane, is preparing a bid for £30m of Euro development cash to fund the reconstruction of eight miles of the route between Lynton to Wistalpound (half a mile beyond Blackmoor).
Ralph also advises that the Railway Ramblers website has been updated over Christmas. In the Photos section, galleries 19 to 23 have been added whilst News 2007 now includes items posted in November and December. http://www.railwayramblers.org.uk/
Rail Accident Investigation Branch reports...
Train/vehicle collision on Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway on 25th March 2007: http://tinyurl.com/3ylm7n
Two derailments at London Waterloo: http://tinyurl.com/2rm53z
(Spotter: Richard Buckby)
Guy Gorton has posted a few photographs of St Pancras, taken before Christmas: http://www.meadwaypark.co.uk/StPancras
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway was recently featured by the local radio station. Three excerpts can be found here: http://www.e-v-r.com/clip.htm
Their appeal for additional volunteers was also featured on the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/7168307.stm
And in local newspapers: http://www.matlockmercury.co.uk/news/Tracklaying-plea-in-Wirksworth-rail.3634406.jp
Chris Ward's Annesley Fireman website: http://www.annesleyfireman.com
Chris's steam railway photographs: http://christopher8062.fotopic.net/
Chris's diesel gallery: http://chriswarddiesels.fotopic.net/
A website devoted to the GNR/LNWR Joint Line around Melton Mowbray: http://www.meltonmowbray.steamrailways.com/index.php
County Gate a Lynton & Barnstaple 009 exhibition model railway - super layout, super website: http://www.009.cd2.com/index.htm
A petition to ask the Prime Minister to reopen the railway from Manchester to Sheffield via the Woodhead Tunnel: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Woodhead/
One of the main threats to a possible reopening is that the National Grid proposes to use the modern tunnel for cabling (there are cables in one of the two Victorian tunnels at the moment). So there is an additional campaign for the Secretary of State for Transport to intervene and protect this strategic route from non-rail use. You can...
E-mail your MP asking them to sign the Early Day Motion (459). Check whether your MP has already signed here: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34592&SESSION=891
Send your MP a letter using this online form: http://www.advocacyonline.net/eactivist/user/userC.jsp?15223&EXAMIN=1
Write to Ruth Kelly asking her to intervene immediately and protect this route for the future.
More information is available from: http://savethewoodheadtunnel.blogspot.com/
Coverage in the national press: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/dec/11/transportintheuk.transportpolicy
A Thomas the Tank theme park: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article563997.ece
Good photographs and captions of the later years on the ferry service out of Portsmouth: http://daverowland.fotopic.net/c1356561.html
And finally...
Richard Buckby spotted this helpful guidance to the travelling public on the Cross Country trains website:
Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 00:01 on 01/01/08 to 05:00 on 03/01/08 between Aberdeen and Aberdeen. Whilst work is taking place, buses will replace trains between Aberdeen and Aberdeen via Aberdeen.
And there I was planning a new year rail tour of Aberdeen...
Train strikes lorry at crossing: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7171049.stm
Record passengers on London Underground: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7161528.stm
SVR reopening date (might be open from late Feb without publicity): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7161102.stm
RMT strike ballot on First Great Western: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7161074.stm
First Great Western sell tickets for Boxing Day when no trains operating: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/england/devon/7161767.stm
Fire closes Birmingham International station Wed 2/1/08: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7167785.stm
Rugby and Liverpool Street engineering works over-run: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7167073.stm
Route reopens after railway chaos: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7169115.stm
Liverpool Street Christmas shut down: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7153570.stm
Early Day Motion about First Great Western by the MP for Stroud: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34687&SESSION=891
Highland sleeper problem: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7159038.stm
New loco for Derwent Valley Railway (Tasmania): http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/15/2119758.htm?section=business
Level crossing accident in Tajikistan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7159715.stm
EMAP changes (Publisher of Steam Railway and Steam World): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7156981.stm
Stagecoach bus stolen in Chichester on Christmas Day: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7160320.stm
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps
| Sun Jan 06 | 1745-1845 | Channel 4 'Time Team' Hidden mineshafts at Codnor Castle, Derbyshire |
| Sun Jan 06 | 1900-2000 | BBC2 'Coast' The Journey Continues 1/2 |
| Mon Jan 07 | 1100-1130 | BBC Radio 4 'Pilot' Story of the ship's pilot |
| Fri Jan 11 | 1930-2000 | Five 'Massive Speed' Looks at the world's fastest machines |
| Fri Jan 11 | 2000-2100 | Five 'Megastructures' The Burj Al-Arab Hotel |
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 and also http://railwayherald.co.uk/railtours/ | ||
| All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is taken for inaccuracies or changes. | ||
| Sat Jan 05 | 1000-1700 |
Marlow, Maidenhead & District MRC Exhibition
Cox Green Community Centre, 51 Highfield Lane, Maindenhead 1000-1700 http://www.mmdmrc.org.uk |
| Sat Jan 05 | 1000-1700 |
Kidderminster Railway Museum Winter Railway Photo Fair
Station Approach, Comberton Hill, Kidderminster Over 500,000 photographs for sale 1000-1700 http://www.krm.org.uk |
| Sat Jan 05 | 1200-1700 |
Welsh Railway Research Circle and Abergavenny & Dist Steam Soc
Exhibition The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Rly 50 years after closure St Michael's Centre, Penypound, Abergavenny 1200-1700 with talk between 1400 and 1600 Related displays in the public library and shopping centre |
| Sat Jan 05 - Sun Jan 06 | 1100-1700(Sat) 1000-1600(Sun) |
The South Wales Model Show
Rhonnda Fach Sports Centre, East St, Tylorstown, Rhonnda 1100-1700 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun) |
| Mon Jan 07 | 1945 |
West Somerset Railway Taunton Group
The Great Western Staff Association Club, Taunton Station Member's slides and photo competition Starts 1945 http://www.wsra.org.uk |
| Fri Jan 11 | 1930 |
Purbeck Railway Circle: The Age of Steam at Home & Abroad
Nick Lera shoes his latest DVDs Catholic Church hall, Rempstone Road, Swanage Starts 1930 |
| Sat Jan 12 | 1400 |
National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield
The Bowes Railway - Anthony Coulls, Curator, Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon Free admission Start at 1400 in the Conference Centre at the Museum Lasts 45 mins to 1 hour http://www.ncm.org.uk/ |
| Sat Jan 12 - Sun Jan 13 | ? | Bognor Model Railway Exhibition |
| Sat Jan 12 - Sun Jan 13 | 1000-1800(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Chiltern Model Railway Association Exhibition
Alban Arena, St Peter's Street, St Albans 1000-1800 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) |
| Sat Jan 19 | ? | Astolat Model Railway Exhibition, Guildford |
| Wed Jan 23 | ? |
BFI Laing Film Collection Evening
NFT Southbank, London http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/rebuilding_britain_the_laing_film_collection |
| Sat Jan 26 - Sun Jan 27 | 1030-1700(Sat) 1000-1700(Sun) |
Southampton Model Railway Society Exhibition
The Eastpoint Centre, Burgoyne Road, Thornhill, Southampton 1030-1700 (Sat), 1000-1700 (Sun) http://smrs.hampshire.org.uk |
| Cheers, Howard. editor at raildate.co.uk (spam-proofed) | ||
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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 2008. | ||
| 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. | ||