HPMRS RAILDATE 13 Feb 09


News

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

*** There will be no RAILDATE next week. *** Next issue: 27th February.

NETWATCH


An incredibly useful online resource for the historian - copies of the London Gazette, together with its Edinburgh and Belfast "cousins": http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/


Interesting video of Bulleid's "Leader" including some of the inner workings in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZ2NEPragA


On the evening of Wednesday 11th February, at 1811 Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue reported that they were attending Gainsborough Lea Road SB, after it was reported to be on fire. The signalbox was not staffed at the time, having switched out at 1520. The route between Gainsborough Trent Junction and West Holmes Junction, Lincoln, was blocked at 1822. The BT Police were advised. The signalbox was about 130 years old, and of timber construction. By 2047, Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue were damping down and the electricity supply had been disconnected. All points were secured in the normal position by 2050. SOCO staff attended, but at 2200 they reported that the officers were unable to enter the signal box due to the extent of damage to the structure and suspended investigations until daylight. The signalbox remained switched out with signals in the 'Off' position, the block section between Stow Park SB and Gainsborough Trent Junction SB remained failed pending repairs to the communications system. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/7885128.stm

(Spotters: John Hillmer, Neil Kearns)


A handy list of station codes (well, "handy" if you ever want such a thing). I suppose it could also be viewed as a definitive list of all stations currently open: http://gimel.esc.cam.ac.uk/enrich/station_codes.html


Raildater, Barry Knapper has started uploading videos of the Churnet Valley Railway in High Definition - and very good they look too!

"The Churnet Valley Railway at War": http://vimeo.com/3039822

"Banking on Bolton's": http://vimeo.com/3128699


A couple of 10 1/4-inch gauge miniature railways in West Sussex...

The Ingfield Light Railway runs in the grounds of Ingfield Manor School, a special school for children with Cerebral Palsy off the A29 at Five Oaks near Billingshurst. It has an open day on 14th June this year: http://www.ingfieldlightrailway.co.nr/

DVDs showing the 2005 and 2006 open days are available for £10.00 each - the school benefits from the sale of these: http://www.sprucestudios.com

Nearby is the South Downs Light Railway, situated within the Wyevale Garden Centre at Pulborough: http://www.sdlrs.com/

There is a full list of "minor" railways in the UK here: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/pe.scott/index.htm


Bristol deep shelter - former rail tunnel: http://silverstealth.fotopic.net/c1572714.html

Latest edition of Rail Management: http://91.186.0.3/~keepingt/rm/

(Spotter: Richard Buckby)


Graeme Bickerdike has put an interesting set of pictures on the Web of Drewton Tunnel in East Yorkshire - a 2,114 yard "goliath" opened by the Hull & Barnsley Railway in 1885. The section through the tunnel officially closed on 6th April 1959, although regular freight traffic had ended in December 1958. The page will be removed in a week or so to prevent Google from detecting it: http://www.fourbythree.co.uk/drewton/


Great Yorkshire railway journeys: http://www2.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ypvideoplayer/yorkrail.htm (Spotter: Ted Millward)


A short film featuring two of the Beattie Well Tanks at Waterloo on the 2nd December 1962 departing with the RCTS, SLS tour of South London branches has been added to the Model Railways On-Line website: http://www.mrol.com.au/


Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup

(Some information taken from "Rail" 610, 28 Jan 2009.)

Docklands Light Railway - London's labour councillors have called upon Mayor Boris Johnson to reinstate the cancelled DLR extension from Galleon's Reach to Dagenham Dock. £5m has already been spent on the project.

London Euston - Work on improving East London's rivers in time for the 2012 Olympics has led to the recovery of some of the remains of the Euston Arch. Rail magazine is supporting the Euston Arch Trust's plans to rebuild the structure as part of the London terminus's proposed redevelopment. http://www.eustonarch.org

East Sussex - From Easter 2009 it will be possible to travel to by Southern Turbostar to Uxbridge and change at Eridge into a Spa Valley Railway steam train for Tunbridge Wells.

Dorset - Corfe Castle Walk: Rabbits & Railways: http://www.purbeckblog.com/2009/02/06/corfe-castle-walk-rabbits-railways/

Southern Steam videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthernRailwayFilms

Tyneside/Co Durham - item on the Leamside line: http://silicomnet.com/?p=1132

Paisley has two stations - St James and Canal. Renfrewshire Council is giving high-level support to football club supporters proposal to get the name of Paisley St James changed to Paisley St Mirren!

Pakistan - The 3rd February edition of All Things Pakistan contains a feature on the Railway Bridge over the Indus at Attock. (It includes a photo by the Britain's Lost Railways Groups' much-travelled member Malcolm Peakman: http://pakistaniat.com/2009/02/03/railway-bridge-on-indus-at-attock/


Pennine Waterways website: http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/


IN THE NEWS

Hitachi led group to build HST & Mark 4 replacement: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7886766.stm

New Super Express trains video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7885522.stm

Report on Bombardier not gaining the contract: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7886286.stm

East London Line phase 2 gets the green light: http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=20938 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/ell_route_map.pdf

More trains on Hull-Scarborough line...? http://tinyurl.com/au66jd

No charges over Grayrigg crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/7879827.stm

Southern Electric Group report on snow disruption: http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/features/snow0209a.html

First train into Donnington freight terminal: http://www.shropshirestar.com/2009/02/10/first-train-rolls-on-to-new-line

WCML full timetable starts next Monday: http://tinyurl.com/dh7vgw

Noise complaints on Alloa line: http://tinyurl.com/b7hq4b

Arriva Trains Wales - pay dispute: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7874930.stm

Specialist police unit for ECML: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/7880599.stm

Getaway train (FGW): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7874676.stm

Stolen road/rail Range Rover - Reg - AXI1400 http://www.lro.com/news.php?sid=242

Angry commuter faces prosecution in first-class compartment row: http://tinyurl.com/akjmdw

Latest on the Gerrards Cross "Tesco tunnel" saga: http://tinyurl.com/aw8qcs

First Great Western over-55 offer: http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=3420

West Highland voted top railway journey: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1067342?UserKey=

RAIB report into derailment of road rail vehicle at Terryhoogan, NI: http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources/090211_R032009_Terryhoogan.pdf

RAIB report on derailment near Glasgow: http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources/090212_R042009_Glasgow.pdf

60163 working to Kings Cross: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7876162.stm

60163 royal train working: http://tinyurl.com/aawkgs

Only the start for Tornado: http://tinyurl.com/dczme5

Flying Scotsman gets new boiler: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/7886848.stm

Lochaber Railway Company abandons Fort William project: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1071706?UserKey=

K&WVR graffiti attackers face jail: http://tinyurl.com/c7h2om

Is "Flying Scotsman" running out of steam...? http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/video/Is-Scotsman-running-out-of.4912522.jp

Russian railway company to help construct the Turkmen rail link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/news/articles/eav020609e.shtml

First sections of high-speed line from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: http://tinyurl.com/bx4q29

40 years of the Boeing 747: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7880808.stm

Arrive Cymru "Love Bus": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7872887.stm

Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Ralph Rawlinson


TV and Radio

Sun Feb 15 2030-2120 BBC2 'Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections' Airbus A380
Sun Feb 15 2100-2200 BBC1 'The Victorians' Documentary series 1/4
Mon Feb 16 1900-1950 BBC2 'Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections' Airbus A380
Mon Feb 16 1930-2000 Five 'How Do They Do It?' Making armoured vehicles
Wed Feb 18 2000-2100 BBC4 'The Secret Life of the Motorway' 1/3
Wed Feb 18 2100-2200 BBC4 'The Joy of Motoring'
Wed Feb 18 2330-2420 BBC4 'From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring' 1/5
Thu Feb 19 2030-2100 BBC4 'Britain's Best Drives' Scarborough to Whitby
Thu Feb 19 2100-2200 BBC4 'Penelope Keith and the Fast Lady' 1905 road journey
Thu Feb 19 2200-2230 BBC2 'What the Victorians Did For Us' Adam Hart-Davis
Thu Feb 19 2200-2230 BBC4 'Michael Smith's Drivetime' How cars affect our lives
Thu Feb 19 2200-2300 Channel 4 'Miracle of the Hudson Plane Crash'
Fri Feb 20 1930-2000 Five 'Rough Guide to Classic Road Trips' Florida and Bavaria

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 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 Feb 14 ? A1 60163 'Tornado' visits Hampshire
Schedule here: http://www.steamdreams.com/content/view/47/50/ http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t09/t0214b.htm
Sat Feb 14 - Sun Feb 15 ? Churnet Valley Railway: Children's Favourite Engine Event http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
Sat Feb 14 - Sun Feb 15 ? Midland Railway Centre: Winter Warmer Trains http://www.midlandrailwaycentre.co.uk
Sat Feb 14 - Sun Feb 22 ? Mid Hants Watercress Line: Ivor the Engine http://www.watercressline.co.uk
Sat Feb 14 - Sun Feb 22 ? Midland Railway Centre: Half Term Trains http://www.midlandrailwaycentre.co.uk
Wed Feb 18 ? Churnet Valley Railway: Children's Favourite Engine Event http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
Sat Feb 21 ? Model Railway and Trade Show
Bolton School Arts & Conference Centre, Chorley New Road,
Bolton, BL1 4PA
Fri Feb 22 ? The Curzon, Shaftesbury Avenue, London
Screening of 'The Moon & The Sledgehammer'
The 65-minute film portrays the Page family who lived a simple but successful self-sustained life in near isolation in their ramshackle woodland home, where Mr Page and his sons
Peter and Jim devote a great part of their time to maintaining and driving their Allchin and Fowler engines to no apparent purpose apart from the sheer enjoyment of it
Tickets: £8
Cinema box office: 0871 7033988 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5DY http://www.curzoncinemas.com/
Tue Feb 24 1930 West Somerset Railway Association Bristol Area Group
BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton
Ian Broom: History of Crofton
Starts 1930
Admission: £2, students and children free
Sat Feb 28 - Sun Mar 01 1000-1730(Sat) Solent Model Railway Group: Model Railway Show & Eurotrack
Fleming Park Leisure Centre, Passfield Avenue Eastleigh 1000-1730 (Sat), 930-1630 (Sun)
HPMRS member Derek Gillkerson will be present with ZWIESBODEN
Free heritage bus service from Southampton Airport Parkway and
Eastleigh railway stations http://fdelaitre.club.fr/Smrg.htm http://www.eurotrack.org/
Thu Feb 28 - Sat Mar 01 ? Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Home Fleet Gala Weekend http://www.e-v-r.com/
Sun Mar 01 1000-1600 Romsey Signal Box Open Day
Admission free (donations welcome!) 1000-1600 ex-Romsey Infants School, Plaza Parade, Winchester Rd, Romsey
Car park in old school grounds http://www.romseysignalbox.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 2009.
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. You can subscribe to the external edition here: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/RAILDATE/

© HPMRS 1996,2009. All Rights Reserved