HPMRS RAILDATE 18 Dec 09

News

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

This will be the last RAILDATE of 2009. Very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, and thank you for watching! The next issue will be on 8th January 2010.

As usual, this Christmas issue includes your bumper TV guide, and this year, the BBC is treating us to a season of Great Railway Journeys!

NETWATCH

Two websites on the Witney and East Gloucestershire line (aka the Fairford branch): http://www.martin.loader.btinternet.co.uk/Fairford_Branch.htm http://www.d.m.howse.btinternet.co.uk/homepage.html

Newcastle's Victoria Tunnel: http://www.newcastlecommunityheritage.org/content.php?level3_id=15&level2_id=5 http://www.victoriatunnel.info/Links.html

Old pictures of Reigate: http://www.oldreigate.com/

David Moore's Advent calendar - a new photo every day: http://david-moore.fotopic.net/c1787189.html

And David's Warley and Wigan pictures: http://david-moore.fotopic.net/c1792183.html

Oodles of railway history here: http://disusedtube.ning.com/

New-look websites for Chesterfield 123 Preservation Group: http://chesterfield123.freehostia.com

And also for Transpire (Chesterfield Bus Society): http://www.transpirebus.org.uk

(Spotter: Nick Wheat)

Eddie Hall has started a new community website for the scale model enthusiast. As an enthusiast himself, he is keen to network with like- minded people, and to build a community to bring lots of people together to create public profiles, share photos, announce exhibitions, have discussions on forums, possibly do a bit of business networking and to just generally communicate. http://www.scalemodeller.com/

Useful labels and decals for model railways: http://www.precisionlabels.com/

Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup

London Underground Because upgrading the Jubilee Line has fallen behind schedule, it is to be closed at weekends until Easter 2010 when it will be closed for four days.

Clapham Junction In order to relieve congestion in the station subway, it is planned to reopen the Brighton Yard entrance on St John's Hill. Wandsworth Council is to contribute £300,000 towards the £1.5M cost, and work could start in 2010 once passenger lifts have been installed.

Bucks Work on the western section of the east-west railway project, that would link Oxford and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes, has been delayed by three years.

Skegness Efforts to move the former SMs house brick-by-brick to Skegness Water Leisure Park (home of the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway) have foundered because local authorities have declined to give grants. Network Rail wants to clear the site to build a new station entrance.

The Weardale Railway In November, finishing touches were being made to connect it to the national network at Bishop Auckland making a total run of 18.7 miles to Eastgate. The first through passenger excursion from London is booked for 19th February 2010. The site of the former Blue Circle cement works at Eastgate is being converted into business units with a new temporary passenger halt to be built ahead of a more permanent structure.

Furness Line Action Group FLAG, is the Rail User Group representing the interests of users of the Furness and West Cumbria Lines between Preston and Workington. The group campaigns to protect, promote and improve rail services over the route. FLAG was formed in 1985, has a membership of around 230, including 18 corporate members and produces a three-times yearly newsletter. For further details, email furnessline.actiongroup (at) btopenworld.com

Wiltshire On 28th October, Transport Minister Chris Mole revealed that, if certain conditions were met, funds previously allocated to the Westbury bypass, could be relocated to the Swindon-Kemble redoubling.

Airdrie-Bathgate Reopening Test trains are due to run on the reopened and electrified Airdrie- Bathgate line in August 2010 with passenger services planned for December that year. Track laying is due to start in January whilst work has started on the new stations at Bathgate and Drumgelloch and on the platforms at Armadale and Caldercruix.

France-Spain In a few years time trains between Paris and Madrid will be completing the journey in under six hours. 2012 is possible if RENFE complete the HS link between Barcelona and Figuera although north of the border, SNCF have yet to start work on the Perpignan-Montpellier section.

Italy Italian Railways adopt new schedules on 14th December 2009 with the 360 miles between Milan and Rome further accelerated to under three hours.

China With China seemingly starting to build or opening a new high speed line every month, it is unusual that one with a maximum speed of 75mph opened on Sunday 6th December 2009. Located in west China, it is called the Second Urumqi-Jinghe Line, and runs 237 miles linking Urumqi the capital of the Xinjiang Region and Jinghe county. Jinghe is also linked to Horgos, Alataw Pass and ports on the China-Kazakhstan border by two other railways. One starts from Jinghe and ends at Horgos. The other runs from Urumqi through Jinghe to Alataw Pass: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/07/content_12601538.htm

And finally... British Pathe Corner...

Sir Nigel Gresley on a rolling rail test bed: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=51259

IN THE NEWS

Alnmouth to Alnwick railway line planning application submitted: http://tinyurl.com/yaxovu2

HS1 domestic services started on 13 December: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8410452.stm

Queen lets the train take the strain on way to Sandringham http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/17/queen-train-travel-sandringham

RAIB report into North Rode accident: http://tinyurl.com/ycacq8d

Improved EMT timetable from 13 December: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/8409663.stm

East Anglia train services get back on track: http://cli.gs/SpB7e

Rail firm 'working hard' on Newport footbridge work: http://cli.gs/7tuqy

Somerset county council urged to buy railway land: http://cli.gs/BYE0b

Gravesend commuters experience first day of high-speed rail travel: http://cli.gs/Bm4Xv

Cable thefts in East Anglia: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/8409487.stm http://cli.gs/eLEH8

Windsor Link Railway: http://windsorlink.co.uk/default.aspx

Changes to Circle Line: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8410454.stm

Works in progress at tractor crash crossing: http://cli.gs/0S54v

Gourock land deal welcomed: http://cli.gs/A9681

Harry Potter station set for face-lift: http://tinyurl.com/yd6s9fa

The Orient Express reaches the buffers: http://tinyurl.com/ydapf7b

Isle of Man "Ultimate Driving Experience": http://www.gov.im/lib/news/tourism/discovertheultim.xml

Deutsche Bahn gets green light for Eurotunnel use: http://tinyurl.com/ybwsetv

Belgrade-Sarajevo railway reopens after 17 years: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8410465.stm

Sad decline of the Tanzanian railway system: http://www.thisday.co.tz/?l=10456

Revival of Philippines railway system to spur development of Panay: http://tinyurl.com/y9hecr2

The future of railways in Mongolia: http://djargal.blogspot.com/2009/12/eighty-five.html

Edinburgh Hospital tram route may be revived: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8407657.stm

Passengers hurt as bus overturns: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8415726.stm http://tinyurl.com/ylr8kgl

Door to Door bus service in mid Wales: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/8406558.stm

Chip oil powered bus in Bristol: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8414280.stm

Milestone for Portland Coastguard helicopter: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8409828.stm

A400M maiden flight: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8407805.stm

EasyJet to fly from Doncaster: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/8406039.stm

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

TV and Radio

Events

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

Santa Specials