RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society:
http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/
NETWATCH
============
The A4 Locomotive Society has given up its model sales, and the remaining
stock is being sold off. Full details on the sales page of their website:
http://www.sirnigelgresley.co.uk
The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society:
http://www.mandgn.co.uk/
The New Somerset & Dorset Railway:
http://somersetanddorset.blogspot.com/
Old photographs of Greenock Princes Pier:
http://www.greenock-town.co.uk/princes_pier.html
Darlington Railway Preservation Society:
http://drps.synthasite.com/
The Monsal Trail Tunnel Walks will take place this year on 1st May and
18th September. Walks commence at Bakewell and finish at the site of
Blackwell Mill Halt in Chee Dale. Return is by coach to Bakewell. For
further details, send an SAE to the organiser: Stuart Smith, 5 Sedgebrook
Close, Oakwood, Derby, DE21 2DX.
Peak Rail closes down its Google discussion group:
http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/02/peak-rail-dissent-will-not-be-tolerated.html
There is an alternative independent group for Peak Rail followers:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/peakrail-enthusiasts/?yguid=173836278
============
Videos...
A group of nine and ten year olds from Cantref Primary School in
Abergavenny has created a short animated film based on the experiences of
19th Century child miners called "Mary and the Miners". The BBC has
shortlisted it for a prestigious film award:
http://tinyurl.com/yey5l34
A 1960s tour of Broad St Station then a trip along the North London route:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9uueNlRguA
Historic Hampshire film archive:
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/player/historic.htm
London's Screen Archive:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LondonsScreenArchive
============
Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup
London Crossrail
At surface level the new metal and glass station at Paddington will be
built on the site of the existing Hamersmith & City Line structure which
will be demolished. Plans just published show the platforms beneath
Eastbourne Terrace and a landscaped public square next to the Regent's
Canal.
London ELL
Contractors Balfour Beatty/Carillion handed over the East London Line to
Transport for London on 18th January. Limited services are scheduled to
start between Dalston Junction and New Cross/New Cross Gate on 4th April
with full passenger services between Dalston Junction and West Croydon
expected to commence with the new timetable on 23rd May 2010.
Heathrow Airport
Greenpeace plan to build a fortress to stop Heathrow expansion.
http://tinyurl.com/yzmb526
Chelmsford
Plans for 4,000 new homes at Beaulieu Park on the NE side of Chelmsford
include business and retail parks, a four platform station on the GER main
line and a bus interchange.
The East Suffolk Line
Network Rail has decided that renewal of Radio Electronic Token Block is
now preferred over the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
At Lowestoft, revised plans for the station redevelopment have been
prepared. Instead of moving the station 450 metres inland the buffer
stops would be moved back 40 metres.
Welsh Assembly
AMs have called for upgrades to the railways and for ministers to have
more powers over the rail network.
http://tinyurl.com/yhz4997 and for
expresses to be speeded up by cutting stops at Reading and Swindon.
http://tinyurl.com/ydl298r
Eurostar
Summer SO services from St Pancras to Avignon run this year from 10th July
to 4th September with northbound services operating one week later.
Germany
Wuppertal's famous monorail system was closed on 12th December 2009 as a
result of serious flaws found in the 100 year old support structures.
Remedial work is expected to take at least five months.
Switzerland
The Transtec Gotthard Consortium has been awarded a contract to install
signalling in the new Gotthard Base Tunnel. When the 34-mile long tunnel
comes into use in 2017 it will be the longest railway tunnel in the world
and with trains travelling at up to 155mph journeys between Zurich and
Milan will be cut by an hour.
Spain - Madrid and Valladolid
When the high speed line between Madrid and Valladolid was opened in 2007
one of the two single track 5ft 6in gauge tunnels at Pinar de Antequera
(south of Valladolid) was converted to 4ft 8in creating a bottleneck on
both lines. In December 2009 two new double track tunnels (one for each
gauge) were opened removing this bottleneck. In addition this opening
has eliminated the only level crossing on a high speed line in Spain and
(probably) also in Europe.
Spain - La Caruna-Vigo (North West Spain)
The first section of this high speed line between La Caruna and Santiago
opened on 13th December 2009 with the section on to Vigo due to open in
2012. Work began in 2001 to upgrade existing route by line straightening
and new bridges. The existing 5ft6ins gauge will be retained with speed
limited to 100mph until the entire line is complete at which stage it will
be regauged to 4ft 8in, electrified to 25kV and equipped with ERTMS. The
line will eventually reach the border with Portugal (148 miles) and
continue on to Porto.
Portugal-Spain
A contract to build and maintain the first section of the high speed line
between Lisbon and Madrid been awarded to the Elos consortium. It will
run from Poceirao to the Spanish border at Caia, a distance of 103 miles
and is due to open by the end of 2013.
http://tinyurl.com/y9klcwz
============
And finally... British Pathe Corner...
A brief bit of film French Loco 241C under test:
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=9245
============
IN THE NEWS
East Coast timetable plans for 2011:
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/travel-information/Eureka/
End of "ghost train" at Belford station:
http://tinyurl.com/yb9toof
Bomb alert at Wimbledon:
http://tinyurl.com/ygurlu4
SWT award for operational excellence:
http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/South%20West%20Trains%20Awards.aspx
WCML stopped by rodent damage to cables:
http://tinyurl.com/yk6xnvo
TSSA call for Parliamentary inquiry into Network Rail:
http://www.tssa.org.uk/article-101.php3?id_article=5744
Car on line near Wilton
Train involved: 1F29 1730 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Hbr
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8497322.stm
Sale of land at Chard Junction by BRB Residuary:
http://tinyurl.com/ylbhc5e
RAIB report into Stewarton bridge collapse:
http://tinyurl.com/ybr24em
Forth Bridge and St Pancras in Lego:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8493631.stm
NRM Curators Blog (850 on Mid Hants, Woolmer and other items):
http://nrmcurator.blogspot.com/
Charles & Camilla get more steam haulage:
http://tinyurl.com/yjjmevv
Daily trains return to the Weardale railway line:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/8485037.stm
Bid to reopen Sharpness line:
http://tinyurl.com/yfgo7aw
http://tinyurl.com/yjn5t7l
Midland Railway trains go slow for track repairs:
http://tinyurl.com/ykmxnb4
Rocket replica under test:
http://tinyurl.com/yhkhln6
GWR Preservation Group on track for a great future:
http://tinyurl.com/ybjlu3s
Works commenced on Porthmadog bypass:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8485835.stm
Zimbabwe's railway to be privatised:
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/zim-railways-2010-01-29
$8bn High speed rail project unveiled for seven states:
http://tinyurl.com/ygr69ly
Gosport Bus Link work:
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnews/hwebnews1
Winchester South Park & Ride:
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/south-winchester-park-and-ride/bus-routes.htm
German language parking ticket machine - in Birmingham:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8487529.stm
Drop in profits for FlyBe:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8487983.stm
End of operations for Poole - Cherbourg ferry service:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8489936.stm
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Ralph Rawlinson
TV and RADIO
06/02/10 BBC4 2000-2100
"Bombay Railway" A look at the Indian city's railway 1/2
07/02/10 BBC1 1100-1200
"Country Tracks" A trip through the Ribble Valley
07/02/10 ITV1 1210-1355
"On The Buses" 1971 film
07/02/10 BBC4 1900-2000
"The Golden Age of Liners"
07/02/10 BBC4 2000-2100
"High Flyers: How Britain Took to the Air" The '20s & '30s
07/02/10 BBC4 2100-2230
"Around the World by Zeppelin" A journey in 1929
08/02/10 Five 1930-2000
"How Do They Do It?" Making armoured vehicles
08/02/10 BBC4 1930-2030
"Shooting the War" Amateur footage of WW2
09/02/10 BBC4 2030-2200
"Around the World by Zeppelin" A journey in 1929
10/02/10 BBC2 1900-2000
"Coast" Kings Lynn to Felixstowe
10/02/10 BBC4 2000-2010
"Snowdrift At Bleath Gill" BTF film
10/02/10 BBC4 2010-2200
"Great Railway Journeys" Aleppo to Aqaba
12/02/10 Five 1930-2000
"Chris Barrie's Massive Speed" Powerboats
EVENTS
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.
06/02/10- Alton Model Railway Club Feb-Ex 2010
07/02/10 Eggars School, London Road, Holybourne, Alton. GU34 4EQ
1000-1700 both days
Due to family circumstances HPMRS member Derek Gillkerson will
be unable to attend with Zwiesboden
http://www.altonmrg.co.uk/
06/02/10- Churnet Valley Railway: Steam Gala
07/02/10
http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
06/02/10- Stafford Model Railway Exhibition
07/02/10 The County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD
06/02/10- Rochdale Model Railway Exhibition
07/02/10 Oulder Hill Leisure Centre, OL11 5EF
06/02/10- Ribble Steam Railway: Steam Gala
07/02/10
http://www.ribblesteam.org.uk
07/02/10 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
13/02/10 Newbury Model Railway Exhibition
Park House School, 238 Andover Road, Newbury, RG14 6NQ
1000-1700
http://www.newburymrc.co.uk
13/02/10 Staines Transport Collectors Fair
Hythe Centre, Thorpe Road, Staines
Vintage bus service 441C from Staines railway station
1030-1530
http://gallery62603.fotopic.net/
13/02/10- Swanage Railway: Half-term Fun Week
21/02/10
http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
13/02/10- Churnet Valley Railway: Barney Buffers and Friends
14/02/10
http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
13/02/10- Festival of British Railway Modelling
14/02/10 Doncaster Exhibition Centre, DN2 6BB
Free courtesy bus from Doncaster railway station
1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1630 (Sun)
http://www.brmodelling.co.uk
13/02/10- Mid-Hants Railway: Ivor the Engine
21/02/10
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/
17/02/10 Churnet Valley Railway: Barney Buffers and Friends
http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
20/02/10 Slide Show: Hull & Barnsley Railway by Mick Nicholson
The former Carnegie Library, Anlaby Road/Walton Street, Hull
Starts 1400 but doors open earlier
20/02/10- Bluebell Railway: Branch Line Weekend
21/02/10
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/
27/02/10 Solent Railwayana Auctions
Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham, Hants, PO17 5AL
http://www.solentrailwayana.com
27/02/10 Mid-Hants Railway Real Ale Train (RAT)
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/rat.htm
27/02/10- Eastleigh Model Railway Show
28/02/10 Fleming Park Leisure Centre, Passfield Ave, SO50 9NL
1000-1730 (Sat), 0930-1630 (Sun)
http://www.eurotrack.org
Cheers, Howard.
editor (at) raildate.co.uk (spam-proofed)
Previous issues of Raildate are at:
http://www.raildate.net
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 2010.
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/