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


NETWATCH

============

The Class Forty Preservation Society is now on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/cfpsnews

As is Kestrel Railway Books:
https://twitter.com/kestrelrailway

And Kestrel are now on facebook as well:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kestrel-Railway-Books/121975921147848

As is "Railways of Berwick and the Eastern Borders":
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=110241279016234
(Via George Moffat)

============

Videos...

Early May Bank Holiday at Wirksworth:
http://tinyurl.com/26j5pj4
(Spotter: Richard Buckby)

A film showing three different Parry People Mover vehicles: at the former
Himley Park, Dudley, in the pedestrian zone in Barking, Essex and on the
shuttle to Stourbridge Town.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnCUEeTE_p8
(Spotter: Ralph Rawlinson)

============

Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup

Thameslink
It is planned to complete the new Blackfriars Thameslink station in two
stages with the South Bank entrance ready in November 2011 in time for
12-car trains. Completion of the main North Bank entrance will follow in
early 2012. The new station will run the full length of Blackfriars bridge
with 12-car trains fully under cover.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6243.aspx

Epsom
Construction is planned to start later in 2010 on redeveloping Epsom
station. The present station will be replaced by a six-storey building
containing a new ticket hall, residential flats, a hotel and shops.
http://www.cabe.org.uk/design-review/epsom-railway-station

Devon
The Devon & Cornwall Railway (a subsidiary of British American Railway
Services) has applied to run daily through trains between Okehampton and
Exeter.
http://tinyurl.com/ylexcj4

Sheffield
The contentious issue of installing ticket barriers at Sheffield station,
preventing use of the footbridge which links communities and organisations
on both sides of the station, will not now go ahead.
http://www.rasc-sheffield.com/

Edinburgh Waverley
Work on replacing the roof of Waverley station with 28,000 clear glass
panels began on 12th April 2010, and is expected to take three years to
complete. Other work in the 130m upgrade includes resurfacing the
concourse and giving the building exteriors a makeover.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6403.aspx

Stranraer
The Scottish Association for Public Transport (SAPT) says that, as a
result of rising costs and the switching of all ferry traffic from
Stranraer to Cairnryan, there is a real chance of Glasgow-Stranraer line
being closed south of Ayr within three years.
http://tinyurl.com/y7xbhsv

Tanzania/Zambia
If you saw African Railway (BBC4 Wednesday 28th April) you might like to
read this review in The Independent.
http://tinyurl.com/2uqmb4y

Rwanda/Tanzania/Burundi
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has expressed
interest in building the proposed 870-mile project to connect Tanzania,
Rwanda and Burundi. The new line is to run from Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania
to Kigali in Rwanda, with a branch to Burundi.
http://www.railwaysafrica.com/2010/05/china-may-build-railway-to-rwanda/

Botswana
Botswana Railways introduced the Blue Train in 1992 but withdrew it 2009
as the service was not economically viable due to high maintenance costs.
The Mozambican government has bought 38 of the 54 redundant the coaches.

Armenia
The South Caucasus Railways (the former Armenian Railways) would like to
restore connections between Armenia and Russia. South Caucasus Railways
was given to Russian Railways for 30 years in 2008 and they undertook a
commitment to invest more than US$500m in the company. Up to $2bn will be
available if connections to Azerbaijan and Turkey are also restored and
the route goes through Georgia and Abkhazia.
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/2097_may_3_2010/2097_econ_three.html

India
While the opening of the mainline section following completion of gauge
conversion works and the resumption trains have been largely welcomed,
people of Tiruchi and delta districts have been shocked that the Tiruchi-
Chennai Egmore "Cholan Express" (a day-time train) has only sleeper class
coaches, forcing travellers to pay almost twice the fare to reach Chennai.
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/article419620.ece

Train running information on Indian Railways.
http://www.onlinetipsblog.com/how-to-know-train-is-running-on-time-or-late/

Pakistan
The General Manager of Pakistan Railways says that 60% of PR installations
are outdated and the sections going into deficit will be closed down if
the government does not do anything to save it.
http://tinyurl.com/37qe824

Indonesia
On Monday 26th April 2010, the Parahyangan train, which has ploughed the
Jakarta to Bandung route for almost 40 years, left on its last journey.
http://tinyurl.com/3xo4s8d

Vietnam
An ongoing construction boom will result in the building of many railways
to ease traffic congestion. One of the new lines to the north-west, will
link Ho Chi Minh City with Loc Ninh near the Cambodian border alongside
Trans-Asian highway. A system of western beltway railroads will be
constructed from An Binh station to My Tho and Can Tho. To the east, as
the Hiep Phuoc Port City, Can Gio and Cat Lai areas develop, there will be
a specialised line linking the national railway to these areas and inner-
city centripetal railways linking the city centre and its outskirts, plus
two other light railways.
http://tinyurl.com/3283dvk

============

Wandsworth Road to Ealing
A statement from Southern Railway:
"We will be unable to introduce the new service between Wandsworth Road
and Ealing Broadway this May after Network Rail refused to grant access
rights. We had planned to run a new daily (Mon to Fri) return service
between the two stations, calling at Kensington Olympia and Shepherd's
Bush, from the new timetable introduction on May 23 as required by our
franchise agreement with the Department for Transport. However, Network
Rail has refused to grant track access rights for the service and so it
will not be able to operate. Alex Foulds, Southern's Development Director,
said: 'We have done everything we can to introduce this service, but
without the access rights there is nothing we can do. We have a further
meeting planned with Network Rail to see if the issues can be overcome,
but I am afraid there is now no chance of a May introduction.'

"The current bus service will continue to operate, while Southern will
continue to run the current timetable from Wandsworth Road to Kensington
Olympia as follows:
* 1012 Kensingston Olympia to Wandsworth Road
* 1612 Wandsworth Road to Kensington Olympia

"The existing bus and rail services would have been removed if the
Wandsworth Road to Ealing Broadway service had been introduced."

(Spotter: Richard Maund, who also adds: Route learning for the intended
new service ceased on 13th April when Network Rail pulled the plug. This
service was to have replaced the infamous Tuesday bus, which had to be
provided because the DfT re-franchised and withdrew the CrossCountry
Brighton service without going through a proper closure process. And so
the bus rumbles on...)

Newhaven Marine
The 2015 SSuX Newhaven Marine-Lewes unadvertised passenger train ceased to
exist from 11th January 2010 when it was *formally* redesignated an empty
stock train.  It had, in effect, been such since 17th August 2006 when the
platform roof was declared "unsafe" - even though harbour staff continue
to park their cars under it!  Now, however, Newhaven Marine no longer has
even the pretext of a booked passenger train.  No formal closure process
has been gone through, however.
(Spotter: Richard Maund)

============


IN THE NEWS

Poor station toilets meet their Waterloo:
http://tinyurl.com/29uwk6t

Pudsey schoolboy "working" his ticket on trains:
http://tinyurl.com/32hlypb

Corrour station house is a Youth Hostel:
http://tinyurl.com/2unbgak

Peak District cycle track:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8652356.stm
http://tinyurl.com/2vxcdly
http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/news/news-display-page.htm?id=21790

RAIB report on Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway runaway:
http://tinyurl.com/2cwm2hp

L&BR "Lyd" in steam:
http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/story/news/2860
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhV6kLXlguc

A1 builders now planning a P2:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8655914.stm

Canadian London buses to be repatriated:
http://tinyurl.com/32v8j89

Spotters: Richard Buckby, Ted Millward, Reg Nerps, Vince Shirley


TV and RADIO

08/05/10    Five  1340-1440
           "Britain's Greatest Machines"  Chris Barrie 1/8

08/05/10    BBC2  1730-1830
           "Coast"  Skye to Wick

09/05/10    BBC1 South  1545-1615
           "The Real Railway Children"

09/05/10    BBC2  2010-2100
           "Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections"  1/6

09/05/10    BBC4  2100-2200
           "The Box That Changed Britain"  Story of the container

09/05/10    ITV1  2315-0015
           "Robbie Coltrane: B-Road Britain"  1/3

11/05/10    BBC2  1900-2000
           "Coast"  Scotland's east coast

11/05/10    BBC4  2030-2100
           "The Boats That Built Britain"  3/6  The Phoenix

11/05/10    BBC4  2225-2325
           "The Box That Changed Britain"  Story of the container

12/05/10    BBC4  2030-2100
           "The Boats That Built Britain"  4/6  The Reaper

12/05/10    National Geographic  2100-2200
           "Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank"  2/3

13/05/10    National Geographic  0100-0200
           "Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank"  2/3

13/05/10    National Geographic  0900-1000
           "Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank"  3/3

13/05/10    Five  2000-2100
           "Britain's Greatest Machines"  Chris Barrie 2/8

13/05/10    BBC4  2100-2200
           "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" Commercial vehicle museum

13/05/10    National Geographic  1700-1800
           "Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank"  2/3


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.

07/05/10-   Swanage Railway: Beer Festival and Diesel Gala
09/05/10    http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk

07/05/10-   Welsh Highland Railway: Real Ale Festival
09/05/10    http://www.festrail.co.uk/

08/05/10    Mid-Hants Railway Real Ale Train (RAT)
           http://www.watercressline.co.uk/rat.htm

08/05/10    Loddon Vale MRC Model Railway Exhibition
           Arborfield Garrison Community Centre, Sheerlands Rd, RG2 9NN
           1000-1700
           http://www.watercressline.co.uk/rat.htm

08/05/10    Churnet Valley Railway: '60s Night
           http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk

08/05/10-   Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: A Celebration of Steam
09/05/10    http://www.celebrationofsteam.co.uk

08/05/10-   Salisbury Model Railway Exhibition
09/05/10    Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton, SP2 0JU
           1030-1630 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun)

08/05/10-   Bluebell Railway: Branch Line Weekend
09/05/10    http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/

08/05/10-   Severn Valley Railway: The Swinging '60s
09/05/10    http://www.svr.co.uk

09/05/10    The Isle of Wight Bus Museum: Island Vehicles Running Day
           http://www.iowbusmuseum.org.uk

14/05/10-   Talyllyn Railway: Founders Weekend, Tom Rolt Cent Gathering
16/05/10    http://www.talyllyn.co.uk

15/05/10    Burgess Hill MRC 2010 Exhibition
           Burgess Hill School, Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0EG
           1000-1630
           http://www.burgesshillmrc.org.uk

15/05/10    Historic Railway Walks of Rowsley
           Start from Rowsley Old Station at 10.30am
           Approximately 3 hours covering a distance of 2 miles
           Advance booking required
           http://www.rowsleyassociation.org.uk/

15/05/10-   Lynton & Barnstaple Railway: Spring Gala, Woody Bay station
16/05/10    http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/

15/05/10-   The EM Gauge Society expoEM 2010
16/05/10    Bracknell Leisure Centre, Bagshot Road, Bracknell, RG12 9SE
           http://www.emgs.org

16/05/10    Mid-Hants Railway: Watercress Festival
           http://www.watercressline.co.uk/

17/05/10-   Swanage Railway: Victorian Swanage - a Trip Through Time
23/05/10    http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk

22/05/10    Mid-Hants Railway Real Ale Train (RAT)
           http://www.watercressline.co.uk/rat.htm

22/05/10    Industrial Heritage Day - Swannington Incline
           Hosted by Leicestershire Industrial History Society
           Full details and a booking form (both parts needed):
           http://www.lihs.org.uk/EMIAC_79_Front.pdf
           http://www.lihs.org.uk/EMIAC_79_inside.pdf


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/