RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society:
http://www.hpmrs.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/
A Happy New Year to all our readers!
NETWATCH
============
Memories of the Somerset & Dorset:
http://www.newman-family-tree.net/S&D/index.html
Ramsgate branch history:
http://www.aslef-ramsgatebranch.com/RAMSGATE-BRANCH-HISTORY
The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust has changed its Web
address to:
http://www.sirnigelgresley.org.uk
Funds are being sought to restore 35011 "General Steam Navigation" to
running order:
http://www.generalsteamnavigation.co.uk
Photographs of the acquisition and recovery of Darley Dale footbridge. The
site will be updated as restoration work progresses:
http://photosbyp.fotopic.net/
Photographs of abandoned railway infrastructure:
http://www.urban75.org/railway/
Recent explorations...
North Cornwall Railway - Trelill Tunnel:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=56552
Leeds New Line - Gomersal Tunnel:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=56574
Lost railways of West Yorkshire:
http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/
Cumbria Railways site:
http://www.cumbria-railways.co.uk/
A railway "Good Samaritan" story:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12043294
A mountain biker's trip report of an expedition along the track of the
Yosemite Railroad:
http://www.gazette9.com/brb/09/mrg/
A range of detailed parts for modellers, including sprung buffers:
http://www.emardee.org.uk/
Scalescenes supply card kits that you can download and print yourself.
Click on the "railscenes" and "townscenes" links for a selection of free
downloads:
http://www.scalescenes.com/
(Spotter: Ted Millward)
============
Videos...
Southern Railway vintage film, mostly made in the 1930s, and featuring
the Eastern & Central Divisions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA06oAw0hWA
Tunbridge Wells to East Grinstead and Three Bridges Railway, then and now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VADj47FP1FA
An animation of the sequence of events that caused the Quintinshill
disaster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintinshill_rail_disaster
The Childrens' Railway, Budapest
http://www.budapestsun.com/news/14368
(Spotter: Ralph Rawlinson)
Steam and diesel in Brazil:
http://minasgeraisrailways.ning.com/
(Spotter: Ralph Rawlinson)
Train re-railing - the American way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hNK4Il53Rs
(Spotter: Richard Buckby)
============
Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup
The UK's best and (worst) paid jobs
Train drivers are 27th in the list of those earning over 40k.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/dec/18/uks-best-paid-jobs
HS2 Update
Rail News reports that the network will be developed in two main phases.
The first will be London-Birmingham-Lichfield plus a link to HS1, and the
second will not only include the arms of the 'Y' to reach Manchester and
Leeds, but also a spur to Heathrow Airport. Some high speed trains would
continue on the conventional lines to Scotland to bring the Glasgow-London
journey time down to 3hr 30min. The projected journey time from London to
Birmingham will be 49min - or less for non-stop trains. Through trains
from the provinces to the continent will be able to run via the HS1 link,
which will be via a new tunnel from Old Oak Common to the North London
line near Chalk Farm, from where 'existing infrastructure' would be used
to reach HS1 north of St Pancras. A major interchange at Old Oak Common
will provide a direct connection with Crossrail so that passengers can
easily reach central London, or Heathrow Airport before the spur is built.
Between Amersham and Wendover a section of a proposed cutting will be
covered to create a 'green bridge' whilst a longer 'green tunnel' has been
incorporated into the route design to reduce its visual impact and avoid
severance of public rights of way. At Hartwell House, by moving the
alignment away from this historic property, HS2 Ltd have been able to
ensure that the line would not be visible from the house itself and that
additional earthworks and planting can be undertaken to further reduce
visual and noise impacts. On the most northerly section of the route, an
improved alignment has been identified which would move the line further
from Lichfield.
The Midland & South Western Junction Railway
The Swindon & Cricklade Railway will recommence passengers services on 6th
February 2011, with trains operating over the line's new extension from
South Meadow Lane giving a total run of three miles. Meanwhile, work is
continuing to extend the line further south to Mouldon Hill Country Park
with the aim of opening a new station there in 2012. To the north plans
are already in place to extend the line to a new station in Cricklade.
http://www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org/
Oxfordshire and Berkshire
Extending overhead electrification west of Hayes to Oxford by 2016
(Raildate, 3rd December) also includes the line to Newbury.
http://tinyurl.com/36oztv4
West Midlands Signalling Centre (WMSC)
The Oxley stage of the West Midlands resignalling project (originally
planned for 2012) was commissioned on 29th November 2010 at the end of a
9-day blockade. The 16-month programme of works involved the
decommissioning of the 1969-built, 60-lever, Oxley signalbox and the
transfer of control of the Wolverhampton-Madeley section of the Shrewsbury
line to the West Midlands Signalling Centre at Saltley. Twelve miles of
main line and loops were resignalled as well as the 25-siding Oxley depot,
which stables part of Virgin's Pendolino fleet. Under the control of a
Westcad workstation in the WMSC, this type B project covered 81 Signal
Equivalent Units (SEUs) and was the first scheme to see the introduction
of Invensys Rail's Westlock computer based interlocking, with two
trackside interfaces at the the WMSC controlled over the Fibre
Transmission Network (FTN). The sequence of control between Birmingham
and Shrewsbury is now New Street PSB - Wolverhampton PSB - WMSC - Madley
Jn - Abbey Foregate Jn and Seven Bridge Jn. Oxley box is featured at:
http://tillyweb.biz/gallery/oo/oxley.htm
Birmingham Moor Street
Following the reopening of bay platforms 3 and 4 on 13th December, it has
been revealed that platform 5 will also be reopened, together with a new
platform 6, if Centro's proposed Camp Hill north and west-facing chords
project to link the Bromsgrove-Tamworth line to the Moor Street route goes
ahead. The new carriage sidings built for Chiltern would then become
running lines, as part of this project includes four-tracking from the
chords into Moor Street. When completed there would be two trains an hour
from Tamworth and three from King's Norton terminating at Moor Street to
relieve New Street.
http://tinyurl.com/39z2ko3
Worcestershire
Government money for electrifying the four miles of line line between
Barnt Green and Bromsgrove has been confirmed but private funding for the
relocation of Bromsgrove station is still awaited.
http://tinyurl.com/2753p5w
Derby Loco Works
After almost 16 years at Burdett House, Porterbrook Leasing has moved into
new premises at Pride Park. The office is located on the former loco
works site and has been officially named Ivatt House after Henry Ivatt,
CME of the LMS/BR(LMR) until 1951.
http://www.porterbrook.com/pages/corp2010.html
History of the loco works:
http://www.6lda28.com/brel/preface.html
GNR Awsworth Jn - Derby
Bennerley Viaduct, on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border, is 1,452ft
long, 60ft high and its 16 lattice spans are carried on 15 wrought iron
columns over the River Erewash and its flood plain. Three plate-steel
skew spans on brick piers bridge the MR main line whilst additional
bridges at the east and west ends that crossed the Nottingham and Erewash
Canals are now missing. The embankments at both ends have also been
removed but full public access was planned once minor repairs had been
carried out in 1995/96. Ownership of the Grade II listed structure passed
to Sustrans in 1998, but official access has still not been achieved.
After visiting the structure in July this year members of the Sustrans
board commissioned their chief executive John Grimshaw to carry out a
survey of feasible east-west routes across the Erewash Valley which will
link towns on each side of the valley and also tie in with longer-distance
routes and the Erewash Valley Trail. Bennerley Viaduct is expected to be
the focal point of these routes and a cycling Mecca in the area.
http://tinyurl.com/33r4fm5
GNR Dewsbury South Jn - Headfield Jn
Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council has submitted a planning application
for the Dewsbury & Ossett Greenway that includes virtually all of the
former GNR spur between Dewsbury South Jn and Headfield Jn, roughly half
of which is carried on viaduct and bridges. When built it will also form
a link to Kirklees Way (NCN69) which utilises part of the Dewsbury Loop,
another GNR line.
LYR Meltham branch
Those of us who like to explore old lines take it for granted that we will
encounter stretches of impenetrable vegetation but this can also happen on
sections that been converted into official paths. It is good the learn,
therefore, that this is not the case on the Meltham branch near
Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.
http://tinyurl.com/38gec2o
LNWR Chester - Holyhead line
Two parallel viaducts span the River Clwyd between Rhyl and Kinmel Bay but
presumably they were not built at the same time. Today one carries the
main line whilst the other is devoid of track. Cycling North Wales
understands the disused one is available for conversion for walking,
cycling and wheelchairs - and that Network Rail is prepared to release the
bridge for that purpose.
http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/rhyl_rhuddlan.htm
Cardiff Airport
Following a period of uncertainty the free hourly shuttle bus (run by New
Adventure Travel), linking Rhoose/Cardiff International Airport station
with the air terminal, continues to run.
NBR Inverbervie Branch
Most of the first 1 miles of the Caledonian link to the site of
Broomfield Road Junction, is already a cyclepath (part of NCN1). Now,
according to the Montrose Review, Angus Council proposes to create a
2-mile extension to link up to the North Water Viaduct. It will use the
disused trackbed through Kinnaber, skirting around the west side of the
fields immediately south of the viaduct to avoid conflict with farming and
to maintain the privacy of Kinnaber House and its gardener's cottage. The
NBR connection across from the present Montrose station to Broomfield Jn
is now largely a road.
http://tinyurl.com/2clm37j
Graeme Bickerdike has a description of North Water Viaduct and eight
pictures on his Forgotten Relics site at:
http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/gallery/northwater.html
Dublin
Iarnrd ireann is confident that the new 7.6km tunnel for the DART
(Dublin Area Rapid Transit) underground scheme will get the full go-ahead.
It will come to the surface where Inchicore carriage works currently stand
but the loco shed is apparently safe. It will join the main line at the
shed/yard western throat at a grade separated junction. Four consortia
have been shortlisted for the ?2.5 billion project.
http://www.itfglobal.org/fusetalk/blog/blogpost.cfm?threadid=1229&catid=74
Meanwhile approval has been granted for the planned 11-mile long Metro
North light rail line from Dublin city centre serving Dublin airport en-
route to Estuary north of Swords.
http://www.transport21.ie/Projects/Metro_-_Luas/Metro_North.html
Spain - France
RENFE freight trains can now travel from Barcelona's Docks to the new
cross-border line from Figueras-Perpignan since several sections of track
have been equipped with a third rail, making it dual 1,435/1,668mm gauge.
En-route, the Mollet-Girona HS line, that is also complete, will be used.
Switzerland
Hopes were high when Cisalpino, a subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways
and Trenitalia, was dissolved a year ago; yet problems remain.
http://tinyurl.com/29w9l9l
USA
US enthusiasm for High Speed threatens to break the bank of Obama's rail
budget.
http://tinyurl.com/32j3zoa
Nigeria
The Nigerian Railway Corporation's Managing Director outlines plans for
the rehabilitation of the moribund system following the Federal
Government's approval of a funding package worth N27bn.
http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/generaltopics/?p=85612
Angola
The passenger services along the 424km main line between Luanda and
Malanje (previously reported as restarting late in 2011) was due to
commence running on 28th December 2010.
http://tinyurl.com/26wektg
Lines of the Moamedes Railways in the south-west Namibe province are
being repaired and will be reopened in 2011 whilst the Benguela Railways
Company in the central Benguela province will be re-inaugurated in 2012.
http://tinyurl.com/2chs6nv
India
From 20th December 2010 all passenger trains moved to a five-digit
numbering system in place of the existing four-digit system, giving each
train a unique identifiable number.
http://tinyurl.com/2wwxndy
Pakistan/China
Pakistan and China are to seek funding following the completion of a
feasibility report into a line linking the two countries. The route chosen
heads north from Havelian (north of the capital Islamabad and the northern
limit of Pakistan's railways) for 466 miles to the Chinese border. It
will roughly follow the Karakorum Highway (N35) through territories
plagued by separatist violence. A bigger hurdle may be on China's side as
the railway must go through the 15,000ft high Khunjerab Pass.
http://tinyurl.com/329azbq
China
Donghuan High Speed Rail, the first high-speed railway on Hainan Island,
had a test run on 26th December. Leaving Haikou East Station, in the
north, a China Railways high-speed train ran via Wenchang, Qionghai and
Wanning to arrive at Sanya, at the southern tip of the island, in 90 mins
having covered the 191 miles at an average speed of 127.66mph
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7243543.html
============
IN THE NEWS
New Year rail fare increases:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12093638
Glitches on new trains mean six-month delay to services:
http://tinyurl.com/23275o4
Future mobile phones could affect railway signalling:
http://tinyurl.com/38bmlbr
Reading reconstruction work:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-11942645
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-12020729
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-12102741
Reading Caversham Road opens ahead of schedule - time-lapse video:
http://tinyurl.com/2fwxj9z
Damage to catenary at Huntingdon:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-12049086
Strike by Northern conductors:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12081023
Derailment in Summit Tunnel, Todmorden:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bradford-west-yorkshire-12086255
RAIB Investigation:
http://tinyurl.com/26bequ6
Rail thieves dice with death:
http://tinyurl.com/22va657
Trains at Nottingham station to be stopped for over a month:
http://tinyurl.com/26htmdm
Plans submitted for new Kenilworth station:
http://tinyurl.com/2wo8low
Shettleston station offers a good read:
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/articles.php?recno=34
Heated "kilts" to defrost Scotrail trains:
http://www.scotrail.co.uk/content/%E2%80%98ice-fighting%E2%80%99-measures-keep-trains-running
Honeymoon by train for Dumbarton rail crash hero:
http://tinyurl.com/23845y8
Parry People Mover on the Mid Hants Railway:
http://www.go-now.coop/workspace/uploads/files/a4_newsletter-aw1.pdf
Treffryn viaduct near St Blazey closed for repairs:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-12063294
Arson attack on Barnham signalbos:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-11846868
Video of its removal for preservation:
http://tinyurl.com/2wuhsv3
Talyllyn's journey back from the brink:
http://tinyurl.com/2cc6mzn
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel to open in March 2011:
http://tinyurl.com/2u8a29z
Tornado 60163 out of traffic until the end of April:
http://tinyurl.com/33qb4e2
Construction work complete at Glasgow Riverside museum:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12049922
Scottish locomotive generates revenue for Canadian museum:
http://tinyurl.com/2farq7w
Old Black Country turntable found in Israel:
http://tinyurl.com/34s8nod
Train across France completes 'hell on wheels' journey:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12085167
Weather (and other) problems on the Berlin S-Bahn:
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110104-32203.html
Stagecoach bus at Inverbevie:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12067055
Six cruise ships in port together:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/uk-england-hampshire-12117599
Appeal to save SS Shieldhall:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12112086
Diverted Emirates Boeing 777 runs off taxiway:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12053570
Restoration of a Hawker Hunter:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-12113650
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps
TV and RADIO
07/01/11 BBC2 1830-1900
"Great British Railway Journeys" Dereham to Cromer
08/01/11 BBC4 2000-2100
"Timeshift: The Golden Age of Coach Travel"
09/01/11 BBC4 0120-0220
"Timeshift: The Golden Age of Coach Travel"
09/01/11 BBC2 2000-2100
"Coast" Inner Hebrides to Faroes
10/01/11 BBC2 1830-1900
"Great British Railway Journeys" Ledbury to Shrewsbury
10/01/11 BBC1 South 1930-2000
"Inside Out" The bombing of Portsmouth in WWII
10/01/10 BBC4 1930-2030
"John Sergeant on Tracks of Empire" 2/2 Indian railways
10/01/11 Channel 5 2000-2100
"Eddie Stobart: Trucks, Trailers and Tinsel"
11/01/11 BBC2 1830-1900
"Great British Railway Journeys" Telford to Wrexham
11/01/11 BBC4 1930-2000
"The Beauty of Maps" The Mappa Mundi
12/01/11 BBC2 1830-1900
"Great British Railway Journeys" Chester to Conwy
12/01/11 BBC4 1930-2000
"The Ships That Built Britain" HMS Pickle
12/01/11 Channel 5 1930-2000
"How Do They Do It?" Container ships and the Panama Canal
12/01/11 Channel 5 2000-2100
"Battle of Britain: the Lost Evidence"
12/01/11 BBC4 2100-2200
"Timeshift: The Modern Age of Coach Travel"
12/01/11 BBC4 2200-0100
"The Secret Life of the Motorway" Three parts back-to-back
13/01/11 BBC4 0300-0400
"Timeshift: The Modern Age of Coach Travel"
13/01/11 BBC2 1830-1900
"Great British Railway Journeys" Llanwrst to Porthmadog
13/01/11 Channel 5 2000-2100
"Ripped from the Cockpit: BA Flight of Terror"
14/01/11 BBC2 1830-1900
"Great British Railway Journeys" Llanberis to Holyhead
EVENTS
For up-to-date information on tours, often with timings, see the Steam
Tours pages:
http://www.uksteam.info/tours/index.htm
All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is
taken for inaccuracies or changes.
10/01/11- National Railway Museum
16/01/11 Nostalgic Cinema - screenings of rarely-seen railway-related
films from the NRM collection
http://www.nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/Events/filmweek.aspx
15/01/11- St Albans Model Railway Exhibition
16/01/11 The Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans AL1 3LD
1000-1800 both days
http://www.cmra.org.uk/stalbans.html
22/01/11 Manchester Victoria signalling school layout operating day
National Railway Museum, York
http://www.nrm.org.uk/
23/01/11 Bristol 0-Gauge Show
*** A week earlier than previously advertised ***
UWE Exhibition & Conference Centre, Filton Rd, BS34 8QZ
1000-1600
Cheers, Howard.
editor(at)raildate.co.uk replace (at) with @
Issues of Raildate up to and including 18th December 2009 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/