RAILDATE - your free weekly guide to what's happening, what's new and what's on
*** Due to a weekend away, next week's Raildate will be published on Wednesday 27th July ***
RALPH RAWLINSON
Some of you will already have heard the very sad news that Ralph died suddenly on 29th June
while walking in the Lake District near his home in Morecambe. He suffered a fatal heart
attack.
Although we never met, Ralph had been a friend of mine for several years, and he was a stalwart
of many online discussion groups, not least the Bygone Railways group which he owned and
moderated. Our association became closer, however, when he began sending me regular
contributions for Raildate, to the extent that I added a section devoted entirely to his news
items - "Ralph Rawlinson's Railway Roundup".
The first time I featured a dedicated section for Ralph's news was in the 11th July 2008
edition, but he had been sending me snippets for several years before that, and although he
sent me a regular file every Monday evening, I augmented these news items with others that he
had sent to discussion groups during the previous week.
On 27th June, his usual weekly missive failed to arrive, but it wasn't until a couple of days
later that I dropped him a little reminder. My email was to go unanswered, but the 1st July
issue of Raildate was sent out with three items that Ralph had posted to discussion groups in
the week since the previous edition. I assumed that Ralph had gone away on holiday for a
little while, and expected that I would hear something from him again after a couple of weeks.
It was, therefore, a great shock to learn last weekend that Ralph had passed away - an
announcement appears here (you can leave a tribute here if you wish):
https://announce.jpress.co.uk/10472482
His funeral, held last Tuesday, was "a simple but very dignified ceremony", and evidently
Ralph's wife was completely unaware of what he "did upstairs on the computer". She was
geninuely touched to hear of the messages of sympathy from the railway fraternity.
Ralph had an encyclopaedic knowledge of old railway lines, and was often called upon to provide
information about them - not least to the Railway Walks programmes made by Julia Bradbury for
the BBC. His knowledge was encapsulated in his softcopy "Gazetteer of Lost Lines", from which
he was only to happy to provide information to anyone who wanted to know more about a
particular line. Although we have lost the author, one hopes that this body of knowledge can
be preserved and maintained in the future.
Nigel Callaghan has set-up a Memorial Fund for anyone who would like to make a donation towards
a permanent memorial to Ralph (a bench on a railway trail has been suggested). If you would
like to contribute you can do so by BACS to Sort Code: 20-92-08, A/C No: 93530191.
I'm always grateful to contributors, and none more so than to the regulars who are mentioned
every week, but for us, there will be no more railway news from Ralph, and Raildate will be the
poorer for it.
Thank you Ralph. R.I.P.
NETWATCH
The current GWRA Online Auction is now live and can be viewed here:
http://www.gwra.co.uk/CATALOGUES/JUL2011%20Online/jul2011Cat.htm
BBC article on the Bishop's Castle Railway:
http://tinyurl.com/3eyk3oo
And a blog about the Crumlin Viaduct:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2011/05/opening_of_crumlin_viaduct.html
(Spotter: Mike Price)
Loco Roster Mid Hants Railway:
http://www.watercressline.co.uk/The-Works/Loco-Roster
(Spotter: Neil Kearns)
London Overground extension to Clapham Junction:
http://www.overgroundextension.co.uk/
Another recent Butterhouse tunnel exploration:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=62840
An interesting thread on the National Preservaton forum regarding the fate of ex-LNWR, 30-Ton,
Cowans-Sheldon steam breakdown crane. The current situation is that the crane is now the
property of a scrap dealer, and strenuous efforts to save it are underway. This crane is of
great historic importance, being the oldest extant breakdown crane in the country, and the last
"old-type" Cowans Sheldon crane ever built.
http://railways.national-preservation.com/showthread.php/31138-Lost-LNWR-Crane
The Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum, Calne, Wilts:
http://www.colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk/General/Museums/Atwell-Wilson.html
Their own website is currently being redesigned:
http://www.atwellwilson.org.uk
The Medway Queen:
http://www.medwayqueen.co.uk/home.html
(Spotter: Ted Millward)
============
Videos
Remarkable 3D printing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw
(Spotter: Larry Schwartz)
============
IN THE NEWS
Plan for nationwide resignalling:
http://tinyurl.com/3tu48sj
Change of date for closure & rebuilding of A27 bridge south of Romsey:
http://tinyurl.com/3rqytle
The death of British train building?
http://www.rail.co/2011/07/20/the-death-of-british-train-building/
Petition signed by 50,000 people handed to Parliament:
http://tinyurl.com/4xsqzve
Bombardier could still win Thameslink stock contract:
http://tinyurl.com/3hkecym
HS2 high speed rail link flawed, says think tank:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14198290
UK rail tickets are losing travellers money and need redesigning:
http://tinyurl.com/6cf8p7w
Kenneth Grange: at the forefront of British design (including InterCity 125):
http://tinyurl.com/6knl8ha
Campaign for improved Cambridge-Lynn service:
http://tinyurl.com/3gwpua5
Hull Trains maintenance problems:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-14213307
Arnside viaduct re-opens:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-14184705
http://tinyurl.com/6du3om7
RAIB report on near miss during snow clearance:
http://tinyurl.com/3v7zlav
Revised RAIB report on Moreton on Lugg LC fatality:
http://tinyurl.com/3rhje27
Death by Health & Safety Jargon Buster:
http://www.deathbyhealthandsafety.co.uk/treaclefactory/jargonbuster.html
Big improvements down the line for Perth railway station:
http://tinyurl.com/4xx4mut
Mallard to return to the National Railway Museum in York:
http://tinyurl.com/3toz6ur
Thomas involved in a road accident:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-14207358
DLR line closed by lineside fire:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14193729
Eurostar boosted by US travellers:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14213580
Italian high speed rail line goes ahead:
http://www.rail.co/2011/07/20/italian-high-speed-rail-line-goes-ahead/
Overvecht station installs "transfer accelerator":
http://tinyurl.com/42ah86a
New lease of life for Kenya's 'lunatic' railway:
http://tinyurl.com/66r63n2
Possible investment in Kenya Railways:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14151372
Vossloh to supply Rotherham tram-trains:
http://tinyurl.com/6cepz3r
Offenders to clean up borough's canal network:
http://tinyurl.com/3gaagek
Air Southwest to cease operations in September:
http://tinyurl.com/5r6456k
Sea Plane centenary on Lake Windermere:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-14176301
Fairford Air Tattoo:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-14174203
RAF Voyager Airbus A330-200:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14171910
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns, Reg Nerps, Mike Price, Glynn Waite
TV and RADIO
23/07/11 Channel 4 1930-2100
"The Space Shuttle's Last Flight"
24/07/11 BBC1 1930-2030
"Countryfile" Includes the Wensleydale Railway
24/07/11 BBC4 2000-2100
"Britain Through A Lens: The Documentary Film Mob"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012p53d
24/07/11 BBC2 2100-2200
"Space Shuttle: the Final Mission"
25/07/11 BBC Radio 4 1100-1130
"The Lunatic Line" Story of the 600-mile Kenya/Uganda railway 2/2
25/07/11 BBC4 2100-2200
"Regional TV: Life Through a Local Lens" The rise of regional broadcasting
26/07/11 BBC2 1900-2000
"Coast" 7/8 Denmark
26/07/11 BBC4 1930-2000
"Grand Tours of Scotland" Using a 19th century tricycle 2/6
26/07/11 BBC4 2000-2100
"The Camera that Changed the World" ...of documentary film-making
26/07/11 BBC4 2200-2300
"The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon" 2/3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074r7l
27/07/11 BBC4 2000-2030
"Time to Remember" Newsreels from the '20s and '30s
27/07/11 BBC4 2030-2100
"Britain on Film" Archive film
28/07/11 BBC2 1900-2000
"Space Shuttle: the Final Mission"
28/07/11 Channel 5 1930-2000
"How Do They Do It?" Making wool and Lego bricks
28/07/11 Channel 5 2000-2100
"Air Crash: Heathrow Emergency" BA crash-landing in 2008
28/07/11 BBC2 2100-2200
"Town with Nicholas Crane" 1/4 Ludlow
28/07/11 BBC2 2320-0020
"James May on the Moon" 40th anniversary of the first moon landing
29/07/11 Channel 5 2000-2100
"Danger: Diggers at Work" 4/6 Diggers doing things...
29/07/11 BBC2 2100-2200
"The First World War from Above"
EVENTS
All details are correct to the best of my knowledge, but no responsibility is accepted for
inaccuracies or changes.
23/07/11 Winchester: guided walk exploring the route of the DN&S line
Includes a chance to go inside the disused Chesil railway tunnel
1115-1245 and 1415-1545
Advance booking required - Adult: 5.00, Child: 1.00
http://tinyurl.com/68kh6gp
23/07/11 Manchester Victoria signalling school layout operating day
National Railway Museum, York
http://www.nrm.org.uk/
23/07/11- Camrail 2011
24/07/11 Saint Margaret's Hall, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1DE
1100-1730 (both days)
http://titfield.co.uk/Camrail/Camindex.htm
23/07/11- Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Wirksworth Bus Event
24/07/11
http://www.wyvernrail.co.uk/
29/07/11- Inland Waterways Association National Festival
31/07/11 Shobnall Fields, Burton-upon-Trent
http://www.waterways.org.uk/
30/07/11 Barnstaple Model Railway Club Exhibition
Christ Church Hall, Bear Street, Barnstaple, EX32 7BU
1000-1600
http://barnstaplemrc.weebly.com/
30/07/11 Chumleigh Model Railway Group Exhibition
Chulmleigh Town Hall, Fore Street, Chulmleigh, EX18 7BR
1000-1700
http://www.ymrg.co.uk/events/exhibitions/2087.htm
30/07/11- Swanage Railway: Swanage Regatta and Carnival
06/08/11
http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/
31/07/11 Middleton Top Winding Engine, Cromford & High Peak Rly
Engine in motion 1300-1630
http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/
31/07/11 Churnet Valley Railway: Cream Tea & Steam
http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk
01/08/11 Peak Railway Association (Sheffield Branch) Slideshow
The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery Street, Sheffield S3 8GG
The Hope Valley Tunnels, Ted Hancock
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/SheffieldBranch
06/08/11- Ecclesbourne Valley Railway: Classic Vehicles Meet
07/08/11
http://www.wyvernrail.co.uk/
06/08/11 Cromford Steam Rally
07/08/11
http://www.cromford-steam.co.uk/
06/08/11- Leawood Pumping Engine Steaming Day, Cromford Canal
07/08/11 Engine in motion 1200-1700
http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/
06/08/11- Peak Rail: 1940s Weekend
07/08/11
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/
06/08/11- Cleveland Model Railway Club Exhibition
07/08/11 Redcar & Cleveland College, Corporation Road (A1085), Redcar
1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun)
07/08/11 Twyford Waterworks: Rural Crafts
http://www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk/
07/08/11 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
07/08/11 Provincial Society Rally
Stokes Bay, Gosport
http://www.provincialsociety.org/
07/08/11 Middleton Top Winding Engine, Cromford & High Peak Railway
Engine in motion 1300-1630
http://www.middleton-leawood.org.uk/
Cheers, Howard.
editor(at)raildate.co.uk replace (at) with @
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 Raildate here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RAILDATE/
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 2011.