HPMRS RAILDATE 15 Jul 05

News

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

NETWATCH

Next weekend's Ecclesbourne Valley Railay diesel gala at Wirksworth promises to be the best yet. For more information about the sizeable amount of stock )all varieties) now accumulated at Wirksworth, you can download Anton Shone's excellent 34-page stocklist here:

http://plc.wyvernrail.co.uk/files/Stock%20List%20B.pdf

A rival to RAILDATE...?

"The Railway Herald" is supposed to come out each Friday, but doesn't always make it. However, it is excellent quality, has some great pictures, and (like RAILDATE) it's free!

Apparently, it is put together single-handedly by Richard Tuplin of Scunthorpe, one of editorial team of Ian Allan's "Railways Illustrated" magazine. How he finds the time, I do not know!

http://www.railwayherald.co.uk

Swing, Jazz and Jive on the Line with the Keith Little Hot Six Dean Forest Railway, Saturday 6 August 2005 - Hot Six! - Hot Steam engine! - Hot & Cold meals! - Cool Jazz! - Real ale! From 6.30 pm at Norchard Station. Come and enjoy a great gig with the very popular and talented Keith Little Hot Six who will be playing on the platform at Norchard station. Bar with real ale and hot and cold meals and snacks available. Large free car park at Norchard. Admission prices (including a trip on the train to through the forest to Whitecroft during the evening): £4 adult, £2 children & DFRS members. No need to book, pay on arrival!

http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk

The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway doesn't appear to have special events, so is not likely to feature in our "dates" section. However it is open every day through the Summer (and indeed, until early November):

http://www.wellswalsinghamrailway.co.uk

I'm not into 3mm scale myself, although I've often thought it was a nice compromise between 4mm and 2mm. At the recent CAMRAIL, I picked up Finney and Smith's price list of 3mm kits and accessories, and was very impressed by their range. As a result they get this week's "RAILDATE Plug of the Week":

http://www.finneys.org.uk

Some items in the TV and radio guide are regional, and as some of you may already know, these are obtainable anywhere if you have Sky. Ralph Rawlinson has found a link detailing how to do it here:

http://www.vowles-home.demon.co.uk/Sat/SkyITV.htm

Richard Buckby has sent me a link to an interesting website by Guy Gorton that follows the progress of the new Gerrards Cross tunnel, with (of course) updates since the recent collapse:

http://freespace.virgin.net/guy.gorton/GerrardsCrossTesco.htm

A great journey planning website if you're looking at ways of getting round without a car (or even with one - it includes up-to-date information on road hold ups):

http://www.transportdirect.info/TransportDirect/en/

I remember a few years ago, travelling from the Loire Valley into Paris by train. For part of the journey, the line was paralleled by a strange concrete structure snaking its way across miles and miles of fields, only to come to an abrupt stop in the middle of nowhere. I later discoved, I'd been looking at the remains of the Bertin "Aerotrain", described on a site discovered recently by Nick Wheat:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Orbit/1061/safege/bertin.html

Regrettably, the Bertin Aerotrain website referenced from this site seems to have disappeared.

Following the Asian tsunami, a group was formed to find buses to send to the stricken area. The first of what are expected to be a hundred or more buses have now left the UK:

http://www.asiabusresponse.co.uk/

And finally, from Nick Wheat - who'd be a driver...

Overheard somewhere up north:

"Had some bird hassle me today for arriving "10 mins late" at Wigan NW, fretting 'cos she'd allegedly missed her connection. I'd just taken the key out & secured the cab at 18:12:00 when she starts pestering. I told her we were bang on time, even showed her the docket that stated 1812 arrival. It was my last job, so I just headed across the road for the relative sanctuary of Wallgate to book off. Self-loading freight's no good - too much aggro & too many dimwits travelling. I feel increasingly drawn to 1200 tons of dragging brakes. At least it doesn't answer back."

Self-loading freight... so now you know!

IN THE NEWS

Crash report backs seatbelt study: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/4675113.stm

Dismay over plan to cut Cornish trains: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4680495.stm

Rail network slowed by heatwave: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4671955.stm

Historic Leicester bridge decision delayed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4673107.stm

Maglev trains to link London and Liverpool? http://tinyurl.com/75acq

Rail art links village and city: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/4679037.stm

Royal couple on Talyllyn Railway: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/4679471.stm

Another crossing fatality on RH&DR: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4670335.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4672231.stm

PM "told Railtrack was knackered": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4679631.stm

Hatfield rail killing charges thrown out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4681891.stm

Pakistan train crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4677783.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4677595.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4678341.stm

South Africa rail crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4682135.stm

The world's worst rail disasters: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3650835.stm

TV and Radio

Events

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