HPMRS RAILDATE 25 Nov 05

News

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

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

A colleague of Mark Dyche is travelling by train from Bombay to Poona at Christmas and has said if there are any particular structures or artifacts people would like him to photograph he'd try to oblige.

NETWATCH

A source of signalbox diagrams for East Anglia:

http://www.signal-box-diagrams.co.uk/

Pictures from the Sussex Slammer railtour on 19th November:

http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/news/susslam01.html

Cotswold Steam preservation, dedicated to the restoration of GWR 2-8-0 No 2807:

http://www.GWR2807.fsnet.co.uk/index.htm

Following the granting of permission to run passenger trains to Parkend, regular steam hauled passenger trains are expected to commence on Saturday and Sunday 25th/26th March 2006 with a "Steaming Back to Parkend" weekend featuring traditional steam hauled trains and the very popular and historic Great Western branchline steam autotrain. As a taster, they have also arranged to operate the heritage diesel train from Norchard to Parkend after Christmas on 27th, 28th and 31st December and 1st January 2006. This service will be combined with steam train operation between Norchard and Lydney to provide the first regular public passenger service between Lydney and Parkend since 1929.

The Dean Forest Railway Christmas and New Year brochure can be downloaded from their web site:

http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk/event

For many years there was a superb 0 gauge model railway at the museum in Derby. A new layout has now been created at the town's Industrial Museum and is run periodically by local enthusiasts. Running days are posted on the Internet (although the layout can be viewed at any time that the museum is open):

http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/Model+Railway.htm

New Exhibition to be opened in Paris on November 28th: Les Cheminots dans la Résistance (Railwaymen in Résistance) and a one-day Conference...

Les Cheminots dans la Résistance (Railwaymen in Résistance) is a new exhibition to be opened in Paris on 28th November (to 16t April) at the Memorial du Marechel Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la Liberation de Paris Musee Jean Moulin (23 allée de la 2e DB, Jardin Atlantique, 75015 Paris). Written by professional historians, it sheds a new light on railway economic, technology and social history in occupied France from the point of view of railwaymen, their engagement and action in Résistance and the history of French Railway Company during WWII.

Authors: Fondation de la Résistance, Mémorial Maréchal Leclerc (Ville de Paris), with the help of AHICF (French Railway Historical Society) and the support of SNCF.

For further information: http://www.v2asp.paris.fr/musees/memorial/accueil/acc_p1.htm

or the AHICF website: http://www.trains-fr.org/ahicf/manifestations.htm

A one-day conference will be held on Saturday 3rd December: Les Cheminots dans la Résistance, une histoire en évolution (Railwaymen in Résistance, an ongoing History). Information is on the AHICF website. Registration: AHICF, conference organizer: ahicf@club-internet.fr (until 28th November).

AHICF - Association pour l'histoire des chemins de fer en France (French Railway Historical Society) 9, rue du Château-Landon, F-75010 PARIS

If you're into corrugated iron, this is the site for you...

http://www.corrugated-iron-club.info/index.html

Mike Morant has added his road transport archive to Fotopic and would appreciate any additional information for his captions:

http://gallery62603.fotopic.net/c768883.html

IN THE NEWS

Man remanded after railway arson: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4465302.stm

Train punctuality getting better: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4465816.stm

Oxford's station move scrapped: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/4462542.stm

Forth Bridge death toll becomes clearer: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4464328.stm

Fight for Cornwall's sleeper: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4454048.stm

Railway closes for storm repairs: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/4456298.stm

Crowded trains are main gripe: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4456666.stm

Rail bosses steam over sewer pipe: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4466338.stm

Babbacombe Cliff Railway repairs begin: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4461574.stm

Model World exhibition may close: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/guernsey/4457168.stm

Strike cripples French railways: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4458266.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4462904.stm

Siemens wins Chinese rail deal: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4456112.stm

Trouble for new South African train: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4450122.stm

Stagecoach sells New Zealand operations: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4456008.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.