RAILDATE: the weekly newsletter of the Hursley Park Model Railway Society: http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/
I'm aware that RAILDATE is freely distributed by those who are on my distribution list - indeed, I encourage it. However, if you have any contributions to make, including entries to the EVENTS section, please get in touch with me directly, and not the person who normally sends RAILDATE to you. Contact details are at the bottom. Thank you.
Nick Wheat provides details of the latest BFI release of BTF films on DVD:
The Art of Travel The British Transport Films Collection Volume Six
The Art of Travel, the new volume of British Transport Films digitally re-mastered and released on double-disc DVD - over 3½ hours of footage - looks at the travel documentaries produced to entice and encourage the audience into taking a trip to one of Britain's greatest beauty spots. Back in the 1950s and 1960s it was still a rare thing for British families to venture very far a field. The foreign package holiday and even the family motoring holiday had not yet caught on, so it was quite usual to begin planning your holiday by calling at your local railway station.
Not only could the Transport Commission convey you and your family - they could also collect your luggage in advance, send it to your holiday destination and arrange for its safe return, allowing you a stress-free, relaxing holiday from the minute you closed your front door!
Among the films on Volume Six is The Land of Robert Burns (1956), an evocative account of the poet's life set among contemporary scenes of the people of south-west Scotland as they grow from childhood to manhood, with songs sung by the Saltire Singers. Journey into History (1952) chooses the England of Hogarth, Gainsborough, Robert Adam and Captain Cook. As the camera moves across outstanding monuments of their work and relics of their achievements from Syon House to Greenwich, members of the Old Vic Company read related passages from the literature of the mid eighteenth century, set to music. There's also the amusing A Desperate Case (1958), a cautionary tale of a typical holiday suitcase - crammed beyond its capacity, imperfectly fastened, inadequately and confusingly labelled - designed to tackle the problem of stray luggage that was increasingly afflicting British Railways in the 1950s.
Now preserved in the BFI National Archive, these films will fascinate not only transport enthusiasts but also fans of historical British documentary filmmaking. A colour booklet containing an introduction and film notes by BTF historian Steven Foxon who programmes this series accompanies the discs. So sit back, relax and enjoy a visit to some of the finest destinations Britain has to offer - portrayed by one of the finest documentary units the world had ever seen.
Disc One: North to the Dales (1962) Yorkshire Sands (1955) Down to Sussex (1964) The Land of Robert Burns (1956) Journey into History (1952) Midland Country (1974) The Travolators (1961)
Disc two: Journey to the Sea (1952) London for a Day (1962) The Beacons and Beyond (1979) A Desperate Case (1958) Lancashire Coast (1957) Golfers in a Scottish Landscape (1971)
Release date: 19th November 2007 RRP £19.99 / cat. no. BFIVD745 / cert E UK / 1952-1979 / black and white, and colour / 212 mins / Ratio 1.33:1
Rails Around Birmingham: http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/index.php
Grand Central as seen on TV last Wednesday: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7081484.stm
The programme was a little "light-hearted", playing on the implausibility of a couple of railway enthusiasts who were trying to set up a new railway company against the odds, but I found it quite endearing, and I wish them well. Grand Central still hope to start operating "imminently" - they're website will keep you up to speed with developments: http://www.grandcentralrail.co.uk/
The Aln Valley Railway Society is campaigning to reconnect Alnwick with the East Coast Main Line at Alnmouth: http://www.avrs.co.uk/
They are gathering rolling stock at their Longhoughton site: http://daveshell.fotopic.net/
Is this the future of home modelling? This is a prototype of a 3D printer for home use: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224759.html
This week saw the Royal opening of the new St Pancras after £800m worth of renovation work: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7081809.stm
But they're not all happy north of the border! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7080719.stm
The station has its own website, where you'll discover you can enjoy a wide range of shopping, eating, drinking and... er... yes there it is in 4th place... travelling! http://www.stpancras.com/index.asp
A look around the new station: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7079915.stm
How St Pancras was nearly demolished: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7070724.stm (Built by "Midland Railways" you know...!)
A series of six TV programmes about the station, "The 800 Million Pound Railway Station" begins on BBC2 on 13th November at 10.00pm.
One of the missing gaps in the Bluebell Railway collection was filled on 5th November 2007 when a horsebox was recovered from a garden in Hythe, Kent. This was built in about 1873 for the LCDR. It was withdrawn in about 1926 at Ashford and delivered to Hythe station where it was used as an office for about ten years. In 1937 it was delivered to a garden half a mile away where it was used as a garage/shed until it was "rediscovered" by Clive Williams (Bluebell fireman). The acquisition of the horsebox fills a gap in the railways vehicle collection and is the fifth LCDR vehicle in the Bluebell's collection. Brake 2nd 114 was returned to traffic last year as a 3rd, while identical brake 2nd No 51, 6-wheel 2nd No 48 and 5-compartment 3rd No 668 await restoration: http://extension3363.fotopic.net/p46472193.html
Further news on the "Big Lottery Fund's: The People's £50 Million contest" from Ralph Rawlinson...
Sustrans' Connect2 Lottery bid has entered the ultimate stage of the Big Lottery Fund's: The People's £50 Million contest. The final shortlist was announced last week and TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and former minister Charles Clarke will lead the Sustrans bid to transform walking and cycling opportunities across the UK many of which involve disused railway lines and structures.
Four organisations, including 'Sustrans' Connect2 project, are competing for the £50 million grant to be decided by public vote on ITV1 in December. Each project will be the subject of a television programme on ITV1 in the week commencing 3rd December; Connect2 will be featured on Tuesday 4th December. Online voting for The People's £50 Million Lottery Giveaway will open at 9.00am on 26th November at: http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk Telephone voting will be over the weekend 7th-10th December.
Ralph has also created a list of projects involving disused railway bridges and tunnels:
England...
Durham. Newton Hall Jn - Leamside Jn inc. Belmont Viaduct. Ferryhill/Spennymoor - Cornforth/Coxhoe open out infilled A167 bridge.
North Yorks. Harrogate - Ripon railway path including Nidd Viaduct. Catterick branch: present three-span skeleton viaduct (carries water board pipes) to be redecked.
Greater Manchester. Holcombe branch: Existing rail path broken at Woodford. Missing viaduct to be replaced by cyclebridge. Ashton - Oldham: Park Bridge new 200m bridge to replace original viaduct.
Northants. Rugby: Former MR Leicester Rd viaduct to form part of a new railway path.
Essex. Brightlingsea - Alresford to make use of Swing bridge over Alresford Creek.
London. South Bermondsey Disused railway including plate girder rail bridge between Southwark Rotherhithe New Road and Lewisham Surrey Canal Road.
Forest of Dean. Monmouth: Iron bridge over River Wye to be redecked.
Avon. Bath: Two Tunnels Project Devonshire and Combe Down tunnels and Tucking Mill Viaduct to form part of Two Tunnels Greenway. Radstock - Midsommer Norton route along high level railway.
Wales...
West Glamorgan. Clydach existing abandoned bridge to be used SN689012.
Taff Vale area. Trevithick Trail: New bridge over A4060 Mountain Hare Road will give Merthyr residential access to Pentrebach station.
Scotland...
Dumfries. Dumfries - Castle Douglas: River Nith Viaduct to form part of route to Maxwelltown.
The reference last week to an article by the BBC on "Stobart Air" prompted Derek Gillkerson to write to point out that the "news" was out of date by as much as 18 months! Together with his wife, Cynthia, Derek was at the Carlisle HQ of Eddie Stobart in March 2006 when a company representative was being interviewed by the local newspaper reporter on the subject. While they were there, Derek and Cynthia were given a 20-mile lorry trip, they think as a thank-you gesture for the company being featured as part of Derek's New Stanton Lees layout: http://www.ibmhursleyclub.org.uk/ss/hpmrs/dg.html
Hunslet-Barclay Ltd in administration: http://www.kpmg.co.uk/news/detail.cfm?pr=2984
Inquiry into proposed freight depot at Radlett: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7080438.stm
No smoking lines painted around Derby station: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/7077607.stm
British Transport Police campaign on London area: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7078426.stm
Major Scottish transport hub opens: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7080766.stm
Objection to Nottingham tram network extension: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7081184.stm
Spotters: Richard Buckby, Neil Kearns
| Discovery's programmes are no longer included, but their daily schedules are here: http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/_listings/ and http://discoverywings.co.uk/_listings/ | ||
| Sun Nov 11 | 2310-2410 | BBC4 'The Edwardians in Colour' The world of Albert Kahn |
| Mon Nov 12 | 0945-1000 | BBC Radio 4 FM 'God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain' |
| Mon Nov 12 | 2000-2100 | Channel 4 'Dispatches: Bottleneck Britain' Gridlock on the roads |
| Tue Nov 13 | 0945-1000 | BBC Radio 4 FM 'God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain' |
| Tue Nov 13 | 1930-2000 | Five 'Chris Barrie's Massive Engines' Locomotives |
| Tue Nov 13 | 2200-2230 | BBC2 'The 800 Million Pound Railway Station' St Pancras (1/6) |
| Wed Nov 14 | 0945-1000 | BBC Radio 4 FM 'God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain' |
| Wed Nov 14 | 1930-2000 | BBC1 South 'Inside Out' A bus service that needs a police escort |
| Wed Nov 14 | 2200-2230 | BBC2 'The 800 Million Pound Railway Station' St Pancras (2/6) |
| Thu Nov 15 | 0945-1000 | BBC Radio 4 FM 'God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain' |
| Thu Nov 15 | 1350-1525 | Channel 4 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' Classic 1952 Ealing Comedy |
| Thu Nov 15 | 1930-2000 | Five 'Chris Barrie's Massive Machines' Helicopters |
| Thu Nov 15 | 2000-2100 | BBC4 'The Twenties in Colour' The autochrome process 2/4 |
| Fri Nov 16 | 0945-1000 | BBC Radio 4 FM 'God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain' |
| Fri Nov 16 | 1930-2000 | BBC2 'The Edwardians in Colour' The world of Albert Kahn |
See Mainline Steam Tours page for up-to-date info on many of these tours, and others, often with timings.
| 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 | ||
| All details are correct to the best of my knowledge. No responsibility is taken for inaccuracies or changes. | ||
| Sat Nov 10 - Sun Nov 11 | ? | Eastleigh Lakeside Railway: Double-Headed Weekend http://www.steamtrain.co.uk |
| Sat Nov 10 - Sun Nov 11 | ? |
Hampton Court MRS: Tolworth Showtrain
Tolworth Recreation Centre, Nr Surbiton http:www.tolworthshowtrain.co.uk |
| Sat Nov 10 - Sun Nov 11 | ? |
Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Ltd: Model Railway Exhibition
Wadebridge School, Gonvena Hill, Wadebridge http://www.wadebridge34007.co.uk/mrex.html |
| Sat Nov 10 - Sun Nov 11 | ? |
Spalding MRC: Model Railway Exhibition
Springfields Events Centre, Spalding, Lincolnshire 'The largest show in the East of England' http://www.spaldingmodelrailwayclub.org.uk/ |
| Sat Nov 10 - Sun Nov 11 | ? | Barrow Hill Roundhouse: Steam Gala Weekend http://www.barrowhill.org.uk |
| Sun Nov 11 | 1030-1700 |
Poole & District MRS Model Railway Exhibition
Ashdown Technology College, Adastral Rd, Canford Heath, Poole 1030-1700 |
| Sun Nov 11 | ? | Bluebell Railway: Vintage Bus Running Day http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/ |
| Sun Nov 11 | ? | Leighton Buzzard Railway: Armistice Day http://www.buzzrail.co.uk |
| Mon Nov 12 | 1930 |
Southern Electric Group, Sussex Branch
The Deall Room, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick, Sussex Contractors Signal Boxes by A Marshall Starts 1930. |
| Tue Nov 13 | 1930 |
Pewsey Vale Railway Society
Woodborough Social Centre, Smithy Lane, Woodborough, Pewsey The MSWJR by Neil Lover Starts 1930 |
| Thu Nov 15 | 1930 |
Mid Hants Railway, Sussex Branch
Southwick Community Centre, Southwick, Sussex Air Power (compressed air) by N Kelly Starts 1930 |
| Fri Nov 16 - Sun Nov 18 | ? |
Welsh History Forum Annual Conference
Plas Tan y Bwlch (near Blaenau Ffestiniog) http://fforwmhanescymru.org.uk/ |
| Sat Nov 17 | 1030-1600 |
Winchester American and Continental O Gauge 21st Anniversary
Exhibition Kings' School Winchester 10 or so layouts including our first ever US traction layout Test track available plus a Lionel and a European tinplate 1030-1600 |
| Sat Nov 17 | 1400 |
National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield
Middleton Colliery Railway - Ian Smith, Heritage Railway Association Free admission Start at 1400 in the Conference Centre at the Museum Lasts 45 mins to 1 hour http://www.ncm.org.uk/ |
| Sat Nov 17 - Sun Nov 18 | 1000-1700(Sat) 1000-1600(Sun) |
Solent Model Railway Group Model Railway Exhibition
Featuring HPMRS member, Derek Gillkerson's 'Zwiesboden' Oaklands School, Fairisle Road, Lordshill, Southampton 1000-1700 (Sat), 1000-1600 (Sun) |
| Sat Nov 17 - Sun Nov 18 | ? | Bluebell Railway: 1920s Weekend http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/ |
| Sun Nov 18 | 1000-1600 |
Burton Railway Society: Railfair 2007
The Town Hall, Burton-on-Trent 1000-1600 |
| Wed Nov 21 | ? |
London Road Station, Brighton
A tribute to Jack Turley by G Dinnage |
| Sat Nov 24 | ? | Main Line Steam: London-York 'Union of South Africa' http://www.steamdreams.co.uk |
| Sat Nov 24 - Sun Nov 25 | ? | Swanage Railway: 1960s Weekend http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk |
| Sun Nov 25 | 1000-1700 | New Forest Model Railway Society Open Day 1000-1700 http://www.nfmrs.co.uk |
| Cheers, Howard. editor at raildate.co.uk (spam-proofed) | ||
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Previous issues of RAILDATE are at: http://steam.to/raildate
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 2007. | ||
| 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. | ||