Tag Archives: railway

Thameslink franchise

From the Daily Telegraph web-site, 23 May…. A joint business between UK transport company Go-Ahead Group and Keolis of France has been handed a seven year contract to run what will be Britain’s biggest railway franchise in a bitter blow … Continue reading

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Sugar cane railways – 2

Back to Australia and North Queensland for this post.  A day exploring inland, more or less at random, discovered the sugar cane processing plant at Tully (well, actually, I worked out where it was, and found it by ‘accident’).  The … Continue reading

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Would you dare model this?

This is the ultimate piece of trackwork.  It comes from Sardinia, and presumably is used to turn locomotives (or maybe just to confuse people).  It’s tempting to build, despite the curved crossings, but you would need to have a picture … Continue reading

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I’m not optimistic

Reading the local paper and Network Rail’s website I find the good news that…. More trains and more seats as Network Rail kicks off five-year £2.3bn programme in South East This includes….. Sussex – Passengers in Sussex will also see … Continue reading

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Bluebell photo-fest

Here are a dozen photos from a family visit to the Bluebell Railway in 2003.  The Bluebell was one of the earliest preserved lines in the UK, and is still one of the best.  My daughter must have been all … Continue reading

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Sugar cane railways – 1

In 2010, Maxine and I we fortunate enough to spend two fantastic weeks Queensland, in the general area of Cairns. We used the conventional Australian check-list, from “I-Spy Australia”. Shark (small friendly 6 ft one) – tick! Snake (harmless 4 … Continue reading

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Physical Graffiti (with apologies to Led Zepplin)

From the BBC News website, 18 March 2014: Dubai: Metro system to be turned into art gallery The Dubai metro system is going to turn into an art gallery on the orders of the emirate’s ruler, it’s been reported. Sheikh … Continue reading

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Round the Underground on an Engine – Fred T. Jane

I have hi-jacked this fascinating article from the Basilica Fields blog.  I think I am OK to reproduce it in full, as Adrian writes: “During the 1890s, The English illustrated Magazine published a series of illustrated articles by Fred T. … Continue reading

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Ilfracombe 1972

A family holiday on Exmoor in 1972 led my father and I to the abandoned ex-LSWR, ex-SR station at Ilfracombe.  An interesting two platform station at the end of the double tracked branch from Barnstaple, the station had heavy traffic … Continue reading

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West Highland Railway, 1975

A long day down in the UK West Country yesterday, looking at computer models of flooding in the Somerset Levels.  So I’ll post some more of my old holiday snaps!  I hope to post another traction design article in a … Continue reading

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