March 2012 On Shed

March 2012 On Shed

"Preserving the steam locomotive legacy..and more..on film"

FRONT PAGE


44871 and 45407 attack Ais Gill in fine form, with the imposing lines of snow covered Wild Boar Fell dominating the background. (c) Robson Hewitson

Contents
Welcome, and site news...
Steam Tube Video Highlights
Steam Tube Photo Highlights
On This Day
Great British Railway Journeys
Start them Young!!!
New Build and Projects Updates...
UK Heritage Railways A - Z (H to N)
Christian Wolmars Latest Newsletter
Around The World in 80 Railways. No. 20 Tokyos Yamanote Line

Welcome, and site news
A warm welcome to this March 2012 edition of On Shed.
And an especially warm welcome to our new members, bringing our worldwide membership to 779.
We hope that you like the mix of features in this edition.....our regular features are here...video and photographic highlights.....on this day in railway history...including the Beeching Report...
On Shed includes some additional notes on Irish Railways...and theres a wealth of material to uncover on that front.....(TG4 is an Irish language website which has featured 3 short programmes on the West Cork Railway ). The Great British Railway Journeys on BBC TV spent a  couple of weeks in Ireland in the last series. My sources tell me that there is another series being filmed this year (the fourth) and talk of a Continental series...Bradshaw got around!! And if you are trying to get hold of a copy, keep trying...it has just recently entered Amazons top ten best selling books!
Chard Junction Station is in trouble again
The land at Chard Junction Station was sold off by BRB a year or so ago.
The purchaser was Darch Fuels (and no-one is allowed to call it Darch Junction!) and we felt that this may be the best safeguard for the land, as it would be unlikely to get planning permission for building, while it is being used as a coal store.
Howvere, Darch have put in a planning application SSDC ref 11/05088 for change of use to B2 (whatever that means) and to build a concreting plant.
Details are at
http://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/plann...
Julian Brooks has started a campaign at
http://www.change.org/petitions/south-somerset-district-council-som...
An easier way to find it is to go to www.change.org and type Chard in the search box.

the planning application is due to be determined on 2 March - so responses are needed urgently

Tony Reese
tony.reese@mail.com
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We also have a feature on a couple of young people involved in heritage railways (Wensleydale Railway) and updates on a selection of rebuild and new build locomtive projects...Indeed, the Claud Hamilton project is in young hands..so there is no need to worry about steam preservation in the future.

Finally, Christian Wolmars newsletter is always a stimulating read...
Visit his website, and get hold of one of his excellent railway history books.
His American railroad book is next up for release, and then a volume on the Trans Siberian, which CW will be travelling on in the spring.....

So, enjoy! And do give feedback!


Steam Tube Video Highlights(3,718 videos in Library)







Steam Tube Photo Highlights(17,909 images in Steam Tubes Library)







On This Day

05/03/1872      An air brake system  based upon a design by George Westinghouse  was patented on March 5,

                        1872. In various forms, it has been nearly universally adopted.

The Westinghouse system uses air pressure to charge air reservoirs (tanks) on each car. Full air pressure signals each car to release the brakes. A reduction or loss of air pressure signals each car to apply its brakes, using the compressed air in its reservoirs.

 

10/03/1906     The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway opens in London

12/03/1914       George Westinghouse, American inventor,who developed the Westinghouse air brake (b. 1846) died.

17/03/1900       Great Eastern Railway of England introduces "Claud Hamilton" 4-4-0 steam locomotive from its Stratford Works.

18/03/1916       Karl Golsdorf,Austrian steam locomotive designer, dies.(b. 1861)

21/03/1963      1963: Train drives itself

                        The first automatic train on the London underground could be hurtling into stations in three

                        weeks, the government has revealed. The trains, which operate without a driver, are currently

                        undergoing a series of trials commissioned by the Ministry of Transport before passengers are

                        allowed on board.  But the public has the chance to glimpse the trains today, which have cost

                        £60,000 to test, as they are demonstrated in South Ealing, west London, by the London

                       Transport Board.

27/03/1963   The Beeching Report!

                      

The Reshaping of British Railways - Part 1: Report

The Reshaping of British Railways - Part 2: Maps

For a comprehensive look at the reports.....Visit The Railway Archive

The effects of the Beeching report can be seen in this series of films from Steam Tubes Mike Lees
featuring the much lamented Somerset and Dorset.........




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Great British Railway Journeys

This ongoing series on BBC TV, presented by Michael Portillo, recently spent some time in Ireland, travelling from the capital, Dublin, and finishing up in Londonderry...

Here are some background notes and references......
The preeminent engineer in Ireland was William Dargan (1799 - 1863).

The Ask About Ireland website offers this biography...

William Dargan was born in County Carlow in 1799. He worked with Telford on the construction of the Holyhead road in 1820. Dargan returned to Ireland where he set up his own construction company.
In 1834 he completed the railway line from Dublin to Kingstown, the first in Ireland and in the following years constructed hundreds of miles of railway as well as completing the Ulster Canal.

Through his company, he built dry docks, reclaimed land, improved harbours, pioneered the development of the seaside resort of Bray in County Wicklow, and was a major investor in Irish industries.

Dargan is regarded as being a key influence in the economy of nineteenth century Ireland. He financed and organised the Dublin Exhibition of 1853, losing much money in the process.

To commemorate him, the National Gallery of Ireland had a bust placed in the ground. He refused an offer of a baronetcy from Queen Victoria, who visited his house, Dargan Villa, now Mount Anville Convent.

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During the programmes there was opportunity to see several important railway structures.....
Droghedas 30 metre high viaduct carrying the main Dublin-Belfast railway line over the River Boyne Dublins light rail system(LUAS)  and Irish Bog Railways

The Armagh Railway Disaster of  12th June 1889, where 89 people died and hundreds were injured is Ireland’s worst railway disaster.
1200 people were crammed into 13 carriages at Armagh Station - about 400 more passengers than expected. At 10.15am, the train departed for Warrenpoint on the Methodist Sunday School excursion, despite concerns as to whether engine No.86 could cope with so many passengers.
Twenty minutes later the engine stalled on a steep hill three miles outside Armagh. The decision was taken to divide the train and pull the front four carriages into Hamiltownsbawn. The remaining nine carriages were secured with a handbrake and by wedging stones under the wheels. However, when moving off, the main engine nudged the separated carriages and jolted them backwards.
The carriages hurtled downhill and collided with the oncoming 10.35 train to Newry.
Access the Official Report Here.

And the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise Express  was featured.The flagship Enterprise Service links Belfast and Dublin and is jointly operated between NI Railways and Iarnród Éireann; providing 8 journeys in each direction Monday to Saturday and 5 journeys in each direction on Sundays

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Start them Young!!!

     
Railway Wensleydale

A short film that explains why two young people choose to give their time to a local heritage railway and how it benefits them..........

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New Build and Projects Updates...
(Click on links to access individual sites)
Latest addition to the 5AT website.


Hengist News here............


Updates here... for LMS Patriot "The Unknown Warrior"


"Fund Our Frames" Appeal for the J39


Claud Hamilton Locomotive Group News.....


Betton Grange 6880 news here......


Balwin 2-4-2 (LYN) for L & B , North Devon



76084 Standard 4 News here...



Clun Castle 7029 Appeal



The Holden F5 Locomotive Trust news....



Worsdell Class G5 Locomotive news....



Hawthorn Leslie 3837 News here...



B17 Locomotives Project news here...



47357 Jinty Appeal





Victorian Steam Locomotive Company V499 Project

If readers are aware of other projects, locomotive or heritage lines, that could be included in this regular update, then please let us know, and we will do our best to promote their cause. 
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UK Heritage Railways A - Z
H to N
The railway heritage and preservation movement is


March 2012 On Shed