Tuesday, May 31, 2011

TOP TEN TO TRY - GERMANY

Pasta with tomato sauce

Ingredients: 3-4 servings

1 pound noodles
1 bottle tomato ketchup
½ pound saussage
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon flour
1teaspoon red pepper
salt sugar

  1. Slice the saussage into small cubes and fry them in a small saucepan with oil

  2. When brown take them out of the pan

  3. Add some water to the oil and stir the flour in

  4. Add ketchup and season to taste with salt and sugar

  5. Boil the noodles in salted water

  6. Serve them with the tomato sauce and the fried saussage cubes






Mashed potatoes, eggs and spinach

Ingredients: 3-4 servings

3 pounds potatoes
3-4 eggs
1 pound spinach
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup of milk
salt,pepper

1.Peel the potatoes and rinse with cold water
2 Cook them with salted water
3.When soft mash them with hot milk and butter
4.Place the frozen spinach in a pot, stir it until hot
5.Season with salt and pepper
6.Fry the eggs in a pan and salt them
7.Serve the potatoes with the spinach and an egg



White mice in the vegetable bed

ingridients:
100g  frozen peas
8 eggs
750 g potatoes 
4 carrots (about 400 g)
pepper and salt
4 radishes
8 straws chives
1 tablespoon butter
125 ml milk
1 thick slice swiss cheese
1 wooden chopstick
1 small plastic bag

preparation:

defrost peas
eggs:boil about 10 minutes,rinse with cold water and peel
peel potatoes
carrots:wash and cut into pieces
both boil in salted wa ter about 20 minutes at a low heat
radishes:clean and wash,cut out beautiful slices out of the middle
wash chives
cut small slits in each egg
put a slice in each slit radish as ear a straw chives as tail-make with ketchup eyes nose and mouth
drain potatoes and carrots
add milk and butter in the port
all liquidize
season with salt and pepper
carefully in addition give peas
cut the cheese into pieces
prepare of the porridge the "white mice"

dessert:

Ice cream with peas and chocolate sauce




Fish sticks with salad

ingridients:
half cucumber
one apple
one box of corn
3 carrots
vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, mustard
juice of a half lemon
a half bunch parsley
butter
one packet fischsticks

preparation:
1.wash cucumber,apple and carrots
  cut cucumber in parts,half the apple,remove the cores,cut in slices
2.rub the carrots, clean parsley, pluck in scrap, open bugs of corn, pour off the liquid
3.mix the salad dressing - one tablespoon vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, mustard
  stir everything with the whisk
  add the apple, cucumber, carrots and corn
4.melt the butter and roast the fishsticks
5.put all on a plate and give the lemon juice over the sticks




Asparagus soup

ingridients:
 500 g of green asparagus
1 medium floury potato
1 tablespoon oil
600 ml vegetables stock
salt, pepper
200 g whipped cream
1 bunch of herbs (such as chervil, parsley)

preparation:

1.wash asparagus and cut off woody ends, lower halves of asparagus into thin slices. Upper parts into pieces. Potato peel and chop.
2.heat one tablespoon oil,saute asparagus and potato pieces in it, pours in both. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes,
pour in cream, simmer 10 mintes.
3.puree soup may taste with lemon juice, finally chop the herbs, pour.




Potatoes with curd

ingridients for 2 portions:
6 potatoes
250 g curd (5 % fat)
500 g curd (20 % fat)
1 and a half onions
5 tablespoons oil
milk
salt
chives or herbs


preperation:
 curd and about 4-6 tablespoons oil in a bowl.Chop onions, herbs and chives and mix.If curd is not creamy enough, mix it with milk and salt. Cook potatoes with salt in water. Peel potatoes and put it on a plate with the curd.



Soljanka

ingridients for 4-6 portions:
500 g Cookmeat
2 bundle soup-vegetable
3 large, chopped onions
2 teaspoons salt
10 leafs of laurel
2 tablespoons pimento
2 tablespoons mustard seed
500 g tomatopuree
400g sliced carrots
400 g chopped celery
400 g chopped peppers

preperation:
1. Cook the meat with pimento, leafs of laurel, mustard seed and salt for 50 min.
2. Reduce the meat to small pieces.
3. Slice the soupvegetable and the onions.
4. Add the sliced onions and vegetable and stir until combined.
5. Simmer gently for 30 min.
6. At last add the omatopuree, stir the Soljanka and cook for 10 min.
7. Serve gaenished with pickled cream or lemon and toast.



Mixed potato salad

ingridients for 5-6 portions:
500 g potatoes
1 cucumber or
3-4 pickled gherkins
3 hard boiled eggs
3-4 tomatoes
3 onions
1 bunch of radishes
1 bunch of dill
2 apples
1 pepper
1 salt
1 pinch of sugar
2 teaspoons of mustard
300 g sour cream or yoghurt

preperation:
1. Boil the potatoes for about 20-25 min-
2. Peel the potatoes when they're still warm and cut them in small pieces.
3. Cut the cucumber in pieces.
4. Then chop the eggs, the tomatoes, onions, radishes as well as the apples in small pieces.
5. Mix a sauce made of chopped dill, parsley, salt, pepper, sugar, mustard and sour cream or yoghurt.
6. Add the potatoes and the cucumber, mix all thoroughly and leave the salad to rest for about 2 hours.
7. Don't forget to garnish the salad nicely before you serve it.

The salad goes well with all kinds of meat and with fried fish.



"Lausitzer Kartoffelpuffer"

ingridients for 6-8 portions:
2 kg potatoes
2-4 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
40-60 g flour oil (the best is linseed)
butter
sugar
steewed fruit (apple puree)

preperation:
1. Wash, peel and grate the potatoes.
2. Mix the grated potatoes carefully with salt, eggs and flour.
3. Fry a little of the mix in a pan with hot oil.
4. Remove from pan and drain on absorbent paper.
5. Repeat the last step until all the mix is fried.
6. Spread he pan cakes with butter and sugar or serve them with stewed fruit.




The last recipe, "Cold Dog" coming soon.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

HR650- N°10

Le HR650- N°10 est sur ses roues. C'est le deuxième High Racer monté en 650 qui sort de nos ateliers. Le vélo nous semble tout petit lorsqu'il est a coté du HR700. C'est presque un Midracer.
The HR650- #10 is on its wheels. This is the second High racer fitted with 650 wheels that is built by our factory. This bike seems so small compared to the HR700. It is almost a Midracer.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

DOS-RAs Extreme

Félicitation à Aleksej Dolinsek qui vient de terminer le DOS-RAS Extreme en 2 jours 7 heures et 25 minutes pour 1138Km et seulement 10 minutes de sommeil!
Repose toi bien et rendez-vous pour Paris-Brest-Paris en Août.


Congratulation to Aleksej Dolinsek for completing DOS-RAS Extreme in 2 days 7 hours and 25 minutes for 1138km and only 10minutes of sleep!
Have a good rest and see you for Paris-Brest-Paris in August.


Link:www.ad-venture.si

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Les Alpes

Les Alpes

Fichier:Alpen 01.JPG

Les Alpes sont une chaîne de montagnes qui s'étend en Europe, recouvrant la frontière nord de l'Italie, le sud-est de la France, Monaco, la Suisse, le Liechtenstein, l'Autriche, le sud de l'Allemagne et la Slovénie.
Les Alpes culminent à 4 810,45 mètres, au sommet du mont Blanc. On recense 82 sommets majeurs de plus de 4 000 m d'altitude (Suisse 48, Italie 38, France 24). Les cols de montagne reliant les vallées ou les pays dépassent souvent les 2 000 m d'altitude. Les Alpes forment une barrière de 1 200 km entre la Méditerranée et le Danube.

Le peuplement de l'arc alpin par l'homme est attesté à partir du Paléolithique moyen (vers -100 000 ans).

Flore et Faune

Fichier:Rupicapra rupicapra 0.jpg Chamois

Les espèces suivantes se trouvent en assez grand nombre dans les espaces protégés; Chamois, Aigle Royal, Marmotte, Bouquetin, Lièvre variable et beaucoup plus!

La flore alpine est largement gouvernée par l'altitude. La limite supérieure des forêts se situe habituellement entre 1 800 m sur les sommets exposés des Préalpes, et 2 500 m dans les vallées intérieures suisses du Valais et de l'Engadine.
Quelques plantes à fleurs typiques des Alpes; Edelweiss, Pulsatille des Alpes et Orchis des Alpes

Fichier:Leontopodium alpinum1.jpg Edelweiss

The Alps

The Alps are a chain of mountains in Europe which stretch across Northern Italy, South-Eastern France, Monaco, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Southern Germany and Slovenia. The highest peak is Mont Blanc which is 4,810.45m tall. There are 82 peaks at 4,000m and the Alps themselves form a border between the Mediterranean Sea and The Danube River.

There is a diverse range of Flaura and Fauna in the Alps and these are a few of the animals that you can find : Chamois, Royal Eagles, Marmots, Ibex and different varieties of Hare to name but a few.

The Alpine plants depend largely on the altitude. The highest point at which plants can grow is 1,800m on the peaks of the Préalpes and 2,500m in the Swiss valleys of Valais and l'Engadine. Some of the flowers that we find in the Alps include Edelweiss, Alpine Crocuses and Alpine Orchids

Le château de Cheverny

Le château de Cheverny est un château de la Loire français situé en Sologne, dans la commune de Cheverny, le département de Loir-et-Cher et la région Centre. On y accède en train depuis la gare de Blois, où une navette prend le relais.

Il héberge actuellement une meute et organise régulièrement des chasses à courre. Il a inspiré Hergé pour la création du château de Moulinsart, qui en est la réplique amputée de ses deux pavillons extérieurs.


Fichier:Cheverny-Chateau-VueFrontale.jpg

Le château Cheverny a été donné a Diane de Poitier par le Roi Henri II. Cependant la favorite préféra Chenonceau alors elle le vendit. Le palais sera surnommé par une princesse royale le "palais enchanté".

Le château de Chenonceau


Le château de Chenonceau est situé dans la commune de Chenonceaux en Indre-et-Loire (France). Il fait partie des châteaux communément appelés les châteaux de la Loire.

C'est l'un des monuments historiques privés les plus visités de France.
Le château a été construit par Thomas Bohier pour son épouse puis récupéré par la couronne de France.
Le château a la particularité d'avoir une galerie construite sur l'eau qui s'y reflète magnifiquement.

Les châteaux de la Loire




Les châteaux de la Loire sont les symboles de la Renaissance française.
Les châteaux de la Loire ont été construits ou rénovés pendant la Renaissance française (XVème et XVI).
Le val  de Loire est classé au patrimoine mondial de l'humanité par l'Unesco.


        château de Brissac                                    château d'azay le rideau

 
                     château de Villandry                                                                Ussé


                     château de Chenonceau

Lascaux Prehistoric Cave

LASCAUX : chef d'oeuvre de l'art préhistorique

Fichier:Lascaux-aurochs.jpg

Située en Dordogne près du village de Montignac-sur-Vézère, au cœur du Périgord noir, la grotte de Lascaux est le chef d’œuvre de l’art préhistorique. Cette cavité de dimension moyenne, pour la région, se développe sur environ 200 m et se compose d’une alternance de salles plus ou moins circulaires et de galeries-couloirs.

Les peintures

Ces fresques représentent de nombreux animaux, des chevaux, des taureaux, des cerfs, des bouquetins, mais aussi des félins, un ours, un rhinocéros et même une figure fantastique communément appelée "la Licorne". Ces réalisations sont également accompagnées de signes énigmatiques. La disposition de certaines peintures sur les parois et la présence de trous, à 2 mètres du sol peuvent laisser penser que des échafaudages ont été utilisés.

La découverte
Le dimanche 8 septembre 1940, l’entrée de la Grotte de Lascaux est découverte par Marcel Ravidat et d’autres compagnons.
Quatre jours plus tard, M. Ravidat revient sur les lieux avec trois autres camarades : Jacques Marsal, Simon Coencas et Georges Agniel et découvrent des figurations pariétales. Ils gardent le secret et poursuivent leur exploration les jours suivants.

Pressentant l’importance de leur trouvaille, ils décident de prévenir Léon Laval alors instituteur à la retraite et passionné de préhistoire, qui se rend sur les lieux le 19 septembre et prend conscience de l’intérêt exceptionnel de cette découverte.
Le samedi 21 septembre, arrive l’Abbé H. Breuil, surnommé "le Pape de la Préhistoire". Bouleversé par ce qu’il voit, il séjourne plusieurs semaines sur les lieux afin d’en entreprendre l’étude. Ses travaux feront classer la grotte Monument Historique en décembre 1940.

On a retrouvé dans le sol de nombreux morceaux de charbons de bois, des lampes à graisse, des pointes de sagaies, des outils en silex dont certains ont pu servir à graver et quelques ossements d’animaux. Toutefois l’étude de ces vestiges a montré que cette grotte n’a jamais été habitée.

Fichier:Lascaux2.jpg

Trop de visiteurs : Lascaux est en danger !
Après la dernière guerre mondiale, la grotte est aménagée en vue de son exploitation touristique. De 1948 à 1963, un million de visiteurs se succèdent. Cette affluence rompt l’équilibre naturel de la cavité et on voit apparaître sur les parois des algues et des bactéries appelées "maladie verte", ainsi que de la calcite, "maladie blanche", qui est une recristallisation de la paroi rocheuse.

Le 20 mars 1963, André Malraux, Ministre des Affaires Culturelles de l’époque, fait fermer la grotte.

Il faudra plusieurs années pour enrayer les processus de dégradations et rétablir les conditions favorables à sa conservation. Lascaux est sauvée mais seuls des spécialistes sont autorisés à y pénétrer.

Afin de répondre à la demande du public, la réalisation d’une reproduction est décidée.

Le premier touriste entra dans Lascaux II le 18 juillet 1983.

La création de Lascaux II


Située sur la même colline que la grotte originale et enfouie dans le sol, elle reproduit la Salle des Taureaux et le Diverticule Axial, ce qui représente 90% des peintures de l'original. Deux "sas muséographiques" retracent l’histoire de la grotte et expliquent les techniques des artistes.

C’est une prouesse technologique unique au monde. Une grande rigueur scientifique et artistique ont permis de recréer l’atmosphère incomparable de la cavité originale : coque en ferro-ciment bâtie à l’image des constructions navales, reliefs restitués dans les moindres détails, peintures polychromes exécutées comme il y a 17000 ans avec des colorants naturels.


Lascaux Cave in Montignac-sur-Vézère, France


This prehistoric cave was discovered in 1940 by 4 people, whilst taking a walk in a forest in the Dordogne region of France. 
This discovery proved to be extremely important for Prehistory : many animals such as bisons, horses, oxes, stags, bulls, ibexes ... were drawn on the walls of the cave.

The cave was opened to the public from 1948 until 1963 and then closed again due to harmful bacterium appearing on the walls and having the potential to destroy the valuable artwork.

Therefore, it was decided that "Lascaux I" would be closed and that a "Lascaux II" would be created and re-built as an exact replica of the original.
Lascaux II opened in 1983. It is the best preserved prehistoric cave that you can visit in Europe. On the site there is also a museum and a park that is open to visitors.

Today Lascaux remains one of the great masterpieces of Prehistoric art.

Le château de Villandry

Le château de Villandry est situé à 15km de Tours.
Il est connu pour ses magnifiques jardins géométriques et pour sa grande tour (vestige du Moyen Âge) qui surplombe un potager décoratif.



Les fontaines et tonnelles du jardin ont été restaurées à partir de 1994. Les jardins forment un ensemble limité au nord par la route de la Bergerie, à l'ouest par le mur de clôture longeant le labyrinthe végétal. Ils ont obtenu le label de Jardin remarquable.  

Les jardins du château sont la reconstitution à partir de textes anciens d'un jardin à la française du XIVe siècle. Ces jardins sont divisés en trois étages : une terrasse supérieure comportant le jardin d'eau avec cascades encadré de charmilles, le jardin d'ornement ou jardin de broderies de buis taillés et d'ifs en topiaire et enfin le potager en bas, lui aussi formant un dessin de broderie.



Le jardin d'ornement situé au-dessus du potager prolonge les salons du château. Monter jusqu'au belvédère permet d'avoir une vue magnifique sur l'ensemble.




Le château de Blois

Le château royal de Blois, situé dans le département de Loir-et-Cher, fait partie des châteaux de la Loire. Il fut la résidence favorite des rois de France à la Renaissance.


Fichier:France Loir-et-Cher Blois Chateau 04.jpg

Situé au cœur de la ville de Blois, sur la rive droite de la Loire, le château royal de Blois réunit autour d’une même cour un panorama de l’architecture française du Moyen Âge à l’époque classique qui en fait un édifice clef pour la compréhension de l'évolution de l'architecture au fil des siècles. Les appartements royaux restaurés sont meublés et ornés de décors polychromes du XIXe siècle, créés par Félix Duban dans la lignée des restaurateurs contemporains de Viollet-le-Duc.


Fichier:Loire Cher Blois1 tango7174.jpg
Façades intérieures de styles gothique,
Renaissance et Classique 

Le château de Blois, tel qu'il peut être admiré de nos jours, est principalement constitué de trois ailes où se mêlent les styles gothique, Renaissance et Classique, même si des traces subsistent du château du Moyen Âge.



Le château de Chambord

Le château de Chambord est le plus grand château de la Loire au coeur du plus grand parc forestier d'Europe.
Ancien pavillon de chasse des Rois de France, François Ier décide de le reconstruire et d'en faire le symbole de la Renaissance Française.


Pour construire ce château, il a fallu plus de 1800 ouvriers et les travaux ont duré plusieurs années (21ans). La particulier du château et que lorsqu'il pleut, le château devient beige, jaune et rosé.
Ce château comporte 426 pièces, 77 escaliers, 282 cheminées et 800 châpiteaux sculptés, tout cela sur 146m de façade.

La Côte d'Azur

La Côte d’Azur est la partie du littoral méditerranéen français et monégasque qui est délimitée à l'ouest par la commune de Cassis et à l'est par Menton .

La Côte d'Azur cumule plusieurs avantages qui favorisent le tourisme. D'abord un climat exceptionnel, le soleil est là de nombreux jours de l'année et la température est remarquablement douce en hiver. Ensuite la présence simultanée de la mer, la Méditerranée, et de montagnes : les Alpes. La région est donc fortement urbanisée en bordure du littoral pour répondre à l'attrait touristique.

Nice est la plus grande ville azuréenne. On la considère généralement comme la capitale de la Côte d'Azur.

Les principales stations touristiques de la Côte d'Azur sont : Menton, Monaco, Nice, Antibes-Juan-les-Pins, Cannes, Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël, Sainte-Maxime, Saint-Tropez, Le Lavandou, Hyères.

La Côte d'Opale

La Côte d'Opale


La Côte d’Opale, région côtière française avoisinant la Belgique, elle se situe face aux falaises du sud-est de l’Angleterre, et borde la mer du Nord et la Manche.

La Côte d'Opale réunit des paysages variés de plages, dunes, marais, estuaires, falaises et milieux intérieurs.

La Côte d’Opale est marquée par la présence de deux grandes falaises : le cap Blanc-Nez, culminant à 132 m et le cap Gris-Nez, atteignant 50 m.

Boulogne-sur-Mer est le premier port de pêche de France mais aussi un important port de commerce. Quant à Calais, il occupe la place de premier port d’Europe pour les échanges avec la Grande-Bretagne (port de voyageurs). Dunkerque est le troisième port français pour les marchandises et occupe le premier rang pour le trafic minéralier (minerai de fer et de charbon).

Les différentes stations de la Côte attirent les touristes avec un large éventail d’activités ainsi qu’avec de nombreuses villes portuaires chargées d’histoire. Des stations balnéaires s'étendent de Bray-Dunes à Berck-sur-Mer.



La Flandre Française

Fichier:Flandre romane.png

 
La Flandre française (parfois au pluriel les Flandres françaises) est la partie de l'ancien comté de Flandre qui appartient aujourd'hui à la France, formant la moitié du département du Nord. Elle résulte essentiellement de la reconquête du sud du comté de Flandre par la France au XVIIe siècle. Depuis Louis XIV et jusqu'à la Révolution, la Province française de Flandre(s) désignait aussi la province qui occupe l'actuel territoire du département du Nord.

Historiquement et culturellement la Flandre française est divisée en deux parties. La moitié nord de la Flandre française, historiquement de langue flamande, constitue la Flandre flamingante, aussi appelée Flandre maritime ou Westhoek français. La moitié sud de la Flandre française, historiquement de langue picarde (le ch'ti), constitue la Flandre romane, aussi appelée Flandre gallicante ou Flandre wallonne. La Flandre romane est la partie la plus peuplée de la Flandre française, abritant notamment sa plus grande ville, Lille, surnommée la « Capitale des Flandres ». Les autres villes principales de la Flandre romane sont Roubaix, Tourcoing et Douai. Dunkerque est la ville principale de la Flandre flamingante.

Depuis sa formation au XVIIe siècle, la Flandre française a été une des plus riches et des plus densément peuplées provinces de France, ayant joué un rôle de premier plan dans la Révolution industrielle en France.

Fichier:Blason Nord-Pas-De-Calais.svg
Blason des Flandres

La Flandre française occupe à peu près la moitié du département du Nord. On y inclut aussi parfois des "bouts" du Pas-de-Calais jadis de langue flamande : l'Artois flamand.

Lille (Ryssel en flamand, Rijsel en néerlandais) est sa principale ville, mais elle compte d'autres villes importantes : Douai (Dowaey), Cassel (Kassel), Dunkerque (Duynkerke), Hazebrouck (Hazebroek), Bailleul (Belle), et certains y incluent aussi Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (Sint-Amandt-aen-de-Scherpe), quoique cette dernière faisait partie sous l'Ancien Régime non pas de la Flandre française mais du Tournaisis, puis de la province du Hainaut français après la cession de la majeure partie du Tournaisis à l'Autriche en 1713.

La Flandre française se compose de deux sous-régions : la Flandre flamingante, également appelée Westhoek, où on parlait historiquement du flamand, et la Flandre romane, de langue picarde.

Quelques villes en FLANDRES

Cassel : le villageFichier:Vueduclocher.jpg



                  Hazebrouck : l'hôtel de ville
Fichier:Hazebrouck hotel ville sept 2005.jpg


                       Bailleul : l'hôtel de ville
Fichier:Bellebelfort.jpg


         Le beffroi de Dunkerque
Fichier:Dunkerque Belfort.JPGFichier:Portedarras.jpg
                                                                                  La porte d'Arras à Douai


Les moulins, les beffrois, l'architecture flamande en FLANDRES et les géants

                                  un moulin


                  L'architecture flamande


            Beffroi de Bergues


                                                        Les géants : fêtes populaires




Saturday, May 14, 2011

"On Shed" June 2011 edition.

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


FRONT PAGE COVER

4492 (4464/60019) passes Danzey Green on the returning William Shakespeare Charter from Stratford upon Avon to York 12/05/11 (C) Martin Creese

CONTENTS
WELCOME...and site news...
Video Highlights
Photographic Highlights
Downpatrick Heritage Railway - nvtvbelfast
Royal Trains for three Victorian Royal Weddings
ON THIS DAY IN RAILWAY HISTORY.
Aubrey Smith Southern Railway History
The Italian Rail Scene
Their Finest Hour S01 Ep05 Death on the Railway
The Lost Railway
Interview with Nigel Harris of RAIL Magazine
(Courtesy: Winchesterjournalism)

STEAM ON THE SETTLE, (PARTS 1,2,3)Courtesy: BorderFilmArchives
A tour of the Eccles Rail Center
The Iron Horse - an epic film!
The PowerHaul Story. (FreightlinerGroup on YouTube)
Around The World In 80 Railways. No 13: Beijing to Shanghai
Heritage Railway Directory, Mainline Steam Info, TRC
From Christian Wolmar- Latest Newsletter

--------------------------------------
A warm welcome to this June 2011 edition of "On Shed", Steam Tube’s monthly news and features magazine.

There are now 592 Steam Tube members, enjoying 11,618 photographs and 2,658 videos.

During April we had a total of just under 60,000 page views for our three sites. - .Steam Tube, the SMJ site, and The Railway Chronicle.

It has been particularly impressive to see the lengths you all go to in order to get the photographs and videos to us to enjoy. Just take a good look!!

In this month’s edition of "On Shed", we take a look at the Downpatrick Heritage Railway celebrating 20 years of volunteer supported activity. The Royal wedding prompted David Turner to look at the railways involvement in Victorian Royal weddings..a fascinating read.

An interview with Aubrey Smith of the USA’s Southern Railway and a tour of the Eccles Rail Center provide "On Shed " with an American slant.

European Railway history and development is featured in the film clip of the Bologna to Florence High Speed Railway..and an interesting photograph of an Italian locomotive with a Franco-Crosti pre-heater and right sided chimney…..Thanks to Valerio Varriale for this unique photograph.

Lovers of UK preserved steam will enjoy the 3 part feature on Steam on the Settle and Carlisle line (courtesy of BorderFilmArchive) ..as well as the documentary on the railways finest hour in World war 2.

Along with other regular features, we learn of the travails of the railway publications editor…A Winchesterjournalism interview of Nigel Harris , renowned editor! I can sense your sympathy from here!!

So, enjoy…and do get back to us with any comments and suggestions…….
==========================================================

Steam Tube (TM) Video Highlights:
Machining a buffer for #76017, Ropley, MHR, 26 April 201170000 Britannia Shunting at Southall shed, and on Cathedrals Express 23/04/2011 (17 Minutes).Disused RailwaysThe Earl of Mount Edgecumbe on the Red Rose charter - 16th April 11.avi
Didcot Railway Centre 23.4.11Didcot Railway Centre 23.4.11(HD) THE GREAT BRITAIN IV(DAWLISH) 45305 and 70013 Oliver Cromwell 23rd April 201170000 Britannia passing Didcot 23/4/11
The Great Britain 4 Day 5 - 20th April 2011CP2816 "Racing Nightfall" Bellevue to Fort McLeod, Alberta6201 snarls through Huntingdon 28.4.11Dick Chapman, machinist, Ropley, MHR, 26 April 2011


Steam Tube (TM) Photographic Highlights

Manna beer brand0059017/5526 doubleheader SDR 2011vintage British steam
Steam Steel an Stars 2 04470013 and 45305 Wellington, Somerset70000 Southall 5. 23/04/2011The new MPD apprentices, Ropley, MHR, 26 April 2011
DSC03237ELR Pictures 001Elf at Pages Park110272
Italian engine FS 741.120, 1st may 2011Steam festival Maldegem71000 at Beckhole88_Nethercott_s

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Downpatrick Heritage Railway - nvtvbelfast


Ireland's only full-size heritage railway is celebrating 20 years. Entirely run by volunteers, this unique railway allows you to enjoy the beautiful countryside of County Down on board vintage passenger trains and sample the atmosphere of an early 20th Century railway station.

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Reproduced by kind permission of David Turner
Royal Trains for three Victorian Royal Weddings
What with all the fervour surrounding the Royal Wedding, I thought that I would look through some 19th century newspapers for evidence of how the Victorian railways played a role in royal weddings of the past.

The first wedding I encountered was Princess Victoria’s (Queen Victoria’s Daughter) marriage to Prince Frederick William of Prussia on the 25th January 1858. This took place at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace. After the Wedding Breakfast at Buckingham Palace, the couple left for Windsor. In 1858 Windsor had two stations owned by two companies, and the couple were carried by the Great Western Railway (GWR) from Paddington Station. Leaving the station at 5pm, they arrived at Windsor at pm and were greeted by dignitaries, fireworks, the firing of a canon and a guard of honour.[1] A few days later the couple travelled back to Paddington, and then by the South Eastern Railway (SER) to Gravesend where they were to depart for Prussia. All through their journey crowds gathered at the stations they passed to cheer them on, and on arrival at Gravesend Station they were greeted by speeches and cheers.[2]

At the same time, many from around the nation wished to celebrate the wedding and excursion trains were provided to London. Indeed, this was a period when the railway industry was just starting to exploit large events for financial gain by running 'specials' to them. Thus, it is known that the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) provided special excursion trains from Southampton to ‘enable sight-seers to witness the preparations for the marriage ceremony.’[3] Other instances of special trains have not, however, been found. Yet, it is plausible that they did exist.

In July 1862 another of Queen Victoria’s daughters, Princess Alice, got married to Prince Louis of Hesse at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Because of the death of Prince Albert in December 1861, the Royal Family was still in mourning. For this reason the wedding was not common knowledge amongst the public. After the event, the couple travelled from the pier at Gosport to Vauxhall by the L&SWR. ‘So little did the public know about the event’ reported The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, that when the 5pm Southampton to London express train was shunted into a siding to let the royal train pass, the passengers had the strong impression that there had been an accident ahead. Indeed, when informed of the purpose of the stoppage they refused to believe it. Yet, reassurance came when they saw the royal coaches ‘with the visitors at the wedding seated in it, all at mourning.’[4]

Prince Edward, Queen Victoria’s eldest son and the future King Edward III, was married on the 10th March 1863 to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Alexandra had arrived only four days previously at Gravesend and had been conveyed by the SER to the Bricklayers Arms Station. She was then transported Windsor by the GWR from Paddington.[5] After the wedding the couple departed for Southampton via Basingstoke by the GWR. Jackson’s Oxford Journal reported that ‘the passage of the train from Windsor was welcomed at every station through which it passed by a display of flags, words of welcome and floral decorations.’ On arrival at Southampton the royal carriage was detached from the train, and to the sound of cheers six horses pulled it into the docks. It was from here that they took the Royal Yacht to the Isle of Wight and Osborne House.[6]

Unlike the wedding of Princess Alice, Edward’s wedding, like Prince William’s, was celebrated by many around the country. Naturally, some people wanted to visit Windsor and special trains were laid on by the GWR from Paddington. However, the number conveyed is unknown.[7] In addition, festivities were held nation-wide. In Edinburgh bonfires were lit, famous buildings and monuments were illuminated and fireworks were let off. As such, special trains were run to the city from Newcastle, Dundee and Glasgow, with return workings run after the illumination had finished.[8] Thus, special trains were laid on throughout the country to transport individuals to regional events.

Overall, Britain’s railways clearly played a role in broadening the appeal of royal weddings and making royal couples into celebrities in early Victorian Britain. Stations, particularly, were the focal points for the celebrations, as they were the only places where many people could see the royal couples personally. Indeed, in all of these cases, bar that of Princess Alice’s marriage, royals were subject to celebrations at either end of their journeys, as well as at the stations through which they passed. Additionally, railways had the effect of allowing those that lived far away from the weddings to celebrate where the ceremonies were, or at regional festivities. Thus, while not all weddings were located in easily accessible places, like Windsor, the special trains detailed here indicate that there was significant interest in them. Thus, I have to ask, did the railways start the hype around the royal weddings that we have today?

[1] The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Wednesday, January 27, 1858; Issue 1415
[2] The Bristol Mercury, Saturday, February 6, 1858; Issue 3542
[3] Daily News, Friday, January 22, 1858; Issue 3647
[4] The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, Thursday, July 03, 1862; pg. 4; Issue 2412
[5] Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle etc, Saturday, March 7, 1863; Issue 3309
[6] Jackson's Oxford Journal Saturday, March 14, 1863; Issue 5733
[7] The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, Wednesday, March 11, 1863; pg. 7; Issue 2626
[8] Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, March 8, 1863; Issue 1059

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ON THIS DAY IN RAILWAY HISTORY.

??/06/1909
George Whale retires as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway; he is succeeded by Charles Bowen-Cooke.

--/06/1931
The County Donegal Railways Joint Committee in Ireland (3 ft (914 mm) gauge) introduces the first diesel engined railcar to enter regular passenger service in the British Isles

02/06/1944
Soham disaster..exploding munitions wagon http://britainfromtherails.bradtguides.com/category/rail-history/

03/06/56
British Rail abolishes Third Class coaches on trains

04/06/1906
Francis Webb, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway (b. 1836).

05/06/1883
The first Express d'Orient is operated between Paris and Wien.

06/06/32
“The “Cheltenham Flyer” with 5006 Treganna Castle (Driver Ruddock and Fireman Thorp) in charge, reaches record average speed of 81.6 mph over 77 miles between Swindon and Paddington.
(5006 Tregenna Castle. Built June 1927. First shed allocation Old Oak Common. August 1950 shed allocation Cardiff Canton. March 1959 and last shed allocation Carmarthen. Withdrawn April 1962. Source: The Great Western Archive)
THE NORTH  WALES EXPLORER GWR  5043 EARL OF  MOUNT  EGDECUMBE  21.8.2010

GWR 5043 Earl of Mount Edgecumbe passing through Penkridge on its way to North Wales
(C) mick lockley
07/06/1924
London, Midland and Scottish Railway opens the luxury Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland

10/06/1931
The German rail zeppelin (Schienenzeppelin), an experimental propeller driven railcar, sets up a new world railway speed record of 230 km/h on its way from Hamburg to Berlin which was not surpassed by any other train for 24 years.

18/06/1914
The Carrbridge rail crash in Scotland kills 5 people

20/06/1947
Devon Belle Pullman train with observation car introduced

21/06/1880
Josiah Stamp, Chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
1926-1941,born.

22/06/1907
Opening of the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway in London, a deep tube railway which now forms part of the London Underground's Northern line.

27/06/1900
Central Railway(“Tuppenny Tube”)opens from Shepherds Bush in west London to the Bank The Official opening of the Central London Railway, core of the Central Line of the London Underground, means this is the third deep-level electrified "tube" railway in the city

27/06/1933
First Stanier design LMS 4-6-2 (6200 Princess Royal) introduced.
Princess Elizabeth 46201 at Wilmcote 17th March 2011.wmv

LMS Princess Class 8P No.46201 Princess Elizabeth travelling light engine, tender first, from Tyesley to Stratford-upon-Avon on the first of two return test runs. Later in the day, another test run, this time with ECS. 17th March 2011 (C) P.S.Lewis


29/06/1927
Great Western Railway (England) takes delivery of its first 'King' Class 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive from its Swindon Works, No. 6000 King George V
6023 at Didcot 2/5/11
(C)Maureen Arnold. The Blue King Edward II (6023) at Didcot, 2nd May 2011
28/06/57
British Rail announces a £16.5 million loss in 1956

29/06/1937
6220 Coronation Scot reaches 114 mph between Whitmore and Crewe.

30/06/1906
24 passengers and 4 railwaymen die as the result of the Salisbury rail crash on the London and South Western Railway of England when an express train passes through Salisbury railway station at excessive speed.

30/06/1911
First Great Western Railway 4300 Class 2-6-0 locomotive is turned out of its Swindon Works, England. The class, designed by George Jackson Churchward, will comprise 342 members and see overseas service during World War I.

An afternoon at the big Great Western Railway 175 year anniversary event on the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire museum railway. 8 steamers connected to the GWR in steam, 5 of them in mainline service Toddington - Winchcombe - Gotherington (line to Cheltenham Spa race course closed due to landslide). Between Winchcombe and Gotherington a second loco was added to the trains. Locos include GWR 3717 "City of Truro", ROD 5322, GWR 7802 "Bradley Manor", 3803 and LMS 8274 as 8476. (C) Roni

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Aubrey Smith Southern Railway History
HistoricalTruth101 on YouTube
Here is a fascinating insight into US railway life and work...


World War II Veteran Aubrey Smith Southern Railways post World War II to present. The complete interview will be available at http://www.historicaltruth101.com soon.

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The Italian Rail Scene

Here are a couple of interesting items from Italy...
The first is a clip featuring the newly constructed high speed line between
Bologna and Florence, uploaded to YouTube by Impregilospa.

Bologna - Florence High Speed Railway


The second item concerns a preserved steam locomotive...and there are only a few in Italy...



Italian engine FS 741.120, 1st May 2011 in Sant'Angelo Scalo (Ferrovia Val d'Orcia, Tuscany). The engine has a Franco-Crosti preheater under the boiler and a strange chimney on the right side. She is the only surviving one of her class (rebuilt 1959 from class 740). From Valerio Varriale   
This detail from Wikipedia discusses the Franco-Crosti boiler..
When the locomotive is started, cold water is fed directly into the main boiler which operates normally with the exhaust gases flowing out of the main chimney via the smokebox. Once the boiler is producing steam, the exit from the smokebox into the main chimney is closed and the exhaust gases instead flow through the feedwater heater and exit via the secondary chimney located towards the rear of the locomotive. Water fed into the boiler is now pre-heated in the feedwater heater and enters the boiler at higher than normal temperature and pressure

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Their Finest Hour S01 Ep05 Death on the Railway

A UKTV programme, uploaded by SuperBostyn on YouTube
Copyright acknowledged.





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The Lost Railway

An excerpt from the highly acclaimed movie The Lost Railway. This feature length movie documents fond memories of this local branch line which served communities between Shoreham and Horsham for over 100 years. A careful combination of rare archive filn linking the past to the present, the full version can be purchased online at http://www.offtherailsigns.co.uk

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Interview with Nigel Harris of RAIL Magazine

Interview with Nigel Harris of RAIL Magazine by Chanin LLoyd

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STEAM ON THE SETTLE, (PART 1)Courtesy: BorderFilmArchives

STEAM ON THE SETTLE, (PART 2)Courtesy: BorderFilmArchives

STEAM ON THE SETTLE, (PART 3)Courtesy: BorderFilmArchives


With grateful thanks to the University of Cumbria, custodians of ITV Border material.
The Border Film Archive spans a period of nearly 50 years of regional news production for the majority of Cumbria, Southern Scotland and the Isle of Man as served by the Border Television Studios in Carlisle between 1961 - 2009.

Held within it are News reports from the last five decades encompassing all areas of local life within the Border region from lighter community led features and sports reports to hard national news stories.

Included are individual clean unmixed news reports, on air logs of the nightly Lookaround programme, extensive generic stock footage from across the region and complete camera rushes from some of the major stories from Borders history including the Lockerbie Disaster, Foot and Mouth and the Carlisle Floods.

The collection though still the property of ITV, is under the custodianship of the University of Cumbria as a non profit facility and can be utilised for independent research, or broadcast sales.

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National Rail Day (US) May 7th 2011
A tour of the Eccles Rail Center
Courtesy: GoldenSpikeRLHS



Historian Dan Kun gives a walking tour of the Eccles Rail Center at the Utah State Railroad Museum. He tells the history of Gas Turbine X-26, D&RGW SD40T-2 5371, UP Centennial 6916, and UP FEF-2 833.
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The Iron Horse
(WesternsOnline on YouTube)


Maintaining the USA theme, this film is quite an epic (2 hours and 28 minutes...)
Springfield, Illinois. Brandon, a surveyor, dreams of building a railway to the west, but Marsh, a contractor, is sceptical. Abraham Lincoln looks on as their children, Davy Brandon and Miriam Marsh, play together. Brandon sets off with Davy to survey a route. They discover a new pass which will shave 200 miles off the expected distance, but they are set upon by a party of Cheyenne. One of them, a white renegade with only two fingers on his right hand, kills Brandon and scalps him. Davy buries his father... Years pass. It is 1862 and Lincoln signs the bill authorizing construction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways. Marsh is principal contractor and Miriam is engaged to Jesson, the chief engineer... Crews of Chinese, Italians, and Irish work to build the railway while resisting Indian attack. When the pay train is delayed by Indian ambush, the Italians go on strike. Miriam persuades them to return to work.

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The PowerHaul Story. (FreightlinerGroup on YouTube)
Story of the build and creation of the first PowerHaul locomotives for Freightliner by GE Transportation.



The latest addition to UK rails has been the Class 70s.
This promotional film from Freightliner Group extolls the virtues of the "Bulldog" or "Predator"...although the nickname "Ugly Betty" has been known!

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Around The World In 80 Railways
No 13: Beijing to Shanghai

(enzhus on YouTube)

Take overnight train, D309, from Beijing to Shanghai

For complete information for the traveller in China http://www.seat61.com/China.htm is the answer!

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http://www.british-heritage-railways.co.uk/
British Vintage Railways  provide an independent guide to Britain's Preserved lines.
Please make good use of it when planning for your future visits to a heritage railway!
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UK Steam Info is another excellent site listing all known mainline steam excursions..
Very useful for obtaining times and locations.....!
logo
UKsteam.info front page  http://www.uksteam.info/tours/
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The Railway Chronicle..for your railway news.......
The Railway Chronicle

Go To: http://rtn-news.blogspot.com/

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From Christian Wolmar- Latest Newsletter


I was trying to wait for the McNulty report to come out before sending out this newsletter, but now it appears that it will not be until May 17th at the earliest. After a quiet time when all news has been buried by a marriage, an earthquake, a war and various tornadoes, suddenly transport, and especially the railways, are coming to the fore again.

The McNulty report will certainly be controversial. When I met him, he emphasised that he would not be putting forward a programme for massive closures, but according to a Tory source, Hammond has been making speeches emphasising that the railways are full of financial basket cases. The fact that a White Paper on railways now appears to be on the agenda is somewhat ominous but in truth the likelihood of widespread closures actually happening is, I think, very low. They would be very unpopular especially as critics could point out to the billions being spent on HS2 and, indeed, shutting lines would weaken support for HS2. And they would tend to go through Tory constituencies.

Indeed, with the government so ready to do U-turns on issues ranging from forest sales to the NHS, proposed closures would be, I suspect, a one day wonder with rapid retreat of stout parties. However, rail supporters will need to be on their guard, and ready to mobilise in order to campaign against any suggestion to close lines.

In other breaking news, as they say on TV, we’ve just heard that First is not going to take up its option of three more years, from next spring, on the Great Western franchise. This was hardly a surprise, as predictable as Manchester United finishing in the top four. First have been losing money on the franchise ever since it agreed to extra investment following the debacle in the Bristol area a year into the contract, and it was never going to agree to pay the premium payments required in the final three years. That does, however, make a nonsense of the Department for Transport’s boast about the fantastic deal it got when the franchise was let, and indeed about the whole franchise process. The Wolmar question, ‘what is franchising for?’ is ever relevant.

Because transport has been so out of the news, and I no longer do my Transport Times column, there are only three new items on the website: the two Rail columns on, respectively, the structure of Network Rail and the prospect for co-ops in the railways, and a Thunderer comment for The Times on the crazy plan to build bi-mode trains.

I am still trying to clear the space under my bed – I have just got in a supply of Blood Iron & Gold paperbacks, for £8 plus £2 50 p & p, and there are still the Fire and Steam hardbacks, which make a great prezzy, at £5 plus £3 p & p. Just email me at christian.wolmar@gmail.com to find out where to send cheques, or pay by PayPal at xian@pro-net.co.uk .

Next month’s newsletter will, I suspect, be earlier in the month and contain much more news.

Christian Wolmar
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"On Shed"  acknowledges the following  for the news items that appear in The Railway Chronicle

www.railway-technology.com         http://www.transportinfo.org.uk/      http://www.youtube.com/

...and many others duly acknowledged..
Thank you.
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And as a final treat for this month.........

Tornado, in BR Green(!) at the NRM...(C) Nic Burden

Till next month....

Peter S. Lewis (Editor)