"On Shed" - July 2011 Edition

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

July 2011 Edition

FRONT PAGE

71000 Duke of Gloucester hauling the Cumbrian Mountain Express on 19 May 2011.(C) John Edkins


Welcome..site news
Steam Tube Video Highlights
Steam Tube Photographic Highlights
"The Man With A Gold Cap" - The Life of a Stationmaster - 1912
Khyber Pass Railway (All Things Pakistan)
India Train Ride (Best Of) India Railways Series-Nomadic Samuel
On This Day In Railway History
Blue Pullman (1960)
Nickel Plate Road - "The Nickel Plate Story" 1953 - American Trains & Railroad History
Southern Railway System "Via Sevier" - Historic American Trains
Around The World in 80 Railways: No 14: Shanghai to Hong Kong.
Where It All Began- The Rainhill Trials of 1829
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Welcome..site news
A warm welcome to this July 2011 edition of On Shed, the online monthly features magazine and newsletter of "Steam Tube(TM) - the Home of Steam on the Net"

Firstly. Steam Tube welcomes another 27 members...bringing our total membership world wide to 619. Additionally, 1,800 follow us on Facebook, and 550 follow on Twitter. Our page views total around 55,000 per month for our two sister channels, Steam Tube and the SMJ site.
Steam Tube News attracts a monthly page view of around 7,000, and On Shed has attracted twice as many views this last month as for the previous month, reaching almost 1,000 per month.
There is no explanation as to what it is that attracts people to view the site...apart, of course, from its friendly ambience and enlightened and educated content (thanks to all our contributors!)...but perhaps we are experiencing the "Tornado " effect..and add to that the "Flying Scotsman" effect, for that iconic locomotive has reappeared after a major overhaul, much to the delight of those associated with her.

In this month's edition, we take a look at railways in India, Pakistan, and the USA..
Our regular feature "On This Day In Railway History" examines events in this month down through the years....and we  have another excellent historical contribution from David Turner "The Man With A Gold Cap" - The Life of a Stationmaster - 1912.

New member Digby Caballero  unearthed some gems on "The Grand British Experimental Railway of 1830".....and you will notice the historical photograph- which is our end piece for this month- involves Rome....take a look...

If you have any special requests as to what we can include, please let us know..
In the meantime, enjoy this edition of "On Shed"
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Steam Tube Video Highlights
There are now 2,864 video clips in the Steam Tube library. This growing collection provides a
fascinating insight into all aspects of steam locomotion, both past and present.
The following selection is taken from the 206 newly added this last month.....





Steam Tube Photographic Highlights
Our photographic library continues to grow....a total of  1,203 have been added in the last month,
bringing the total library up to 12, 821 photographs. These photographs display a keen interest in the subject and location.....and there are some exceptional captions attached to many which adds to the
overall effect. Thank you all for your continuing efforts...they are appreciated.
Here are a selection taken from this last month's uploads.......






Thank you all for your efforts! Keep them coming. Upload your steam photos to Steam Tube.. first!!

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"The Man With A Gold Cap" - The Life of a Stationmaster - 1912

Steam Tube(TM) is pleased to present another excellent article on early 20th century railway activity......

More excellent articles for the rail historian can be found at David Turner's site: http://turniprail.blogspot.com/

"The Man With A Gold Cap" - The Life of a Stationmaster - 1912

While I talk a lot on this blog about the broad issues of railway operations, I rarely discuss the day to day running of Britain’s railways. In July 1912 the Railway & Travel Monthly printed an article entitled ‘The man with the gold cap.’ The article discussed the nature of the daily work of the stationmaster. Written by J. Thornton Burge, a stationmaster on the London and South Western Railway, he stated that he had ‘often been struck by the apparent ignorance of the general public as to the duties and responsibilities of a stationmaster.’ Burge worked at Templecombe Station, a station of considerable size where there was a ‘very large transfer of traffic’ and ‘marshalling of trains.’ Burge, while working for one company, clearly felt that the experiences he was describing applied to most

 station masters throughout Britain.

Burge’s day started at 7.45am, where on arrival he would find between 50 and 100 letters. Some were from Head Offices which had ‘arrived by trains during the night,’ some were from his own staff, and others came from other station masters. The details of the letters were very varied, including requests for ‘special attention to be given to some old person or child changing trains,’ the quick transit of goods and complaints from traders. There were also enquiries from headquarters as to suggested timetable changes, derailments, operating irregularities, staff changes or pay rises. All of these had to be read, and responded to.

After dealing with the correspondence he next received the night inspector’s report that detailed any irregularities as to the running of the trains, followed by the yard foreman’s report that showed how many wagons were in the yard. From this, he would be able to determine whether there were more wagons waiting to be sent from the station, than the goods trains that were due to arrive were able to convey. Thus, he would have to arrange special trains. Lastly he read the signalmen’s report which explained any delays, most of which he could account for to head office without the further need for investigation.

Stationmasters in the period were also responsible for the station’s accounts and returns. Therefore, he had to check and sign many returns, accounts had to be settled and claims by traders investigated. He also had to make sure all trains were ‘cleaned and birthed’ for the morning services and every delay in the train service had to be reported to headquarters.

By now many trains were passing through the station, it being the busiest part of the day. Being the man in charge he had to make sure that their movements were completed efficiently. On the one hand, he was not to delay the fast trains considerably, lest he ‘incur the censure of his chiefs.’ Yet because his station was a junction, if he let trains go that were due to connect with others that were late, meaning passengers missed their connections, he may also ‘upset plans’ and ‘greatly annoy passengers.’ However, the telegraph and telephone was utilised to regulate the service and plan for irregularities.

After all the correspondence had been completed and the rush in traffic was over, the stationmaster had to do his early morning inspection of the station to check that all was in order. This encompassed every part of the station from the waiting rooms to the lavatories, to the goods shed and yard. Additionally, once or twice a month he made surprise visits to the outlying signal boxes to make sure that nothing was out of order.

The rest of the day seemed to be filled up in attending to the range of other issues that arose at the station. Burge laid stress on frequency with which ‘blockages’ occurred on the main lines to which he had to attend. They occurred for multiple reasons, for example flooding on the line, the slippage of an embankment, a derailment, or an accident. It was the stationmaster’s duty to make sure that safety was ensured, but that, if possible, trains could continue to run. With a group of gangers and platelayers he would proceed to the blockage and put signalmen on either side of it to warn oncoming trains. He would then marshal the employee’s efforts to restore the free movement of trains. Interestingly, he commented that on such occasions it would be useful to not wear a uniform, as when hurrying around the station in times of urgency, he would be continually accosted by passengers or traders wanting information or trying to make a complaint.

Burge made the point that unlike other grades of employees, his responsibilities for looking after the station meant that he was never off duty and was ‘supposed to be always within reasonable call for cases of urgency day and night, Sunday and weekday, and from the time he becomes stationmaster he practically gives himself wholly to the company’s business.’ Thus, on many occasions, after he had left his post, he was called back to the station to attend to some matter. This was particularly the case for Burge as trains ran all through the night. He remembered a number of cases when he was called on at such times to attend to a disabled man, to make a decision about some injured cattle and when fog and snow storms slowed operations on the line.

While this was only a cursory view of stationmaster’s activities, and I could not do the entire article justice here (peppered as it is with very detailed, quite boring, information), what has been shown is that the stationmasters before the First World War were a dedicated group of individuals who were under consistent pressure to keep the railways of Britain moving. Their jobs while relatively clean and free from risk of physical harm, were far from easy and on occasions were very arduous.

All taken from The Railway and Travel Monthly, July 1912, p.201-210
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Khyber Pass Railway (All Things Pakistan)

Steam Tube (TM) acknowledges the kind permission of All Things Pakistan, and Owais Mughal
for permission to reproduce part of an article on the Khyber Pass Railway.
We hope to include more of the same in future editions of On Shed.

Curtain Raiser. On August 23, 2006, ATP had a post on Bolan Pass, on November 2, 2006 another post on Chappar Rift and on December 18, 2006 yet another post on Khojak Tunnel. In the following we will discuss another famous pass railway of Pakistan i.e. The Khyber Pass Railway. Before we start on our journey, a word about the photograph below. It shows the arrival of weekly Sunday passenger at Landi Kotal in 1975. It is being pulled and pushed by two steam locomotives which signify the effort required in bringing this train from Peshawar, up the Khyber Pass to Landi Kotal.

Departing Peshawar. It is 8:00 a.m. on a sunny Sunday at Peshawar cantonment. The Steam locomotive number 2216, which was built in 1916 by Kitson and Company of Leeds, UK is all set to start on yet another journey. The driver and fireman give one final inspection to the engine vitals and with a long whistle the number 2216 coupled to a tourist train pulls out of the station. Today the destination is Landi Kotal via Khyber Pass.
The train gains speed and soon passes through Peshawar localities of Notia Gate, Swati Gate and Bara Gate. Since the track is now seldom used, there are vehicles parked very close to the track. Many children run along and clap as they see the approaching train.
Across Peshawar Airport. After crossing Bara Gate the train slows down and ultimately comes to a full stop. In front of the locomotive lies the 9000 ft long runway of Peshawar International Airport. The train now waits for clearance from the airport control tower before it could move. Sometimes the clearence comes over the phone and sometimes the train crew has to personally walk to the tower and get clearence while enjoying cup of tea with the tower staff. Peshawar is the only international airport in the world where a rail track crosses the main runway. The small photo above is the satellite image of Peshawar airport’s main runway. The diagonal path crossing the runway is the Peshawar – Landi Kotal rail track. After clearance is received from the control tower, the train chugs forward.

To Jamrud. After clearing runway the train passes through the localities of University town, Kacha Garhi and Hayatabad. The famous 1756 km long Karachi-Torkham highway N5 comes closer to the rail track and both start traveling in parallel towards Jamrud. Located 18 km west of Peshawar, Jamrud is the gateway to Khyber Pass. The train reaches Jamrud in a less than an hour and and after a short stop continues its journey westward into the Khyber Pass.
While the train is slowly steaming through its 3 hour journey towards Landi Kotal, how about if we take a little detour and cover the history of railways in Khyber which spans about 150 years. We will catch the train again as it will be entering the Landi Kotal platform around noon.
History of Khyber Pass Railway. Let us start our tour from the year 1857. The “Great Game” is being played between the World powers on the chess board of central and south Asia. Russian influence is present in Afghanistan and British think there is a big possibility of Russian invasion into India. The most obvious routes for this possibility will be either through Khyber or Bolan Pass. Therefore it is suggested that strategic railways be built in both of these passes to thwart any Russian invasion.
In 1878, second Anglo-Afghan war (1878-1880) takes place and it makes it all the while more important to lay a railway track through western passes of India. In 1879 a reconnaissance survey is conducted with an aim to find the feasibility of laying railways through Khyber Pass. Many years pass without any action on the ground. Finally the construction starts in 1905 from a place called Kacha Garhi between Peshawar and Jamrud. The track makes progress westwards and 32 km of track is laid by 1907.
In the meantime, international situation changes and an alliance takes place between Russia and Afghanistan. Russia agrees to consider Afghanistan out of its circle of influence countries. This makes British consider Russia as no longer a threat. This also stops the work on Khyber Pass Railway. In 1909, several kilometers of permanent way and bridges are uprooted from Khyber Pass and sent to other areas of India to be used there.
As it goes with the World politics, international situation changes again and the third Anglo-Afghan war of May 1919 brings life back to Khyber Pass Railway project. Colonel Gordon Hearn is now assigned to the work of surveying and recommending the best route through Khyber Pass. Until now all surveys recommended a meter gauge (1000 mm) track. Gordon Hearn proposes and demonstrates by a masterly survey that broad-gauge (1676 mm) line can be laid through the pass. Construction restarts in 1920 and the section from Jamrud to Landi Kotal, opens on November 3, 1925. In early September 1925, several weeks before the railway was properly completed, the first piece of track was laid into Landi Kotal station, but the end spike was left out. Victor Bayley, the engineer entrusted with the construction of Khyber Railway has a 10 year old daughter called ‘Missy Sahib’ drove it in with 3 hammer blows. Then Bayley and his wife ‘Lady Sahib’ blew the whistle and drove the shunting engine pushing assorted wagons and a brake van into the station. This was a very low-key private affair, not officially sanctioned, and took place even before the extensive 10-track layout at Landi Kotal was put in. Bayley was in bad health at this time and left the Pass shortly afterwards for hospital and eventual convalescence in the UK. He missed the official opening ceremony with the Vice Regal train (but without the Viceroy) in November.
Continue reading at:: http://pakistaniat.com/2006/09/26/pakistan-train-khyber-pass-railway/

The Khyber Pass (NewWorldSpirits on YouTube)
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India Train Ride (Best Of) India Railways Series
NomadicSamuel on YouTube
"Nomadic Samuel" is a Canadian traveller..he calls himself a vagabond who has been travelling for 6 consecutive years, and isn't planning on giving this up any day now!
This video is an Indian Train ride (best of). Enjoy the experience...


http://www.nomadicsamuel.com : Indian Railways has more than 64,015 kilometres of track and 6,909 stations. It has the world's fourth largest railway network after that of the United States, Russia and China. The railways traverse the length and breadth of the country and carry over 20 million passengers and 2 million tons of freight daily. It is one of the world's largest commercial or utility employers, with more than 1.6 million employees. As to rolling stock, IR owns over 200,000 (freight) wagons, 50,000 coaches and 8,000 locomotives.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the best way to see India is not on a plane at 35,000 feet, but at ground level on the incredible Indian railway system. In fact, no visit to India is complete without experiencing the bustle of Indian railway stations with the tea seller's welcome cry of 'Chai, chai, garam chai' coming down the aisle. The journey will no doubt be unforgettable as you are about to witness events you´ve never seen before in your life. Did you bring enough en route entertainment to keep you occupied? Forget about it. What happens in and outside of the train is far more entertaining than whatever gadget, book, or card game you could have possibly stuffed inside your bag. India is not a country that can be summarized in words. There is just simply not enough superlatives to cover the territory. Taking the train is nothing more than an extension of this and how I can best describe the experience is to just simply state that there is NEVER a dull moment. EVER. It´s a complete and total assault to all of your senses as you´ll witness events never encountered before in your life.
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On This Day In Railway History

01/07/1904
The Great Western Railway of England introduces the express train between London Paddington and Penzance in Cornwall which becomes known as the Cornish Riviera Express



01/07/1908
Public inauguration of Midland Railway Lancaster–Morecambe–Heysham electrification system (6.6 kV A.C. at 25 Hz), the first overhead wire scheme on a passenger railway in England

03/07/38
“Mallard” Gresley A4…set new world record speed of 126 mph over 300 yards near Peterborough,(Driver Duddington, Fireman Bray from Doncaster) Over 5 miles maintained an average of 120 mph.

The plaque on Mallard recognising the achievement of 126 mph that Mallard attained(C)David Meadham

04/07/1881
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway opened throughout to Darjeeling, India

05/07/1931
Bournemouth Belle all Pullman service introduced.

05/07/32
The first main-line electric express runs from London Bridge station to Three Bridges in Sussex

05/07/37
UK: The “Coronation Scot” breaks record from London to Edinburgh.



06/07/1978
1978: Eleven die in sleeper train infernoEleven people have been killed and seventeen injured in a blaze on the Penzance-to-Paddington sleeper train.
Early reports suggest that the fire was started by a discarded cigarette or an electrical fault near one of the top bunks in a second-class compartment.
An attendant pulled the emergency cord on the 2130 from Penzance and the train stopped, half a mile from its next scheduled halt at Taunton, Somerset at 0248 BST (0148 GMT).

08/07/59
British Rail given the go ahead to raise fares by 50%

15/07/07
Munich: Experimental train reported to average 81 mph and reaching 98mph maximum

15/07/1913
Opening of the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway in Switzerland, including the 14.6 km (9 mi) Lötschberg Tunnel

16/07/1927
Opening of Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway on the English Channel coast (8.25 mi (13 km) of 15 in (381 mm) gauge.

Like all Pacifics these locos are prone to slipping and here the regulator has been momentarilly shut hence the strange smoke effect. Based on Gresley's A1 class but carrying smoke deflectors this engine looks rather like a miniature single chimney Peppercorn A2.(C) Dick Bodily

19/07/1931
Sudbury Town station on London Underground Piccadilly line opens as rebuilt by Charles Holden, the first of his iconic modern designs for the network

19/07/00
Paris Metropolitain (or metro underground system) opens.

19/07/1926
Atlantic Coast Express introduced. Leaves Waterloo at 11am for Devon and Cornwall destinations.

20/07/1874
The Somerset and Dorset Railway opened their northern extension from Evercreech Junction to Bath , to a junction with the Midland Railway half a mile from Bath station.

historicaldvds on YouTube
21/07/1904
The Trans-Siberian railway is completed

28/07/1914
Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits announces that due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria this day at Sarajevo, the Orient Express will terminate in Bucharest and not go on to Constantinople

April to July 1932
Intermittent operation of Ro-Railer between Blisworth and Startford-upon-Avon and the Welcombe Hotel.

26/07/1910
The London and South Western Railway introduces a new Continental service, Southampton-Havre.

26/07/1803
Surrey Iron Railway (Wandsworth to Croydon) opens.
Double tracked and horse operated.

27/07/1905
The Hall Road rail accident near Liverpool in England kills 21 people

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Blue Pullman (1960)
Courtesy: Crompton on BritishRailways.tv

britishrailways.tv

This short film produced in 1960 depicts the preparation of a British Railways Midland Region Blue Pullman train and its journey from Manchester to London St Pancras.
"On Shed" comments: This is something of a seminal film, clearly illustrating the changes the railways were undergoing in changing from steam to diesel and electric traction. Notice the clothing and headwear styles of the drivers..they could almost be on the footplate of a steam locomotive..and the mash cans in the drivers cab....!!

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Nickel Plate Road - "The Nickel Plate Story" 1953 - American Trains & Railroad History
PoathTV
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (NYC&St.L) , commonly referred to as "the Nickel Plate Road", was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. The Nickel Plate Railroad was constructed in 1881 along the South Shore of the Great Lakes connecting Buffalo, New York and Chicago to compete with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. In 1964, the Nickel Plate Road and several other mid-western carriers were merged into the larger Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W).

No mainline railroad was more colorful than the Nickel Plate Road in the early 1950's, and this publicity film shows Lima S2 2-8-4s "Berkshire" and brand new Alco PAs moving freight and passenger trains in high style.



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Southern Railway System "Via Sevier" - Historic American Trains
wdtvlive42 on YouTube

Promotional film by the Southern Railway System showing the types of activities being undertaken by this railroad in the 1950's. Lineside action includes trains on the steepest mainline grade in America, switching operations in the yards and plenty of other countryside run-by's. We also see behind the scenes activities that educate us on how a railway is run.

The films title "Via Sevier" is a reference to the railways massive freight yards at Knoxville, Tennessee.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_(U.S.)
The Southern Railway (reporting mark SOU) is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894. It was placed under control of the Norfolk Southern Corporation, along with the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W), in 1982, and was renamed Norfolk Southern Railway in 1990.
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Around The World in 80 Railways. 14.Shanghai to Hong Kong

We are now at the 14th leg of our 80 railway trips around the world...so we need some helpful information to help us through this journey..

According to http://www.mytravel-china.com/2011/shanghai-to-hong-kong-train-schedule/, the following information will be useful...

Departure and Arrival Station

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The Shanghai – Hong Kong train departs from Shanghai Railway Station and arrives into Hong Kong Kowloon Hung Hom Station.

Train Frequency

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There is one train that runs every other day – train number T99. In 2011, the train runs on even days in the months of May, August, November, December; and odd days in the months of June, July, September, October.

Train Travel Time

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There is no high-speed bullet train running between the two mega cities yet. Current official travel time is 18 hours and 36 minutes. However, as with most non high-speed long haul trains in China, delays can be fairly common. Don’t be surprised if the actual travel time reaches 22 hours or so. On the bright side, power outlets are available on the train for portable electronics usage.
               
  Shanghai Skyline...........
 Whilst in Shanghai, a trip on the Maglev system would be a must.....

Courtesy: wowiejunior on YouTube...
Shanghai to Hong Kong Through Train

(C)GundamXDivider on YouTube


   
Hong Kong Skyline
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Where It All Began- The Rainhill Trials of 1829

These are thumbnails of the four parts of this 1980s programme.....
Original first part link at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krkVOnUtKiY

Thanks to DigbyCaballero for unearthing this gem....Copyright acknowledged.
The Grand British Experimental Railway of 1830
A documentary film celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1980
Digby Caballero uploaded these gems to YouTube....this is what he says about his find... "I am still getting over the shock of seeing and hearing O.S. Nock! And there was me thinking he was just a pseudonym. I found these recordings on an old VHS video tape minus its protective sleeve, found buried in my garden shed. The content must be of great interest to any train enthusiast. That's why I am uploading them to YouTube for the world to share. At the moment I am still in the process of uploading the complete series.
These must be among the oldest VHS recordings still in existence - anywhere. I'm amazed these thirty-year-old recordings are still watchable after years and years of neglect, and abuse."
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Christian Wolmar's June 2011 Newsletter
Dear subscriber

The long-waited McNulty report on the rail industry proved to be what I expected, a damp squib which clearly had been through the civil service wringer, then vetted by Philip Hammond. The remarkable thing is that throughout the report it is clear that the extra costs in the railway have been caused by privatisation and fragmentation, and yet McNulty ended up recommending more of both.
 It was a thoroughly dishonest exercise which may yet rebound on the government. Creating yet more bodies within the rail industry, supposedly in an effort to improve efficiency, is very likely to have the opposite effect. In a couple of years time, when the sums don’t add up, and the rail industry will be desperately scrabbling around for cuts, there won’t be Labour to blame, but then probably not Hammond, either, who will be long gone.
 McNulty, therefore, has dominated the past month and I wrote a piece for The Times on the day it appeared, which attracted quite a lot of response and letters. It’s on my website (as the Times has a paywall) here
  The two new Rail columns cover, respectively, the way that there is always a search for someone to blame when there are problems in the railway, here,  and the other looks at the obscure, but vital, area of project assessment, here The next two Rail are about McNulty and will be on the website within the next couple of weeks.
 I have been writing a chapter on megaprojects for a book to be produced by the Volvo Research & Educational Foundations.  It’s fascinating stuff which has made me reappraise the value of megaprojects, seeing both more of their upside and their downside, though it’s still not changed my mind about HS2.
 Otherwise, I am spending most of my time desperately working on my history of the US railways whose autumn deadline is looming. My Engines of War book is being reissued as a trade paperback in the autumn, and also watch this space, next month, for news about one of my out of print books, Down the Tube, the story of the London Underground PPP. Even though the book was published in 2003, it is still very relevant and the lessons of overcomplexity and failed attempts at risk transfer have not been learnt. I was speaking to a lawyer the other day, who told me that in the run up to the PPP there were sometimes 40 or 50 people at a meeting lasting several hours, all on £300 or more per hour – all for an unworkable contract that lasted just 7.5 years. That’s why the book is worth reproducing. I hope that by next month the book will be available as a download for Kindle via Amazon, an exciting development. If it works, I will make other of my out of print books available in that way, too.
  Just to end this shorter than usual newsletter on a begging note: I am raising money for the Railway Children with the 3 Peaks by rail walk on the last weekend in June. It’s a great cause, and I am nowhere near my target. Go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/donate/indexerSearchCharityResults.action
 I only ever do these things once a year at most, so please donate! Anyone donating £50 can have a free copy of one of my books (those in print!) or DVDs. There’s a list on the website.  Just send me your address and your choice.

Christian Wolmar
June 7 2011
"an excellent history of the usage of railway lines in conflict" - The Telegraph
- Find out more
- Order yours today




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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.....!

  http://www.uksteam.info/tours/
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The Railway Chronicle..for your railway news.......


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

Historic Vatican City Event!




On 21 May 2011 a special train has been operated between Vatican City station (in the very heart of Rome) to Orvieto (14O km north of Rome towards Florence). From Vatican City to Orte station (90 km) the train has been pulled by engine 685.089 (built 1915), arrived from Pistoia shed. It was the first time since 1962 that a steam engine entered Vatican City Station (very little used and only for freight). Here is the engine giong out of the big iron gate at the entrance of the station and entering the short spur (600 m) linking to Italian Railways.(C)Valerio Varriale
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So, keep taking those video clips and photographs, and upload them first on Steam Tube- The Home of Steam on the Net!

Till next month....


Peter S. Lewis (Shedmaster) Editor-On Shed.
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