Latest updates

The most recent updates from my various webpages. To keep up-to-date on the topics covered, follow @andrew_grantham on Twitter for railways (and other things which interest me), and @ConcreteEar for sound mirrors and suchlike.

Railways of Afghanistan

If you thought Afghanistan was bereft of railroads, read on for a story of international intrigue, invasion plans, the Great Game, and powers imperial and hydro-electric.

  • Turkmenistan by train 12 October 2018
    An article about travelling around Turkmenistan by train, from Wilbur’s Travels’ On Track website. Will all too rare photos of Turkmen railways.
  • New Acting Chief of Staff of the Afghanistan Railway Authority 12 October 2018
    Introducing Acting Chief of Staff of ARA Engr. Mohammad Zeb Montazer Maseed, on Tuesday (Sep 25, 2018) was officially introduced as the Acting Chief of Staff of the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) …
  • King Amanullah at Croydon airport 11 October 2018
    King Amanuallah of Afghanistan arriving in an Imperial Airways airliner at London @CroydonAirport 21st March 1928. @NafeesRehmanDr @Shahid_H_Raja @andrew_grantham pic.twitter.com/Ocn8nCp7EI — Croydon …
  • First meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization railway heads 2 October 2018
    CEO of ARA Attends SCO Meeting in Uzbekistan Mr. Mohammad Yamma Shams, DG & CEO of Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) on Sep. 20-21, 2018, attended the first meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organ …
  • Tajikistan reportedly pulls out of TAT railway project 25 September 2018
    Conflicting media reports suggest that Tajikistan might, or might not, have pulled out of the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Tajikistan railway project. On 22 September Associated Press reported1 that a …

Sound mirrors

Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.

  • Photographing the Kilnsea sound mirror 30 September 2018
    Martin Fuge shows how he photographed the Kilnsea sound mirror. His other landscape photography videos are worth watching as well.
  • Sound mirrors in the Financial Times 24 July 2018
    An article about sound mirrors by the security and defence editor of the Financial Times. Forgotten, dilapidated and, in one case, buried by the local council as an eyesore; these smooth, spherical co …
  • Dungeness sound mirror open day 7 July 2018
    Thank you to all 350 visitors who came to support our open day. Good turn out considering this weekends sporting events… The next one is on the 1st September! @RSPB_SouthEast @concreteear pic.twitter. …
  • Sound mirrors in The Telegraph 30 April 2018
    Today they’re usually called ‘sound mirrors’ or ‘listening ears’ – and to a certain sort of person they are one of the holy grails of aircraft surveillance. The ‘big ears’ of Kent built to keep Blight …
  • 2018 Denge sound mirror open days 12 March 2018
    There will be two open days at the Denge sound mirrors this year. The open days are scheduled for 10:00 to 15:00 on Saturday 7 July 2018 and Saturday 1 September 2018. There will be a cash-only charge …

Railways of Iraq

  • PC class streamlined loco photo 25 June 2018
  • Pictures of Baghdad Central station 29 November 2016
    BBC report In pictures: The crown jewel of Iraq’s railway. See if you can spot the steam loco in the second and the last photos.
  • Mobile friendly 13 April 2015
    I have changed this website’s WordPress theme, so hopefully it should now be more mobile device friendly. Let me know if anything doesn’t work. Meanwhile, I would recommend following “Historical Railw …
  • New coaches for Iraqi Republic Railways 16 January 2015
    Tüvasaş has built 14 coaches for Iraqi Republic Railways, including 2 sleeping, 4 couchette and 2 restaurant cars pic.twitter.com/CM4IdLrKvC — Railway Gazette (@railwaygazette) January 14, 2015
  • Derailment response vehicle for IRR 29 September 2014
    One of 7 Zagro derailment response vehicles ordered by Iraqi Republic Railways, on show at #InnoTrans pic.twitter.com/J0HmL5iUER — Railway Gazette (@railwaygazette) September 26, 2014

Other – travel and similar

If God had intended us to fly, He would never have given us the railways.