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.
- Friendship Bridge pictures 23 July 2019
#Uzbekistan #Afghanistan: #Friendship Bridge over Amudarya was constructed in 1982. Northern Distribution Network, U.S. non-military supply route, still functions in a limited way and goes through thi … - Italian investment 23 June 2019
#DYK that the Italian Government invests in a holistic #infrastructure and #connectivity program in the #Herat region (roads, railways and airport) for the sustainable socio-economic #development of w … - Khaf – Herat railway photos 21 May 2019
#Herat – #Khawaf railway. This railway will connect #Afghanistan through #Iran to Europe. Now #AFG is connected to #Europe through railway, air corridor & land transportation.@ashrafghani @HassanR … - Terrorist attack on Khaf – Herat railway project 20 May 2019
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi condemned a terrorist mine explosion at Khaf-Herat railroad that killed and injured a number of Iranian and Afghan nationals on Sunday. Source: … - Afghanistan joins OTIF 1 May 2019
Afghanistan: 51st member of OTIF On 1 May 2019, Afghanistan becomes the 51st member of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF). The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan …
Sound mirrors
Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.
- Re)collecting (f)ears sound mirror art events 4 September 2019
re)collecting (f)ears is a series of site-specific performances at fallen sound mirrors across the Kent coast. The project will culminate with a publication produced by Well Projects and an exhibition … - Sound mirror poem 3 September 2019
Sound Mirror, a Denge sound mirror inspired poem by Derek Adams at Places of Poetry: “It does not stand on the marsh. It does not sit in the landscape. [more]” Places of Poetry “aims to use creative w … - “Bombing the Channel Ports” by Eric Ravilious, then and now 2 September 2019
A comparison of the 1941 watercolour painting “Bombing the Channel Ports” by war artist Eric Ravilious, and the same view of the Abbott’s Cliff sound mirror on 13 August 2017. Bombing the Channel Port … - Selsey sound mirror 17 June 2019
The Selsey sound mirror in August 2018. - Sound mirror photos on the BBC website 7 January 2019
Black and white photos of the sound mirrors by Joe Pettet-Smith on the BBC News website. More than 100 years ago acoustic mirrors along the coast of England were used to detect the sound of approachin …
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.
- Dual gauge railway track 2 September 2019
Dual gauge railway track at Jindřichův Hradec in the Czech Republic, where 760 mm gauge JHMD services and 1435 mm gauge ČD trains share the route. - The world’s shortest international railway 11 August 2019
What is claimed to be the “shortest international railway” runs for a few metres between Nové Údolí in the Czech Republic and the other side of the now-open border with Germany. The standard gauge lin … - LOOP footpath 9 – Uxbridge to Hatch End 11 July 2019
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Uxbridge to Hatch End on 7 July 2019. Sections 12, 13 and 14 are each relatively short and so can be done in one long-ish day. These sections start by more o … - LOOP footpath 8 – Hayes to Uxbridge 6 June 2019
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Hayes to Uxbridge – section 11 – on 6 June 2019. A canal, a diversion through a golf course, more canal, a river and back to the canal. - LOOP footpath 7 – Kingston to Hayes 25 May 2019
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Kingston to Hayes – sections 9 and 10 – on 25 May 2019. Bushy Park is very nice. The environs of Heathrow airport… less so.