Latest updates
The most recent updates from my various webpages.
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.
- Afghanistan joins OSJD 29 July 2014
The Organisation for Cooperation Between Railways (OSJD or ОСЖД) approved Afghanistan Railway Authority’s request for membership on 6 June 2014, with Afghanistan becoming the 28th country to join. The … - Concrete sleepers in Kandahar 16 July 2014
A company at the Shorandam Industrial Estate in Kandahar says it has a sleeper factory, using Italian technology to produce concrete sleepers to Russian standards. Mahmoud Star Steel Mills is the firs … - Khyber Pass border signs 6 July 2014
Photos of Khyber Pass border signs through the years. Although a railway alignment seems to have been cleared from the short-lived Landi Khana station to the Indo-Afghan frontier, it appears (unless a … - Khyber Pass photo album 1 July 2014
John Saunders has uploaded to Flickr the contents of an album of 1930s and 1940s photos which belonged to his uncle Bill Saunders (1916-69), who was an aircraftsman in the Royal Air Force and spent so … - Iran supports Afghan railway training 30 June 2014
Iran is supporting the development of railway skills in Afghanistan: Iran shares railway expertise with Afghanistan. Meanwhile, at a recent conference in Vienna, RAI Vice-President, Operations, Hossei …
Sound mirrors
- 2014 Denge sound mirrors open day date 28 June 2014
The Romney Marsh Countryside Project’s 2014 “Echoes From The Sky Open Day” at the Denge listening mirrors near Dungeness in Kent is from 10.00 to 17.00 on Sunday 20 July 2014. The RMCP events are the … - Fan Hole sound mirrors archaeological dig 3 June 2014
Very exciting news – the Fan Bay Deep Shelter blog confirms that the Fan bay sound mirrors have been found! On 3-4 May 2014 volunteers from the Dover Archaeological Group, the Canterbury Archaeologica … - Fan Bay sound mirror dig photos 12 May 2014
The Nick’s Digs archaeology website has photos of the Fan Bay sound mirrors being uncovered: “It may not be unlocking the past of pre-history but as excavations go they have to be pretty special to be … - Fan Bay sound mirrors found 11 May 2014
Exciting news: The National Trust are excavating the Fan Bay deep shelter near Dover, and “Part of the project seeks to uncover these [sound] mirrors, the survival of which would make the site nationa … - Been there, done that? 4 May 2014
We have new T-Shirts! Designed by Liam and screen printed in Canterbury by @bluebirdpress http://t.co/yqSWAjcUEK pic.twitter.com/k2DJ8exmu7 — Syd Arthur (@sydarthurband) May 2, 2014
Railways of Iraq
- New Chinese train for Iraq unveiled 25 February 2014
The first of the new inter-city trains for the Baghdad – Basra corridor has been rolled out by Chinese manufacturer CSR Sifang. - Egyptian Railways website 5 December 2013
Mark Goldfinch, author of the excellent book Steel in the Sand, has an unofficial website on Egyptian Railways. The Egyptian Railways Diwan is described as “a website and blog area intended to fill th … - Hudswell Clarke steam loco model 23 June 2013
The Middleton Railway in Leeds has this model of a 2-8-4T steam locomotive supplied to the Iraq Petroleum Co by Hudswell Clarke. This model was displayed in the entrance to Hudswell Clarke’s offices. … - Baghdad elevated metro study contract 18 March 2013
A US$40m agreement for Alstom to undertake detailed design studies for the first phase of an elevated metro was signed by Governor of Baghdad Dr Salah Abdul-Razzaq on February 11. [More...] Alstom sig … - Drawings of Iraqi locomotives 3 March 2013
Other – travel and similar
If God had intended us to fly, He would never have given us the railways.
- West Croydon ticket machine offers unexpected option 24 February 2014
I was rather surprised to find a ticket machine at London Overground’s West Croydon station offering me the option of a ticket valid for travel “By West Anglia Great Northern only” when I was buying t … - Railway photography in Nazi Germany 4 April 2013
Given the outbreaks of anti-photography paranoia which have occurred in Britain in recent years, I was amused to stumble across this 1938 Railway Gazette article “Amateur railway photography in German … - The Museum of Army Transport rail-ripper 15 March 2013
Museum of Army Transport, Beverley: German railroad-plough - Great Patriotic War museum rail hook 14 March 2013
A replica of a Second World War rail-ripper hook wagon is included in the outdoor display area at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow. A sign explains: The “Hook” combined track-wr … - Oakham level crossing signal box 17 October 2012
Built in 1899 to Midland Railway design 2b, the Grade II listed signal box at Oakham in Rutland achieved fame as the prototype for the Airfix plastic kit, now made by Dapol (catalogue no.C006). On 22 …