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.
- 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 … - Afghanistan to join COTIF 15 April 2019
The accession of Afghanistan to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail is scheduled to take effect on 1 May 2019. Afghanistan is also a member of OSJD and the Economic Co-operation O … - Third Afghan War 100th anniversary 17 March 2019
Follow the 100th anniversary of the 1919 Third Anglo-Afghan War in real(ish) time on Twitter at @ThirdAfghanWar. Disclaimers: I’m no expert, so some of the details may be a bit out. In particular, the …
Sound mirrors
Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.
- 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 … - 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. …
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.
- 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. - LOOP footpath 6 – Ewell to Kingston 6 May 2019
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Ewell to Kingston – section 8 – on 6 May 2019. - LOOP footpath 5 – Clockhouse to Ewell 4 May 2019
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Clockhouse to Ewell – most of section 6, and all of section 7 – on 4 May 2019.