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.
- 2 September 2021Hairatan freight trains restart
The first freight train to cross from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan since the Taliban take over arrived in Hairatan on 1 September 2021, after 17 days of no service. نخستین قطار باربری با اموال تجارتی وار … - 25 August 2021Rail freight from Turkmenistan continues
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan informs that the staff members of the diplomatic service and other state agencies of the country carry out regular contacts with the representatives of … - 15 August 2021Situation changed
Obviously the Taliban’s overthrow of the Afghan government means all bets are off for the immediate future, so don’t assume information on this website still applies (though I hope no-one did anyway). … - 15 August 2021Has China secretly built a railway from Kashgar to the Persian Gulf as part of a plot to grab all Afghanistan’s minerals, faciliated by western politicians who have conspired to (continued p94)?
No. Please don’t believe everything on Twitter! - 31 July 2021Torghundi rail terminal in 1960
A photo of a page of an unknown bilingual book showing photos of the “railhead at Torghandi” and the construction of a “Torghundi-Kandahar concrete highway”. Someone has added “1960” to the electronic …
Sound mirrors
Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.
- 2 September 2020Sound mirror talk and exhibition in Ramsgate
Sonic reflections 09/09/2020 | 5 p.m. East Cliff Bandstand, Wellington Crescent, Ramsgate This talk will see guest speakers discussing their experience in researching the history & archaeology of … - 1 September 2020Exploratorium sound mirrors
San Francisco sound mirrors: They have a pair of sound mirrors facing each other @exploratorium. Students always look happy trying them out. I can't help but think of those who spent many lonely … - 23 August 2020Kilnsea and Redcar
A WW1 acoustic mirror lovingly preserved in the middle of a modern housing estate in Redcar, Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/BmtPkGoTL2 — KThomas O (@soullessparty) August 22, 2020 - 30 July 2020Sound mirrors at the Ramsgate Festival of Sound 2020
The East Kent Coast Discovery Programme has received Arts Council funding to host an exhibition and installation on sound mirrors as part of the Ramsgate Festival of Sound. Echoes explores the archaeo … - 4 September 2019Re)collecting (f)ears sound mirror art events
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 …
Railways of Iraq
- 25 June 2018PC class streamlined loco photo
- 29 November 2016Pictures of Baghdad Central station
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. - 13 April 2015Mobile friendly
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 … - 16 January 2015New coaches for Iraqi Republic Railways
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 - 29 September 2014Derailment response vehicle for IRR
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.
- 22 August 2021Identifying the prototype for the Airfix/Dapol booking hall
The Airfix/Dapol station booking hall plastic kit is a OO scale model railway classic, first issued in 1958.1 An old catalogue listing says it was “based upon an actual structure”2 – but which one? It … - 18 August 2021The Airfix/Dapol church at Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight
The Airfix (now Dapol) plastic kit for a village church is a true classic of OO scale model railways, and is based on the real Old St Boniface church at Bonchurch near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. On … - 8 August 2021Amberley museum monorail demonstration running
Industrial monorail demonstration at the Amberley Museum railway gala, 10 July 2021. I’m afraid you’ll have to sing the Simpsons song yourself… - 4 August 2021Identifying the prototype for the Airfix/Dapol windmill kit
Is the Airfix (and now Dapol) plastic kit for a OO scale model windmill based on a real prototype? The church kit is based on the real church at Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight, and the signal box is f … - 3 August 2021Studio Minatures Dr Brydon
Studio Minatures 28 mm figure of William Brydon, subject of the famous painting The Remnants of an Army of the First Afghan War.