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.
- 30 April 2020Uzbekistan Railways launches ‘high speed’ freight services to Afghanistan
With the aim of supporting small and private-sector Uzbek exporters, Uzbekistan’s national railway UTY has launched a thrice-weekly accelerated freight service to Afghanistan. This ‘high speed’ servic … - 17 April 2020Turkmen-Afghan talks in the field of transport
TURKMEN-AFGHAN TALKS IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPORT On April 16, 2020, a video conference was held between the representatives of the “Türkmendemirýollary” agency [=Turkmenistan’s national railway], open j … - 4 April 2020Trains in the Visiting Hairatan Port with Mitra video
The video Afghan Scene – Visiting Hairatan Port with Mitra / افغان سین – سفر دیدنی میترا به بندر حیرتان from “Toot” includes some railway action, including the presenter enthusiastically greeting a ma … - 17 March 2020Freight arriving at Hayratan
ریاست اداره خدمات بندر حیرتان با نشر تصاویری از جریان نورمال تخلیه مواد اولیه برای همشهریان عزیز اطمینان میدهد که کشور ازبکستان تنهاورود مسافران را بخاطر جلوگیری ازشیوع ویروس کرونا به آن کشورممنوع کرد … - 2 March 2020Friendship Bridge photos
امروز دوشنبه ۱۳۹۸.۱۲.۱۲ کشور ازبکستان مرز خود با افغانستان را بخاطر جلوگیری از شیوع ویروس کرونا (کوید ۱۹) تا زمان نامعلوم بروی مسافرین بست.اما انتقال اموال تجارتی ادامه دارد.#حیرتان#hairatan pic.twitt …
Sound mirrors
Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.
- 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 … - 3 September 2019Sound mirror poem
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 … - 2 September 2019“Bombing the Channel Ports” by Eric Ravilious, then and now
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 … - 17 June 2019Selsey sound mirror
The Selsey sound mirror in August 2018. - 7 January 2019Sound mirror photos on the BBC website
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
- 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.
- 3 November 2019LOOP footpath 11 – Borehamwood to Cockfosters
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Elstree & Borehamwood station to Cockfosters – Section 16 – on 3 November 2019. Another okay but not especially exciting section of the route, with a div … - 27 October 2019LOOP footpath 10 – Hatch End to Borehamwood
Walking the London Outer Orbital Path from Hatch End to Borehamwood – Section 15 – on 27 October 2019. An okay but not especially exciting section of the route. Guides to the path talk up passing Bent … - 22 September 2019A ride on the JHMD narrow gauge railway
A trip on the southern section of the 760 mm gauge JMHD railway in the Czech Republic, filmed badly on a cheap phone. Here is the section of 1435/760 mm dual-gauge track in full: - 2 September 2019Dual gauge railway track
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. - 11 August 2019The world’s shortest international railway
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 …