Latest updates

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.

  • 12 February 2021Darulaman railway coach
    A photo of unknown date and origin showing a person stood by a train on the Kabul to Darulaman narrow gauge railway.
  • 11 February 2021Kabul – Darulaman railway locomotive photo
    Another photograph of one of the Henschel steam locomotives on the Kabul – Darulaman railway has been found, in the book “Джанг: Восстание в Афганистане” (War: Uprising in Afghanistan) by journalist Е …
  • 9 February 2021Karkar coal mine photo
    The BBC’s Middle East correspondent tweets a picture of the coal mine at Karkar, with the narrow gauge railway just visible; ignore the text about the “soviet field gun artillery piece gun” in the twe …
  • 19 January 2021Iran ‘ready to connect Khaf – Herat railway to Mazar-i-Sharif’
    Tehran, Jan 19, IRNA – Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami referred to sustainable development as Iran’s strategy in the region, saying Iran is ready to connect Khaf-Herat r …
  • 14 January 2021Aqina to Andkhoy railway inaugurated
    The railway extension from Aqina on the border with Turkmenmenistan to the northern Afghan town of Andkhoy was inaugurated with a ceremony on 14 January 2021. Afghanistan’s President Ghani and Turkmen …

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.