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.
- Experimental shipments on the Lapis Lazuli route 28 August 2018
Afghanistan to send first cargo to Europe through Lapis Lazuli route https://t.co/rNESRPE0iB via @1TVNewsAF @RECCAfghanistan @HassanSoroosh @WahidWaissi — Lapis Lazuli Route (@RouteLapisL) August 27, … - Wagons at Naibabad 8 August 2018
Wagons at Naibabad on the Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway. #North #afghanistan #NaibabadPort #GlocalLogisticSupport #CustomBrokerage #transportation pic.twitter.com/x9PkHTSqM6 — Glocal Logistics (@ … - King Amanullah at Croydon airport 1 August 2018
Film of King Amanullah of Afghanistan’s 1928 visit to Croydon airport. King Amanullah, Afghanistan’s reforming pro-Western ruler, gets a good look around Croydon Airport in this film, which shows the … - Iran-Afghanistan railway to be launched by March 2019 24 July 2018
The railway from Khaf in Iran to Herat province in Afghanistan will be inaugurated by the end of the Persian year [=March 20 2019], Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads & Urban Development Kheirollah K … - Kazakh flour sent to Afghanistan by rail 20 July 2018
Kazakhstan’s Flour Was Sent On The New Railway Route To Afghanistan On July 18 this year a train loaded with flour was sent from Kostanay station on the route through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Af …
Sound mirrors
Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.
- 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. … - Sound mirrors in The Telegraph 30 April 2018
Today they’re usually called ‘sound mirrors’ or ‘listening ears’ – and to a certain sort of person they are one of the holy grails of aircraft surveillance. The ‘big ears’ of Kent built to keep Blight … - 2018 Denge sound mirror open days 12 March 2018
There will be two open days at the Denge sound mirrors this year. The open days are scheduled for 10:00 to 15:00 on Saturday 7 July 2018 and Saturday 1 September 2018. There will be a cash-only charge … - Kew sound mirrors 11 March 2018
A pair of Richter Spielgeräte concrete sound mirrors in a small park on the banks of the River Thames at Kew in west London. Photographs taken on 11 March 2018.
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.
- Thames Path – Wallingford to Abingdon 7 September 2018
A work in progress, and a bit of an experiment. - A ride on the Itchenor ferry 29 August 2018
A trip on the Itchenor ferry, which crosses a branch of Chichester Harbour between the public jetty at Itchenor and the hard at Smugglers Lane south of Bosham in West Sussex. - Some of my favourite things in Salzburg 24 August 2018
These are some of my favourite things from a recent visit to Salzburg. Raindrops, on roses, and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles, and warm woollen mittens Brown, paper packages, tied up with … - Tinkers Park bus and model railway event 7 August 2018
The August 2018 model railway and bus event at Tinkers Park in East Sussex. - Thames Path – Shiplake to Tilehurst 22 July 2018
Walking the Thames Path from Shiplake near Henley to Tilehurst near Reading. A nice simple start today; step off the train at Shiplake station on the Henley branch line and you are on the Thames Path. …