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.

  • 28 December 2024Afghan-built train
    Afghanistan’s National Development Corporation has unveiled a domestically made train(!). Anyone seen any details? Looks like a mining or construction train? د هیواد ملي پراختیا شرکت د لومړۍ ځل لپاره …
  • 9 December 2024Hairatan from the air
    #حیرتان#hairatan pic.twitter.com/hgK3VW82vT — Hairatan City – شهر حیرتان (@Hairatan_City) October 25, 2024
  • 16 October 2024Turkmenistan – Towraghondi railway to be extended to Sanobar
    A ceremony was held on September 11 2024 to launch work on the US$40m project to upgrade the Towraghondi freight terminal on the border with Turkmenistan and extend the 1 520 mm gauge rail link to San …
  • 9 August 2024Bridge opens
    Bridge takes the Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway over the new canal. د بلخ له #حیرتان ښارګوتي د حیرتان تر دوراهي نن د نوې پټلۍ پرانیسته چې د #اوزبکستان پلاوي هم پکې ګډون کړی. دا پټلۍ پر #قوش_تېپه ت …
  • 30 January 2023Afghanistan acquires two locos
    نوی لوکوموټیو ( اورګاډی) له قزاقستان څخه د حیرتان په لور ۳۰ دېرشم جنوري ته حیرتان ته را رسیږي په تعقیب به یې دوهم لوکومو ټیو ( اورګاډی) تر اوم فبروري پوري را ورسیږي، د قزاقي اورګاډي په رارسېدو سره به …

Sound mirrors

Follow @ConcreteEar on Twitter for sound mirror news and updates.

  • 10 November 2021US ‘Sound Mirror’ art exhibition
    VISITOR CENTER is pleased to present its inaugural exhibition ‘Sound Mirror,’ a solo exhibition by Audra Wolowiec featuring works on paper and sculptures investigating the materiality of sound and the …
  • 9 November 2021Sound mirror made for the 2015 Royal Academy Summer Show
    1:200 scale sound mirror made for the Royal Academy Summer Show 2015. “This concept model was made from acrylic and brass etching. It was predominately a flat base with a contoured detail depicting pa …
  • 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

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.