RAILDATE 2022.11.25

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Thank you to this week's contributors.

The Weekly Poser: Where is this?

An aerial view of a railway junction. Where?

Please email your answers to raildate.co.uk@gmail.com

Last week's Where am I?

Underneath an important railway bridge. Which bridge?

Answer: Brunel's 1839 bridge at Maidenhead. Congratulations to Paul Hopper, Mike Carter, Howard Sprenger, and Simon Moppett for their correct answers.

The bridge crosses the Thames on the Great Western mainline. The original structure was built for two broad gauge tracks, later widened either side around 1890 to take four standard gauge. The work was done sensitively but the older part is clearly visible.

Known as the Sounding Arch, the flat, wide shape makes for a wonderful echo to entertain young pedestrians on the Thames Path.

TELEVISION

UK television listings with a transport theme for the next eight days

Click me to open/close [Online only, not in the weekly email]

Abandoned Engineering -:- The world's most impressive disused railway bridges, including the biggest wooden trestle bridge in the world, which was closed down due to hurricane damage

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- Riding both Japan's local railways and the legendary bullet train, Tony explores the samurai of Kyushu, the neon and noise of Tokyo, and the fresh sushi of Hakodate

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor goes on rail journeys around the globe, jumping on and off trains to find adventure and face challenges, while exploring the history and culture of each place he visits

Combat Trains -:- Auschwitz survivors explore the railways' part in the Nazis' plans to commit murder. Documentary exploring the role of trains in major conflicts of the past 150 years

Disasters Engineered -:- Experts examine the Clapham Junction rail crash in 1988 and the high-speed train crash in Ankara, Turkey, in 2018, and ask if these disasters could have been avoided

Discover Britain by Train -:- A promotional short film detailing the benefits of rail travel in Britain

Extreme Engineering -:- Danny Forster examines the $18billion Gotthard Base Tunnel project - a 35-mile passage through the Swiss Alps that will be the world's biggest rail tunnel on its completion in 2017

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo finds out about the history of diversity in San Francisco, from the contribution made by Chinese immigrants to the economy, working as miners and building the transcontinental railroad, to the Irish immigrants who brought the sport of handball to the city in the 1850s. He also heads out into the bay with the police marine unit

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's journey through California continues south toward Santa Clara in the heart of Silicon Valley and ends at Santa Cruz, where he takes to the water on a surfboard

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's journey through California takes him to San Francisco, where he travels through the city's streets by cable car, and learns more about this 19th century engineering feat which overcame the challenge of scaling the city's steep hills. Later, Michael heads across the bay to Sausalito, where he boards a schooner and hears the story of the prolific ship builder, Matthew Turner

Great American Railroad Journeys -:- Michael Portillo visits the seismology department at UC Berkeley, California, to hear the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and learns of the steps being taken to cope in the event of it recurring. Alighting at Stockton, he delves into California's pioneering agricultural technology and buckles up on a caterpillar tractor, the likes of which have revolutionised farming and construction equipment around the world. The ex-MP also immerses himself in the beauty of Yosemite National Park, attempting a rock climb and encountering a 'Buffalo Soldier' patrolling the wilderness

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins this leg of his journey in Stirling, where he visits the scene of the Battle of Bannockburn before travelling north to Crieff in Perth and Kinross to take in a Victorian spa. In Perth, he finds out how to make a sporran and catches the Highland Main Line to Pitlochry and one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts, then finishes with a dram in Scotland's smallest distillery

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey through southern Scotland, with this leg beginning in the industrial town of Greenock, from where he sets sail in the world's last sea-going paddle steamer. He then sees the devastating effects of a fire at the Glasgow School of Art, heads to Blantyre to find out about the humble beginnings of a famous missionary and explorer and learns to make sourdough in a bakery in Strathaven before finishing his trip in Larkhall

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey through the Lake District, where he discovers a magical world of talking rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs and mice, who have entertained children for more than 100 years. At the village home of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, he learns about her legacy and her fears about the railways. Michael presses on to Brantwood, home of the Victorian art critic, John Ruskin, and finishes with a brief encounter at Carnforth

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues the final leg of his journey, meeting a survivor of the Coventry Blitz and exploring how the city has been rebuilt since the 1940 bombardment. Reaching Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, he stops overnight at Hartwell House and visits the area's last pure-breed duck farmer, before heading to Watford in Hertfordshire to learn about Operation Pied Piper

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo crosses the Irish Sea to explore the history of Ireland's railways, including the construction of a line along the treacherous east coast near Dublin. Ahead of visiting Northern Ireland later in the week, he also examines 19th-century crime and punishment in a Victorian jail, and discovers how the lions of Dublin Zoo changed the fortunes of the railways

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on another journey around the country to discover how the railways have affected people and communities, and the legacy they left. The first leg of a journey through north-west England begins in Carlisle, where investigates the Victorian appetite for the custard cream, before braving a perilous descent into the only operational slate mine in England and discovering a miniature railway

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on another journey around the nation with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook to discover how the railways have affected people and what remains of Bradshaw's Britain. He begins by travelling from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, to Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, finding out about the remarkable craftsmen behind the Victorian furniture trade, discovering how George Bradshaw helped save Britain's canal heritage and seeing Shakespeare through the eyes of a 19th-century rail tourist

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the final leg of his journey across southern Scotland from west to east, beginning by paying homage to the birthplace of golf at St Andrews. In Dunfermline, he learns about the humble origins of a remarkable philanthropist who worked on the railroads before making his fortune in steel, and then crosses the Forth Bridge to end his trip in Edinburgh, where he treads the boards in an unconventional adaptation of a play by Oscar Wilde at the Festival Fringe

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the first leg of a series of journeys through London and its environs, beginning in the Buckinghamshire market town of Amersham, where he discovers the foundations of modern-day suburbia. In Pinner, he finds out about a Victorian domestic goddess, investigates the terraced catacombs of Highgate cemetery and ends with a trip to London Zoo in Regent's Park

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the next stage of his journey in which he travels from the naval hub of Portsmouth to Grimsby docks. On the first leg, he helps feed the crew of Britain's newest battleship, discovers how the Victorians planned to repel a possible French invasion and learns there is a well-established industry in an unlikely location

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the second leg of his journey from Buxton to London, stopping at Cromford, Derbyshire, where Bradshaw's railway guide reports Richard Arkwright built his original cotton mill. He also visits Derby to take a walk through Britain's first public park, and heads for Burton-on-Trent for a tour of Burton Bridges Breweries

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo ends his journey across northern England by setting sail from Heysham, Lancashire, to visit the Isle of Man, where he learns about the horse-drawn trams of Douglas, reveals the 19th-century secrets of the Laxey Waterwheel and explores the Victorian history of the Snaefell mountain railway

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo ends his journey across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by walking across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in Co Antrim. He then follows in the footsteps of the Victorians at Giant's Causeway, and explores the history of Londonderry

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores the rich history of Belfast's Victorian docks, learns about a 150-year-old spade-making tradition and takes a walk along coastal paths of Whitehead, Co Antrim

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores the Victorians' fascination with antiquity as he continues his tour of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. He visits the cromlech stones of Dundalk, Co Louth, and an observatory in Co Armagh, and travels on the steam railway in Downpatrick, Co Down

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo learns how the railways helped to make Birmingham the pen-making capital of the world, hears the chilling tale of one of 19th-century Britain's most notorious murderers and samples delicacies concocted in a Victorian kitchen at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo reaches London, where he continues to discover what remains of George Bradshaw's Britain. Arriving at St Pancras, he learns about the station's troubled history and £800million makeover, before travelling along the world's first underground line from King's Cross to Farringdon. The trip comes to an end at the Houses of Parliament, where he climbs the clock tower and meets the men responsible for keeping Big Ben working

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off from Ayr as he embarks on the first leg of a journey through southern Scotland from west to east, admiring the granite island of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde before getting to grips with the sport of curling, with a little help from a Scottish world champion. The Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers invites Michael to take part in a competition, at Barassie he rides the footplate of a freight train hauling coal on Scotland's oldest railway line as he heads on towards Stewarton

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off from Motherwell as he continues his journey through southern Scotland, celebrating the Victorian iron and steel industry and admires one of its crowning achievements - the Forth Rail Bridge. He then visits the Falls of Clyde, which inspired Wordsworth and Coleridge, heads to Cumbernauld to learn about the origins of one of Scotland's best-selling soft drinks, and in Linlithgow he marvels at the ingenuity of the engineers who built the Union Canal

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's journey from Buxton to London continues in Walsall, where he visits a leather business that still supplies the Queen with saddlery. He then explores how the centre of Birmingham has changed since Bradshaw's times, and is taught how to cook a curry by the owner of a leading Indian restaurant. Finally, he heads to the village of Bournville, where he learns how the railway transformed the fortunes of the Cadbury brothers

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo takes the high-speed line to Stratford in east London to explore the legacy of the Olympic Park and explores Spitalfields, an area of the city that has been home to many immigrants through the centuries. He ends this leg of his journey at Victoria underground station, where he finds out about the massive makeover currently under way

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Dudley in the West Midlands to Bridgnorth, Shropshire. He learns how Victorian blacksmithing was not for the faint-hearted, rides on one of Britain's most modern trains and traverses the Victoria Bridge at Bewdley in Worcestershire

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Stoke-on-Trent to Winsford, Cheshire, finding out about one of the greatest locomotive factories in railway history along the way. He also discovers the dark side of the Industrial Revolution and learns how Victorian potteries brought their products to the masses

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from the Co Meath town of Enfield to the east coast port of Drogheda in Co Louth. He explores the railway network within the Bog of Allen, learns about the Victorian secrets of the Boyne Viaduct, and ventures into underground zinc mines

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Welshpool, Powys, to Aberystwyth in Ceredigion. He experiences Victorian entertainment in one of Wales's best-loved resorts, hears how the railways took the country's textiles into the most exclusive households and unleashes the power of a 19th-century engineering triumph

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels on London's first railway and admires the remarkable brick viaduct on which it was built, before taking a tour underneath its arches with a Victorian map showing the poverty of those who once lived there. The Docklands Light Railway takes him to Greenwich, home to the tea clipper Cutty Sark, before he ends this leg of his journey in West Silvertown

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from the Italian Riviera to the Austrian Alps, starting in Genoa, where he learns how an Edwardian Briton introduced football to the port. He takes the train as it clings to the cliffs along the Riviera Di Levanti to reach the picturesque and remote villages of the Cinque Terre, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before ending his journey in the famous Brenner Pass, the scene of a ground-breaking engineering project to build one of the world's longest rail tunnels

Impossible Railways -:- Since their meteoric rise in the 19th Century, railways have been at the forefront of modern engineering. They've conquered dizzying altitudes, wilderness, seas and cities.

Impossible Railways -:- Since their rise in the 19th century, railways have been at the forefront of modern engineering and transport, conquering dizzying altitudes, wilderness, seas and cities

Japan Railway Journal -:- Discover the secrets of Japan's railways, from the newest technologies and systems in use to travel tips and must-see places.

Japan Railway Journal -:- JR West's Okayama Branch in Okayama Prefecture recently ran one of Japan's largest tourism campaigns. See how the branch utilized its old trains to attract tourists.

Kati Patang (1970) -:- Madhu flees an arranged marriage or another man. On discovering the man she loves is only after her money and that her uncle has been driven to suicide, she is left with nowhere to go. She meets a widowed friend, who is going to meet her late husband's family for the first time. When her friend is killed in a train crash, Madhu takes her place. Musical drama, with Asha Parekh and Rajesh Khanna

Killer in My Village -:- When a teenager disappears without trace at a Kent train station, painstaking forensic evidence is used to unmask her killer

Lily's Driftwood Bay -:- Lily finds a relaxing wind-chime on the beach. Meanwhile, Driftwood Bay is the busiest it has ever been and poor Hatsie and her Clickety Clackety Train are working very hard

Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways -:- The historian and broadcaster charts the development of the UK's rail network, from its beginnings as a primitive system of trackways for coal carts in the early 18th century up to the present day. Rapid industrial growth during the 19th century, coupled with the prospect of vast profits, drove inventors and entrepreneurs to develop steam locomotives, metal tracks and an array of daring tunnels, cuttings and bridges that created a nationwide system of railways in just 30 years. George Stephenson's Liverpool and Manchester Railway became the model for future inter-city travel and his fast, reliable locomotive the Rocket began a quest for speed that has defined the modern world

Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways -:- The historian and broadcaster examines how in just 50 years, Britain's railways grew from a handful of small lines carrying coal to become the nations' biggest industry. The emergence of the rail network changed working conditions for British employees, proved a valuable export across the globe and even changed the way war was waged

Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways -:- The historian and broadcaster examines the impact the railway had on London in the late 1830s, linking it to Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. This was the start of a truly national network and one of the greatest civil engineering projects in history, while tycoons including Samuel Morton Peto and George Hudson made fortunes as the stock markets boomed. However, the bubble burst in 1847 and shares plummeted, leaving thousands of people facing bankruptcy courts

Massive Engineering Mistakes -:- Once considered the eighth Wonder of the World, the Kinzua Bridge was the longest railway bridge in the world. But, a freak tornado destroyed it - why did it fall?

Mega Shippers -:- Kieran struggles to get a 26-tonne train rolling for the first time in 60 years. Plus, Colin has 48 hours to load ten valuable racing yachts

Nazi Megastructures -:- Extended episode exploring the use of trains in the Nazi regime, including Hitler's personal train, an unprecedented railway network, and concentration camp prisoner transports

Nazi Megastructures -:- How the Nazis' extensive rail network was put to its most dreadful purpose - transporting prisoners to the concentration camps for execution in vast numbers

Rails into Laramie (1954) -:- An army officer tries to keep the construction of a railway running while fighting corruption in a nearby town. Western, with John Payne, Dan Duryea and Lee Van Cleef

Runaway Railway (1966) -:- A group of youngsters trying to save a railway line from closure are tricked by crooks planning a robbery. Children's adventure, starring John Moulder-Brown and Kevin Bennett

Steam Train Britain -:- At South Devon, engineer Ray Lee is working to bring a loco back in to service. There is also a visit to the SS Kingswear paddle steamer In Dartmouth, the oldest vessel of its kind

Steam Train Britain -:- At the East Lancashire Railway, the annual Race the Train event gets under way - with athletes of all abilities taking on the 11-mile course from Bury to Rawtenstall

Steam Train Britain -:- Meeting the Welsh Highland Railway's oldest volunteer fireman, 80-year-old Cedric Lodge, who has worked on the railways for 60 years. In Devon, there is a look at the Autotrain

Steam Train Britain -:- On the Welsh Highland Railway, trainee Claire Oates takes her driving test, while chef Alex and manager Michelle prepare a dinner for 130 people on the East Lancashire railway

The DART: No Ordinary Day -:- Behind the scenes of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit electric railway, capturing ordinary and extraordinary days through the experiences of those who work and travel on it. Featuring the time the system came to a standstill after a delay resulted in passengers mass evacuating from trains and walking along the track, as well as following the team managing the thousands of passengers en route to the Ireland v Armenia match at the Aviva Stadium

The Railways That Built Britain with Chris Tarrant -:- Chris examines the devastating impact of the Beeching report, which led to half the country's stations and almost a third of the lines being closed. He also looks at how the railways were reinvented for the modern age, and how a sleek new locomotive not only saved the railway network, but reshaped the country

The Railways That Built Britain with Chris Tarrant -:- The broadcaster examines the role of the railways during the two global conflicts of the 20th century, keeping vital supply lines open and transporting troops to and from the front. In the First World War, railway works were converted into munitions factories and women were employed for these dangerous jobs and their heroic efforts helped win them the vote, while in the Second World War, they were vital in organising the evacuation of a million children and offered underground shelters from air raids

The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) -:- Villagers try to save their railway branch from closure by taking it over as a public business - but the owners of the local bus company try to sabotage their plans, forcing them to resort to more underhand methods. Ealing comedy, starring Stanley Holloway, George Relph, John Gregson, Godfrey Tearle and Sid James

Train Cruise -:- Train rides provide panoramas of landscapes and lifestyles, with opportunities to hop off and meet the people. The tracks run to well-known and less-explored parts of Japan.

World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys -:- A trip from the Kyle of Lochalsh, a tiny fishing village on the far west coast of Scotland. The journey heads east across the Highlands, then turns south through the whisky country of Speyside to Aberdeen, Scotland's oil capital

SMALL PRINT

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©  Matthew Shaw 2022