RAILDATE 2022.12.09

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Thank you to this week's contributors.

The Weekly Poser: Where is this?

This hole in the ground has been worth billions of pounds to the British economy over eight decades, and it still generates big rail traffic flows. Where is it?

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

Last week's Where is this?

A Soviet military map from the previous Cold War showing railways, an airfield, and various industrial targets. Where is it?

Answer: Corby. Congratulations to Paul Hopper, Peter Davies, Jane Sullivan, Richard Maund, Colin Penfold, Howard Sprenger, and Paul St Leonards for their correct answers.

Local deposits of iron ore (in the linear bands shown on the map) led to a large steel plant being established at Corby in the 1930s. Two waves of incomers from Scotland created a unique character for Corby's population. Steel-making ended relatively quickly, but the town - yes, it lost a recent bid for city status - has transitioned very effectively, benefiting from its central location, good road links and a new electric rail service.

The Soviets had an extraordinary map-making capability which, before computers, employed 100,000 people. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, maps were sold for cash. In one case, a truckload was sold in Latvia by an suddenly-unemployed colonel for $250,000. If you'd like to explore the world as the Soviet Genshtab (the General Staff) saw it, here is a rather splendid online map service: https://nakarte.me.

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]

Aces 'N' Eights (2008) -:- The people of a sleepy Texas frontier settlement are menaced by gunmen hired by a railroad company to drive them off their land. In the absence of a sheriff, the task of defending the townsfolk falls to two unlikely heroes - an elderly rancher and a retired gunslinger. Western, with Casper Van Dien, Ernest Borgnine, Bruce Boxleitner and Jeff Kobner

Air Crash Investigation -:- Investigators make a shocking discovery that threatens Russia's aviation system when a plane crashes onto the trans-Siberian railway, leaving all 88 people on board dead

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

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, while exploring the history and culture of each place he visits

Bakugan: Geogan Rising -:- Benton Dusk is helping the AB train for the Judgement Battle with his new virtual reality simulator. As Lia and Fenneca battle their virtual opponent, the tech suddenly goes rogue!

Chloe's Closet -:- Chloe, Lovely, Jet and Danny come to the rescue when a train struggles to get up a steep hill by splitting its load in two

Coastal Railways with Julie Walters -:- The actress travels from Newcastle to Edinburgh by high speed train. Along the way, she stops off at the coastal town of Alnmouth, discovers where the phrase Keep Calm and Carry On originated, visits the world's biggest gannet colony, and goes out to sea with a lobster breeder. When she reaches her destination, she discovers the connection between the railway and the famous Balmoral Hotel

Destroyed in Seconds -:- Clips of a fire at a chemical plant, a racing driver trapped in a burning car, a pilot tipped from a hot air balloon during a show, a train derailment and a stunt jump gone awry

Destroyed in Seconds -:- Footage of a train accident that led to huge explosions, a wall collapsing on top of firefighters, planes colliding on an aircraft carrier, a race-car crash and a sinking pier

Destroyed in Seconds -:- Footage of train crash explosions, storm chasers who narrowly escape death, a window platform smashing into a building, cars and trucks colliding and a helicopter accident

Destroyed in Seconds -:- How a freight train smashed into an articulated lorry, the collapse of a four-storey building, a motorcycle crash, and the collision of a house and a bridge during floods

Emperor of the North (1973) -:- Two railroad-hopping hobos jump onto a train and start a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with Shack, a notoriously violent and sadistic guard who delights in his reputation that no one has ever ridden on his train for free and lived to tell the tale. Depression-era adventure, starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Keith Carradine

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

Floyd on France -:- The chef boards the Nouvelle Premiere train from Paris to Strasbourg as he begins his journey around the Alsace region, where, on his first stop in the village of Colmar, he makes liver dumplings in the kitchen of the Maison de Tetes. He then takes a balloon trip to the Munster valley to sample its famous cheese, and prepares a dish of pheasant cooked in cabbage leaves and white wine, before finishing back at the Maison de Tetes to make choucroute and chicken with beer

Gino's Italian Escape -:- For the final leg of his journey, Gino D'Acampo takes a railway adventure to picturesque Lake Iseo, a hidden gem often overshadowed by its big sisters Garda and Como. He starts out angling for sardines, then takes his catch and prepares a dish of grilled fish for the passengers of Treno dei Sapore - a tourist train that takes guests along the lakeside and into the Franciacorta region. While they enjoy the views they also get a seven-course meal - with today's starter cooked by Gino

Gino's Italian Escape -:- Gino's train journey takes him on a star-studded line-up of Tuscan cities. He begins in Pisa, famous for its leaning tower, and also home of the Vespa scooter, which gives the chef the ideal way to explore the city, before he hops back on the train toward the medieval city of Lucca, the birthplace of composer Puccini. Here, he meets master violin-maker Fabio and rustles up a vegetarian asparagus dish. His final stop is Florence, where he meets Cecilia, one of a network of local cooks keeping traditional recipes alive by opening up her kitchen to guests from all over the world

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Beginning in the heart of academia in Oxford, Michael Portillo visits the Bodleian library to see some Victorian treasures, including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein manuscript and a pocket-sized edition of Bradshaw's Companion. At Bicester, he investigates two new rail projects, finds out about Victorian philanthropy in Bedford and finishes in Luton, where he explores the dark arts of the hat-maker

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins in the ruinous gardens at Aberglasney House near Llandeilo before riding shotgun in the driver's cab on one of the most scenic routes in Britain. Over the border in Leominster, Herefordshire, he steps out onto the dance floor at the Lion Hotel Ballroom, where a grand ball was held to celebrate the opening of the Ludlow to Hereford railway, and finishes this leg of his journey at a traditional cider house in Hereford

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins the fourth leg of his journey from Derby to Lindisfarne in Middlesbrough, visiting one of the last iron foundries in the town and helping cast a carrot valve for a steam engine. His next stop is Darlington, Co Durham, where he meets the editor of the Northern Echo and finds out about the colourful history of WT Stead, one of his predecessors. Michael then heads to St Paul's monastery in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, to learn about eighth-century monk the Venerable Bede, known as 'the father of English history', before finishing in Hexham, Northumberland, where he visits a historic ginger beer emporium

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 begins this leg of his journey in the East Yorkshire town of Hessle, where he learns about the technology that made the Humber Bridge possible. In nearby Hull, Michael hears from local MP Alan Johnson about anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, before travelling to Scarborough Castle, where the founder of the Quaker movement was once imprisoned. His last stop of the day is York, where he learns what made the city a centre for the sweet-making industry

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo begins underground at Big Pit coal mine in Blaenavon, where he discovers how Victorians toiled night and day to power the Industrial Revolution. On the River Usk, he learns about 19th-century developments in angling before heading to Ascott-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire - once the scene of a farm labourers' dispute that ended in rioting. Michael concludes this leg of his journey at Blenheim Palace

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey from Derby to Lindisfarne, with this leg beginning in Boston, south Lincolnshire, where he explores the connection between the town and its American namesake. At Southwell, Nottinghamshire, he discovers the origins of a favourite Victorian apple before heading into West Yorkshire to visit an imposing institution built in Menston to provide asylum for those with mental health issues. In nearby Wakefield, Michael boards one of Britain's least frequent services, before heading to Hensall, North Yorkshire

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 to Leeds by travelling through Buckinghamshire, meeting one of the Second World War's most secret agents at Bletchley. In Olney, he learns about a poet whose words are still sung today, and explores the first purpose-built railway town at Wolverton. His last stop is Newport Pagnell, where he tackles the ancient craft of vellum-making

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on a journey to Chichester, with the first leg beginning in Norwich. At the city's Norman castle he uncovers the Victorian public's gory fascination with crime and punishment and finds out how campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry worked to improve conditions for prisoners. Heading west to Thetford, he explores how the Victorian appetite for rabbits and their fur led to special train services to London, and ends in the Suffolk town of Brandon, where he tries his hand at flint-knapping

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey following his Bradshaw's handbook from south-west Wales to Cambridge, beginning in Pembroke Dock, where Queen Victoria's royal yachts were built. In the little market town of Naberth he investigates what caused rebels to dress up as women, later spending the night at an inn in Carmarthen where Horatio Nelson once met Emma Hamilton. Next day, the former politician pitches in with the volunteers who look after the Gwili Heritage line and ends his leg in Swansea, where he learns how to pose for a photograph in Victorian style

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey following his Bradshaw's handbook from the heart of the industrial East Midlands to the island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland. On the first leg, he gives an old engine a fresh start in the railway hub of Derby, heads to Nottingham to find out about the Victorian origins of a well-known high-street chemist and calls at a historic one-time grocer's shop in Grantham, Lincolnshire

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on a new railway journey along the south coast of England. Beginning in the port of Dover, he takes a plunge into the English Channel, inspired by the example set by a brave 19th-century sea captain. A miniature steam train one third the size of a conventional locomotive conveys him from Romney Marsh to Dungeness, and in Eastbourne, he learns how the 7th Duke of Devonshire managed to market the town's attractions to the refined upper-crust of Victorian London. The first leg of his trip concludes in eccentric style at the Glyndebourne opera festival on the South Downs

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 his final journey in London, exploring Albertopolis in south Kensington and reaching dizzying heights inside a Victorian landmark. At Vauxhall, he learns about the darker side of London's flower market in Bradshaw's day and ends at London Bridge, where two stations are becoming one and a new concourse is being built

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 journey from Southampton to Wolverhampton, beginning by being taught how to set a table aboard the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth. In the village of Netley he finds the remains of an extensive military hospital built by order of Queen Victoria, and ends his travels in Basingstoke, where he learns out about a pitched battle between townspeople and the Salvation Army

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the first leg of a journey to Leeds, beginning at London's Euston station. He finds out what happened to the once proud Euston Arch and heads to Camden to see how goods were transported by rail, road and canal. He reflects on the Harrow rail disaster of 1952 and visits a country estate in Tring, Hertfordshire, before alighting at Cheddington in Buckinghamshire, which is close to the scene of 1963's Great Train Robbery

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 heads to London's West End as he explores 19th-century engineering used in theatres, and learns about the ambitious building programme that saw Trafalgar Square replace slums. He indulges in some retail therapy at a Piccadilly Circus perfumery patronised by kings, queens and prime ministers, and finds out how diseases were rife in Victorian London on a visit to Soho

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo is in Brighton as he starts the final leg of his journey from Norwich to Chichester, learning about the history of the Royal Pavilion. At Bramber, he discovers that Victorian tourists flocked to the town in huge numbers to visit a museum of taxidermy, before heading into the South Downs for a taste of life in the fast lane at Goodwood

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 sets off from Newcastle on the final leg of his journey from Derby to Lindisfarne, finding out about the world's earliest swing bridge and its inventor William Armstrong. He also travels by boat from the port of Seahouses to examine the story of lighthouse keeper's daughter Grace Darling, who, along with her father, rescued nine people from tumultuous seas in 1838. On the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Michael explores the lime kilns and finds out how Christianity spread from here across northern England in the 7th century

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off from Oakham in Rutland, where he learns about a noble tradition dating back to the Middle Ages and decides to take part. Heading east to Stamford, Lincolnshire, he discovers why the town is such an attractive location for period dramas, while a ghoulish scene awaits in Peterborough when he visits a Victorian operating theatre where railwaymen were treated. Michael's last stop on his journey is Christ's College at Cambridge University, where he finds out about the student days of Charles Darwin

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo starts the next leg of his journey to Chichester in Faversham, Kent, where he visits Shepherd Neame, which is one of the oldest breweries in Britain. He then heads to Dover to explore a sunken fortress known as the Western Heights, before crossing into Surrey where he blow-dries a hen in Dorking

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 Ipswich to Chelmsford, starting at an agricultural implements works with its own railway sidings. Continuing his journey south-west into Essex, Michael dredges for oysters off Mersea Island before taking the train to Witham, where he discovers a model farming establishment at Tiptree. His final destination is Chelmsford, home to the world's first purpose-built radio equipment factory, established by Guglielmo Marconi

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 British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels through Hampshire and Berkshire, as he continues his journey to Wolverhampton. His stop-off points include Stratfield Saye House, the stately home bequeathed by the nation to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, in 1817. He then heads to Aldershot Garrison, where he is put through his paces under military instruction. At St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, Michael visits the tomb of French emperor Napoleon III and his family, before ending in Crowthorne, Berkshire, the home of Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the final leg of his journey from Southampton to the West Midlands, Michael Portillo visits the spa town of Cheltenham, where he gets behind the wheel of a very early locomotive carriage that ran on the road. In Tewkesbury, he joins a group re-enacting a battle from the Wars of the Roses, before he reaches his final destination of Wolverhampton, where he hears how Queen Victoria made an emotional visit that signalled the end of her exile from public life after mourning Prince Albert

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the final leg of his journey, Michael Portillo rediscovers a once-famous poet in Nottingham and travels on a railway line resurrected by popular demand after falling victim to Beeching's cuts. He finds out how Doncaster rail workers shaped British political history, before reaching his final destination of Leeds, where he auditions at Britain's oldest continuously working music hall

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the last leg of his journey through north-west England, Michael Portillo makes a clean sweep in Ashley, Cheshire, where in Victorian times the new middle classes set up home in suburban villas with multiple chimneys swept by children. In Macclesfield, he finds the end of the Silk Route and tries his hand at screen printing. Then after stoking the fire on the steam-powered Churnet Valley Railway, the former politician alights at Froghall, Staffordshire, heading for Alton Towers to trace the 19th-century origins of the theme park

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the next leg of his journey, Michael Portillo heads along the Essex bank of the Thames before crossing the river into Kent. He begins in Barkingside, where Victorian philanthropist Thomas Barnardo made it his mission to transform the lives of destitute children. The former politician then tries his hand at loading a container onto a pocket wagon at Tilbury docks, and ends his trip in Rochester, where he encounters a host of familiar characters and explores a town that was an inspiration for many of Charles Dickens' works

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the next stage of his journey to Leeds, Michael Portillo sets off in Leicester, where he finds out about the hunt for Richard III's remains. Michael works his passage on the Great Central Railway from Rothley to Loughborough, where he learns about a family that has been casting bells in the town since 1839

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the next stage of his journey to Wolverhampton, Michael Portillo visits Lacock Abbey near Chippenham in Wiltshire to find out how the world's first photographic negative was made. He then heads to Bristol Zoo, examines an extraordinary piece of Victorian engineering at Severn Tunnel Junction and ends the leg in Gloucester, where he meets a stonemason at the city's cathedral

Great British Railway Journeys -:- The next part of Michael Portillo's journey from London to Leeds begins in Northampton, where Victorian methods have been used to make shoes for more than 130 years. The ex-politician then heads to Warwickshire, learning about the legacy of Dr Thomas Arnold at Rugby School and finding out how Coventry's craftsmen learned to adapt to survive, before ending this leg of his trip in Nuneaton

Great British Railway Journeys -:- The next part of Michael Portillo's journey from Southampton to Wolverhampton begins in Wokingham, Berkshire, where the former politician finds out how demand from a growing number of rail commuters fuelled the development of the modern printing press. He then learns about a Tudor businessman who manufactured cloth in enormous volumes in Newbury, and ends this leg of his trip in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. Here, a local manufacturer describes how his Victorian forebears were the first in Britain to be licensed to vulcanise rubber

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Armed with a 1936 edition of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures onto the European rail network, beginning an emotional rail journey which takes him deep into his family's past. In the golden city of Salamanca in northwestern Spain, Michael visits the University to hear of opposition to the fascist takeover of Spain by General Francisco Franco, and gains access to the General's archive of enemies of the state. Travelling on to the capital city of Madrid, Michael visits the 1930s art deco Telefonica Building and discovers what happened there during the civil war

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael continues his journey through Spain with his 1930s Bradshaw's guide. At the Museo Reina Sofia, Michael hears how the bombing of a small town in the Basque region in 1937 inspired one of the 20th-century's most shocking works of art. Later in the northern town of Huesca, Michael meets the son of novelist George Orwell

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo concludes his journey in the Netherlands, where he travels from Rotterdam to Utrecht, including a visit to the world's largest flower auction in Haarlem, a trip to Delft to learn how the city came to specialise in pottery and an exploration of the government buildings in The Hague

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels across Paris, learning about the avant-garde artists of Montparnasse, going backstage at Folies Bergere and exploring the cellars of Champagne country

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from the chateaux of the Loire Valley to the heart of the Champagne region at Reims. Beginning his journey in historic Orleans, Michael follows his Bradshaw's guide to the magnificent stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Sainte-Croix, before taking a spin around the track at Le Mans in a French-built car. Finally in Versailles, Michael visits the opulent palace and neighbouring Trianon Palace hotel

How Do They Do It? -:- How do they make an almost invisible hearing aid that connects wirelessly to your phone? And, how do they build the carriages for London's new underground railway?

Howl (2015) -:- A train leaves London on a dark and stormy night, only to come to a sudden halt in the middle of a forest when it collides with something on the tracks. The passengers must band together to survive the night when they discover a strange creature is lurking in the woods and is on the hunt for human prey. Horror, starring Ed Speleers and Holly Weston

Japan Railway Journal -:- On September 23, JR Kyushu's Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen opened for business along with a new tourist train. See the shinkansen in action and the redevelopment project along the line to attract visitors.

Japan Railway Journal -:- Yagan Railway in Tochigi Prefecture is a small railway company with nine stations and four train cars - see how the company plays a vital role in connecting the Tokyo area and Fukushima Prefecture.

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

Mighty Trains -:- Teddy Wilson takes a breath-taking train journey through Norway. He witnesses stunning scenery and deadly landscapes on the Bergen Railway and Nordland Line

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) -:- An American businessman travelling on the Orient Express from Istanbul to Paris tries to hire Hercule Poirot to be his bodyguard as he has had death threats made against him. The sleuth refuses, but wakes up the following morning to learn the man has been stabbed to death while the train was held up by heavy snow - and there is no shortage of suspects among the passengers. Agatha Christie mystery, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, with Daisy Ridley, Derek Jacobi and Johnny Depp

Murder, She Said (1961) -:- Elderly sleuth Miss Marple is travelling by rail when she witnesses a murder on a passing train. The police dismiss her claims, so she launches a private investigation and goes to work as a servant in the stately home where she believes the body is hidden. Agatha Christie mystery, starring Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow and James Robertson Justice

Nick Knowles' Railway Journeys -:- The presenter embarks on a railway journey across the extraordinary landscapes of Peru to magical Machu Picchu. Starting at Puno on Lake Titicaca, Nick's journey takes him to the highest point on this railway line (and the fourth highest train station in the world) at La Reya

Oli Wyn -:- How the funicular railway in Aberystwyth works

Outback Truckers -:- Rain hampers Robbie's efforts to truck a home to the Gold Coast. Meanwhile, Graham faces storms and grass fires moving a section of railway 5,000 kilometres in just five days

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

Railways For Ever! -:- Documentary about a significant date in British railway history

Salvage Hunters -:- Drew Pritchard heads to Scotland to see a Victorian theatre in Aberdeen and the remote town of Rothes. Plus, sidekick Tee shows him how to do a deal at a steam railway in Devon

Salvage Hunters -:- Drew Pritchard meets an Oxfordshire aristocrat who owns his own steam train, and picks up an American sign and a Victorian oil lamp

Salvage Hunters -:- In Sussex, modern-day treasure hunter Drew Pritchard has some incredible luck when he is offered first pick of a shop packed full of French items. Then in Kent, he's invited behind the scenes of a historic railway

Seconds from Disaster -:- An investigation into the causes behind the commuter train crash that killed more than 100 people in Amagasaki, Japan, in April 2005

The Agatha Christie Hour -:- When a penniless man takes a holiday, he is shocked when a beautiful girl flings herself into his railway carriage, begging to be hidden. When she asks him to take care of a package and then leaves, the man becomes embroiled in an adventure

The Dales -:- Midwife Chris Warren visits an expectant mother in Masham, while drummer Mike Naylor of the Swale Valley Stompers invites his grand-daughter Charlotte to join the jazz band for a concert at the Harrogate Flower Show. Adrian Edmondson finds out whether the Wensleydale Railway volunteers have realised their dream of opening up the disused line between Leeming Bar and Northallerton

The Dales -:- Wensleydale Railway general manager Nigel Park and his team of volunteers put on an event to raise money to open up the old line between Leeming Bar and Northallerton, which would connect the Dales to the East Coast mainline. Adrian Edmondson spends a day with vet Amy Swales on her rounds in the Swaledale area, while the Wensleydale Young Farmers are given a lesson in the art of auctioneering by expert Maurice Scott

The Great Model Railway Challenge -:- Talented teams are tasked to build awe-inspiring miniature wonderlands against the clock, loaded with stunning scenery and spectacular animations, all to a different weekly theme and designed to impress expert judges Steve Flint and Kathy Millatt. Here, the first of eight gruelling, themed rounds sees 'The Restless Earth' brought to life. Three teams of enthusiasts set about manufacturing a deluge of volcanoes, earthquakes and other small-scale natural disasters. Presented by James Richardson and Tim Shaw

The Repair Shop -:- The experts use their restoration skills on an ancient penny farthing bicycle, a battered leather briefcase and a clocking-on clock from the British Rail depot in Crewe

World's Top 5 -:- Five of the world's most impressive trains are pitted against one another in a variety of key categories

SMALL PRINT

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©  Matthew Shaw 2022