RAILDATE 2023.01.13

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Thank you to this week's contributors.

The Weekly Poser: Where is this?

A railway junction made up of loops and swirls. An industrial loop too. Where is this?

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

Last week's Where is this?

We need some winter sun, so let's leave the UK this week. Where is this tramway?

Answer: Port de Sóller, Majorca. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: Richard Maund, Howard Harrison, Paul Hopper, Peter Davies, Derek Mundy, Ian Rathbone, John Gilby, Ian Lowe, Rob Smith, Chris Callaghan, Philip Gardner, David Sharp, and Peter Tisdale.

The historic tramway (Tranvía de Sóller) runs from the village of Sóller down to its port. From Sóller, there is also a railway to Palma (Ferrocarril de Sóller) that uses the same British imperial gauge of 3ft (914mm), but the two lines are not connected.

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]

3:10 to Yuma (1957) -:- A farmer in need of money agrees to guard a notorious outlaw until the train arrives to transport him to jail. Meanwhile, the pair are holed up in a hotel, where his prisoner plays mind games with him - and the villain's cohorts are waiting outside ready to engineer an escape. Western adapted from a novel by Elmore Leonard, with Van Heflin, Glenn Ford, Felicia Farr and Leora Dana

Blero yn Mynd i Ocido -:- Maer Oci names Ocido's new train after his mother, Gloria

Caught on Camera -:- Documentary featuring real-life footage - from the funny to the dramatic - showing what can go wrong both on and off the train tracks. From shocking near-misses and devastating derailments to rush-hour rage and unique on-board entertainment, all captured on cameras and phones and told by the people who witnessed and survived them. Plus, psychologists and industry experts discuss train-related anxieties and situations that passengers could experience in and around the railways

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 -:- Heavy rains flood Utah and destroy neighbourhoods and an eight storey building collapses in the Filipino capital Manila. Plus, trains crash at a dangerous intersection and a stealth bomber interrupts a picnic

Driving The Train 1959 -:- Instructional film on driving diesel trains

Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain -:- Fred meets fellow traction engine enthusiasts in Staffordshire and visits an old friend who is restoring a triple expansion engine at Bratch Pumping Station. He also takes a tour of the trains on the Severn Valley railway and learns about the history of mining in the Black Country at the Living Museum

Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain -:- Fred travels to the Lake District, which was once one of Britain's biggest sources of iron ore. He also takes a trip across a lake in a steamboat, examines how the rail industry made use of local metals, and finally enjoys a pint with former steelworkers in a local pub

Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain -:- Fred watches a traditional chain-maker at work and visits a copper mine, before discovering how the metal sheets produced would be transformed through a spinning process. He also takes a trip to the Ffestiniog railway, built to transport slate, where he rides on the footplate of a 19th-century train and sees the world's oldest working steam engine

Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain -:- The former steeplejack investigates traditional craftsmanship in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, including glass-cutting, making rivets using the traditional hot forge method, and ornate carving. He also catches up with some old friends in the process of restoring a showman's engine and watches workers at the Midland Railway Centre as they repair damaged trains

Ghost Adventures -:- The crew hop aboard a 100-year-old steam engine for a lockdown they will not forget, as they investigate reports of apparitions along the Nevada Northern Railway

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo reaches Birmingham and discovers how a radical reformer made his mark on the 'city of a thousand trades'. At Highbury Hall, he finds Joseph Chamberlain's mansion home and hears how he established a political dynasty including a prime minister and a foreign secretary. Next stop is Cradley Heath, once one of five chain-making towns in the West Midlands. At the centre of Britain's ceramic industry in Stoke-on-Trent, Michael visits Wedgwood, established by 'Queen's Potter' Josiah Wedgwood in 1759 and visited in 1913 by King George V and Queen Mary

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his Edwardian Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo conducts important research in an historic tea room, built by an Edwardian immigrant to the city of York. In Leeds he discovers the city's textile heritage, and also investigates Bradford's musical heritage

Great British Railway Journeys -:- In Dorset, Michael Portillo visits Brownsea Island, where Robert Baden Powell began the scout movement in the early 20th century. Joining a group of present scouts, the presenter learns to build a bivouac and finds out what it is about scouting that still appeals to boys - and girls - today. In the New Forest, Michael searches out some unsung heroes of the First World War - the ponies who became war horses - and hears their story from a commoner who runs a stable and riding school. Then in Bournemouth, the one-time MP investigates a very British institution - the beach hut

Great British Railway Journeys -:- In picturesque Snowdonia, Michael Portillo braves the fastest zip line in the world - stretching 1,500 feet across a vast slate quarry as he begins the last leg of his journey to Caernarfon. En route, he also visits the home of British mountaineering, Pen y Gwryd, to hear how an Edwardian journalist and poet created a climbing community, which grew to include men who would conquer Everest in the 1950s

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo arrives in Newport, Gwent, where he learns about the heroism of a young boy who was awarded the Albert Medal, before visiting a cinema dating from 1912 in Clevedon

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo completes his rail journey through 1930s Britain, beginning in Norfolk at the headquarters of an international horse welfare organisation. In Peterborough, he visits a tidal defence barrier that helped save the city from flooding, while in Lincolnshire crosses the point at which the Mallard broke the speed record for a steam-powered locomotive in 1938. After a spell in the coastal town of Skegness, Michael's journey ends at RAF Coningsby where he sees some iconic Second World War aircraft, before witnessing a dazzling display featuring the RAF's latest combat aircraft

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey, travelling on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey steam railway, finding out about Roman discoveries in York, and taking to the air in the Network Rail helicopter

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo crosses the county line from Devon into Somerset, seeing first-hand how willow farmers sought to overcome the challenge from the production of synthetic plastics during the 1930s and hearing how tourism has spread across the region, especially amongst the young. In Bath, Michael visits the former home of a refugee emperor, whose country was invaded by the Italian dictator Mussolini, and in whose name a religious movement began that now flourishes worldwide. Travelling east into Wiltshire, he reaches the largest training area of the British Army, Salisbury Plain

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the first leg of a journey from East Yorkshire to Caernarfon, beginning by travelling from the city of Hull to the North Yorkshire market town of Malton

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the first leg of a journey from the coalfields of South Wales to the southernmost tip of Cornwall, travelling from Whitland, Carmarthenshire, to Swansea

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores the east of England en route to Lincolnshire, discovering how the Crossrail project is helping to conserve birds and taking a gelato cart to Southend

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores the east of England in the inter-war period, starting in Canterbury, Kent, where he treads the boards as he uncovers the political message behind a 1936 play, inspired by the 12th-century murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket. In Maidstone, he learns of the international origins of the most British symbol of remembrance. Outside Sevenoaks, Michael visits the country home of Winston Churchill, and discovers how the 1930s were wilderness years at Chartwell, as Churchill warned against Nazi appeasement. Once in the capital, he heads to Alexandra Palace, the birthplace of television

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo heads to Chichester, West Sussex, where he encounters an Edwardian motoring duo patronised by King Edward VII. After a grand tour of their factory, he is treated to some rest and relaxation in one of their finest vehicles. Arriving in the resort of Southsea, Hampshire, Michael heads for the King's Theatre, where he treads the boards in a community production of Lads in the Village. Crossing the Solent, the presenter boards the Island Line to travel along the pier in a 1930s London Underground carriage, then hops on to the Isle of Wight heritage line bound for Wootton

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo journeys from Maltby to Hinckley, going whippet racing and trying to understand the appeal of Marmite, before a look around the Triumph motorcycle factory

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo reaches Bodmin en route to Totnes, as he explores the West Country from St Ives to Salisbury Plain. Out on the rugged moor, Michael hears how the celebrated author Daphne du Maurier captivated readers between the wars with her tales of smuggling at the Jamaica Inn. In Devon, Michael takes the plunge at Plymouth's beautiful art deco Tinside Lido, while at Ivybridge, he boards a vehicle like no other to cross the causeway to Burgh Island, where a 1930s playboy built a splendid art deco party palace

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a journey across Northern Ireland to Argyll and Bute, beginning by travelling from Newry to Portadown

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's exploration of the West Country continues in south Devon. He arrives in Paignton to investigate an extraordinarily high murder rate in the literature of the 1930s. The Dartmouth Steam Railway conveys him in style to the beautiful home of Agatha Christie, in the company of her great-grandson, James Prichard

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's journey through eastern England takes him to the Snape Maltings music and arts venue, the Norfolk seaside resort of Great Yarmouth and the city of Norwich

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo's railway journey through 1930s Britain from Canterbury to Skegness reaches Witham in Essex, where he visits the factory of the world's oldest supplier of metal-framed windows, which became popular in the Thirties. Crossing into Suffolk, he alights at Ipswich and discovers the story of a group of child refugees whose history is intertwined with that of Michael's family

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels between Liverpool and Wales. Along the way he discovers a childhood favourite - a miniature tank engine with three carriages in dark red - made by Frank Hornby, and learns the story of a Welsh countess who lived in Gwrych Castle. In Snowdonia, he also rides the waves with a Welsh surfing champion

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels between Taunton and Newton Abbot. Along the way he joins in with a fertility dance in Stogumber, visits a celebrated garden at Hestercombe to discover the fruits of an unusual partnership, and enjoys a trip aboard the longest heritage line in England

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels from Pontyclun to Ebbw Vale in Wales. Along the way, he visits the Royal Mint in Llantrisant and Cardiff Arms Park, scene of the first Welsh victory over the All Blacks back in 1905. In Cardiff Bay, Michael discovers the departure point for one of the Edwardian era's most famous expeditions - Scott's ill-fated voyage to the Antarctic

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook to discover how the railways have affected people and find out what remains of Bradshaw's Britain. He begins in Liverpool by learning to speak Scouse, before researching the first railway fatality and exploring the origins of the Eccles cake

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels to the steel city of Sheffield where he discovers an early 20th century steam engine which produced armour plates for a Royal Navy warship. Then, Michael heads south into Nottinghamshire and to the former pit village of Eastwood, before arriving in Nantwich, where he takes a dip in the briny

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo visits Cornwall's county town, Truro, heading to the historic estate of Trewithen, whose gardens were stocked from China by professional plant hunters commissioned by its owner. The Atlantic Coast branch line carries Michael north to Newquay, where he discovers a pioneering surfer and braves the waves on a belly board. In the nearby village of St Mawgan, Michael is introduced to the ancient Cornish sport of 'wrassling', which surged in popularity between the wars as part of a Cornish Celtic revival

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo visits Heaton Park in Manchester, where one of the first open air concerts was held in 1909, before travelling on to the town of Oldham. Michael then ventures to Edale in the Peak District, where he joins ramblers in walking country, and learns how a Sheffield socialist spearheaded a mass trespassing revolt to open up the countryside to working people

Great British Railway Journeys -:- On the trail of an historic achievement made at the dawn of the Edwardian era, Michael Portillo investigates the first radio signal to be sent across the Atlantic. Then, in Plymouth, he uncovers what happened to surviving crew members of the most famous ocean liner in history, the Titanic. Later, at Fowey, the former politician rediscovers a lost literary figure known as Q, who immortalised the town in his novels

Great British Railway Journeys -:- The second leg of Michael Portillo's journey from Liverpool to Scarborough takes him from Manchester to Bury. Along the way, he finds out about the life of Victorian train enthusiast George Bradshaw, gets fitted for a trilby hat in Denton, and learns how railways helped contribute to the nation's love affair with fish and chips

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo travels through Italy from Turin to Venice. Along the way, he recreates a scene from the Michael Caine film The Italian Job on a Fiat test track and takes a trip in a seaplane to investigate the early 20th-century British love affair with Lake Como. In Verona, he visits the house used to attract Edwardian tourists to the alleged setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and finds a microcosm of pre-First World War Europe at the Venice Biennale art exhibition

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Armed with his trusty copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide of 1913, Michael Portillo explores the former domain of the Habsburg monarchs, beginning in the Hungarian capital Budapest. He then travels to Austria via Bratislava in Slovakia, and in Vienna he immerses himself in pre-First World War decadence. From there he heads to Salzburg, before going on to the Salzkammergut region to visit the emperor's Austrian summer residence at Bad Ischl, where in 1914 Franz Joseph I signed a declaration that changed the course of European history

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo experiences first-hand Italy's 'need for speed' in a state-of-the-art Maserati sports car, and discovers how the leaning tower of Pisa was rescued from near collapse. In Carrara, he finds out how the marble used by Michelangelo is still being quarried and is invited to chip away at a contemporary sculpture. Moving on to Bologna, the former politician embarks on a doomed search for spaghetti bolognese before being taught how to prepare a tagliatelle al ragu. Finally, he lets the wind rush through his hair on a high-speed boat trip across Lake Garda

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores Scandinavia, braving one of the world's oldest rollercoasters in Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. He then crosses the Oresund Bridge linking Denmark to Sweden, retracing the journey of a train that carried a revolutionary Russian passenger on an epic voyage, before test-driving a vintage Volvo in Gothenburg. Crossing into Norway, Michael discovers how in 1913 the nation expressed its distinctively modern identity in plays, paintings and polar exploration

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo sets out to sample the delights of the Atlantic coasts of Spain and France, beginning in Bordeaux, where he uncovers a historic British connection to the region's wines. Across the border in San Sebastian, Michael learns how diplomacy brought Britain and Spain closer together and rides on a hair-raising scenic railway. Heading to Bilbao, he explores the industrial ties between France and Spain and learns to cook a traditional Basque dish

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels through Bohemia and Bavaria, beginning by exploring the art nouveau architecture of Czech Republic capital Prague. He then samples the sulphurous spa waters and wallows in peat and mud in Marianske Lazne, formerly known as Marienbad, before test driving a state-of-the-art passenger train made at the Skoda factory in Pilsen. Crossing the border into Germany, Michael encounters a fire-breathing dragon in Furth-im-Wald, and learns about an early 20th-century pioneer who laid the foundations for Munich's pre-eminence in science and technology

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo travels through Germany, learning about an Edwardian fitness craze in Dresden before heading to Leipzig on a historic line built by British engineers in 1839. He discovers model-railway making on the grandest of scales in Hamburg and ends his journey in Kiel, where he reveals how British yachtsmen spied on the German navy in the early 20th century

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo ventures once more on to the European rail network to retrace journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 publication Continental Guide, beginning by travelling through Russia. He starts in the industrial city of Tula, before visiting Leo Tolstoy's former home of Yasnaya Polyana and learning how the author's life and works were intertwined with the railways. Michael then boards the train that runs from the Caspian Sea to Moscow, where he performs an important role in a dramatic opera at the Bolshoi Theatre, before exploring the beauty and history of St Petersburg and riding on the first railway ever built in Russia

Hornby: A Model World -:- Young designer Prad has just 30 days to reinvent the model railway starter kit, and musician Jools Holland reveals his incredible 45ft layout hidden away in his loft

Impossible Railways -:- A look at the planet's most incredible metropolitan railways, and how they help people solve distinctly urban problems. Including a project to upgrade New York's transit system.

Impossible Railways -:- How some of our greatest railways have challenged engineering's finest minds in their efforts to conquer the planet's waterways, including a tunnel beneath the English Channel.

Inside the Steam Train Museum -:- A look behind the scenes at Bressingham Steam Museum, revealing what it takes to keep the museum running, from restoring full-size steam engines and rebuilding railway tracks to rehabilitating a wooden cockerel from a set of Victorian gallopers. John and his team of volunteers drive a steam roller to a local country show, Dave has trouble starting a vintage bus, while younger volunteers, Alex and Taz enter into the spirit of the day by cooking lunch in a steam engine the traditional 1940s way. Narrated by Ellie Blake

Inside the Steam Train Museum -:- Phil and Stuart go to huge efforts decorating the site with home-made pumpkin-scarecrows, graveyards and mummies in preparation for Halloween. Brian cooks breakfast on a shovel for the engine drivers and John tells ghost stories from the fairground. As the event gets under way, the museum's enthusiastic volunteers dress up in costume to scare the public on the ghost train, while retired minister David entertains the passengers on the journey

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 -:- Tobu Railway has been restoring a steam locomotive to enhance the operation of their popular tourist train - see all the work that was done over three years to restore the old iron horse.

Mega Shippers -:- In Oxford, 280 Minis must be loaded onto a train in just six hours. Bound for Southampton, they need to be loaded on ferries for export to China, Japan and the USA

Mighty Trains -:- Thailand's 40-year-old trains, which navigate weather-beaten tracks and challenging terrain. How do they travel through complete chaos to reach their destination?

Monkman & Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain -:- Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull head to Northern Ireland, where they find out about the invention of the ejector seat, and visit Armagh Observatory, a railway museum located inside a barber shop, and SS Nomadic, known as Titanic's little sister

Monkman & Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain -:- Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull head to Wales and discover a strong industrial engineering history, sailing across Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the highest navigable aqueduct in the world. The tiny village of Hawarden gives the duo the opportunity to stay overnight in the UK's only residential library, before they make an attempt on the summit of Mount Snowdon itself - via the mountain's iconic rack-and-pinion narrow gauge steam railway train

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

Nazi Megastructures -:- The rail network of Nazi Germany, examining Hitler's personal train and how the railways were used as a weapon of war across Europe

Night Mail (1936) -:- Harry Watt and Basil Wright's documentary following the mail train to Scotland from London, accompanied by Pat Jackson reading WH Auden's rhyming verse and a score composed by Benjamin Britten

Railroad Alaska -:- Danny and Animal bring out a snowplough to clear the way for a freight train hauling vital diesel, while Mary and Clyde need a generator

Railroad Alaska -:- Danny and Animal transport freight worth $5million to Anchorage, and pregnant off-gridder Amanda is left stranded while her friend gets hold of supplies

Railroad Alaska -:- Some off-grid settlers face being stranded without basic necessities when an avalanche blocks the track. Hugh battles the weather to fix the track and deliver propane

Richard Hammond's Big -:- In this edition, Richard ventures beneath the Alps into the world's longest underground railway connection, the Brenner Base Tunnel

Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey -:- The chef continues his exploration of the Far East's most diverse food cultures, travelling to Thailand where he meets one of his heroes, David Thompson, who has devoted himself

Seconds from Disaster -:- An investigation into the 1999 Paddington train crash that killed 31 people, asking who was to blame and whether the accident could have been avoided

Secrets of the Underground -:- A legendary train filled with stolen Nazi gold is said to be hidden in Poland. Rob and Stefan explore deep under the earth's surface to uncover the truth

The Architecture the Railways Built -:- Tim Dunn goes behind the scenes at London's King's Cross station and finds out about the disused funicular railway hidden in the Avon Gorge in Bristol, blasted out of the cliff

Train Truckers -:- Documentary following the exploits of a family-run crew of heavy-haulage specialists as they transport the heaviest, longest and most precious locomotives around the world. Terry and Jason have been called in to move legendary steam locomotive Britannia. The 68-year-old vehicle has undergone a major restoration in Crewe and is scheduled to start running at the Severn Valley Railway

Train Truckers -:- Expert hauliers Eric Harrison and Chris Case move an iconic Deltic diesel, better known as The Royal Highland Fusilier, halfway across the country to the Telford Steam Fair

We Are England -:- Catching up with regulars at Clacton Railway Club, to see what's changed in the past year. Have Kelly and Emma managed to attract new members, while staying true to John's old-school approach? And are they managing to stay afloat financially, after a tough pandemic? We catch up with familiar faces to hear what has changed

When Big Things Go Wrong -:- This episode explores a catastrophic high-speed train crash in Spain. Plus, an out of control cruise liner in Venice, a military air crash in Afghanistan, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

SMALL PRINT

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©  Matthew Shaw 2023