RAILDATE 2023.02.03

Your free weekly guide to what's happening, what's new and what's on.

To subscribe to the email, please send a blank email to: raildate+subscribe@groups.io

Raildate is a collaboration between the editor and a number of contributors. Please think about supplying links that you spot. The contact email address is: raildate.co.uk@gmail.com

The latest Raildate is always at https://latest.raildate.co.uk

There are sections on:

UK Rail News

East

East Midlands

Isle of Man

London

Midlands

North West

Northern Ireland

Scotland

South

South East

Wales

West

National

Rail Industry

International Rail News

Austria

Canada

Europe

Nigeria

South Africa

USA

Other Transport Modes

Air

Bus

Marine

Road

Credits

Thank you to this week's contributors. We welcome Adrian Hirst as a new contributor.

The Weekly Poser: Back in time: Where is this?

I've been working with the RCTS photo archive this week. This print (3rd October 1949) - which I've cropped - shows some distinctive locos and early colour signals. Where is it? And can you guess any of the locos' identities? The photographer is not recorded.

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

Last week's Where was I this week?

Visiting a railway museum on a bright, chilly Sunday this week. Where was I?

Answer: East Anglian Railway Museum at Chappel & Wakes Colne station near Colchester. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: Peter Davies, Richard Maund, Peter Tisdale, Richard Whitbread, Paul Hopper, John Absom, and Alan Rushworth.

The EARM was set up in anticipation of the Sudbury branch closing but, as it hasn't, now operates as a relatively static collection occupying a large yard and various buildings. The nearby Chappel viaduct is spectacular, being the second-largest brick structure in the UK after Battersea power station.

The station is unusually elevated with a set of brick stairs to reach platform level. The museum is open all year at weekends and on Wednesdays. EARM Website. I picked up The Railway Conquest of the World by F.A.Talbot, published 1911, in the bookshop, and it is turning out to a stirring read of derring-do.

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

American Pickers -:- The guys make off with a bulging bounty of cool signs when they pick an old train caboose in the Californian mountains

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor embarks on a global journey, beginning in Paris, where he meets up with a friend who explains the finer points of French social etiquette. In Germany, Tony compares a gentle spin in a replica of the first automobile with an exhilarating blast in the latest Formula 1 car. Then it's over to Hungary, where capital Budapest is now very different from how it was under communist rule. Lastly, Tony heads towards Turkey, which straddles Asia, where he explores Istanbul's spice markets and visits the main train station where renovations have uncovered ruins dating back to 400BC

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 heads to Japan, taking the bullet train to Kyoto and meeting young people there who are rebelling against the traditional corporate lifestyle expectations of Japanese society. Tony then travels through the world's longest - and deepest - undersea rail tunnel, emerging in the thick snow of Hakodate.

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor heads to Thailand, where he emerges from the Chiang Mai train station to find himself amid a Buddhist ceremony in which the town's citizens offer gifts to monks from the local temple, with Tony joining the monks to grasp what their daily life entails. Crossing the border into Malaysia, he instantly sees echoes of British rule everywhere, before ending in Kuala Lumpur, where he discovers a city of wild contrasts

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor rides the El Chepe train from the west coast of Mexico through to the Copper Canyon - a system larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon. From there, Tony jumps on Mexico's only passenger line to head towards the USA. Along the way, he stops in the city of Chihuahua where he discovers Sotol, the region's answer to Tequila. He then heads to Juarez, a city once strongly associated with drug cartels. After crossing the US border into El Paso, Tony meets a fellow train enthusiast trying to revive historic street cars. The final stop on this leg of his journey is Los Angeles' Union Station

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor takes a rail journey around the globe, he begins by visiting France, Germany and Hungary before heading towards Turkey, which straddles Asia and Europe. In Paris, he meets up with a friend who explains the finer points of French social etiquette, while in Germany, Tony compares a gentle spin in a replica of the first automobile with an exhilarating blast in the latest Formula 1 car. He then travels across India and Burma, beginning in Delhi, where he visits one of the city's oldest markets, before taking a ride on the Himalayan Mountain Railway

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor travels across India and Burma, beginning in Delhi, where he visits one of the city's oldest markets, before taking a ride on the Himalayan Mountain Railway and being taught the proper way to imbibe at the Glenburn Tea Estate. He then crosses the Bay of Bengal into Burma, trying his hand at pottery and learning about toddy palm wine, finishing at the ancient city of Bagan

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The actor travels through the heart of South America, exploring Argentina and Peru. In Buenos Aires he meets up with charismatic local Viviana Parara. They go tango dancing, out for a lunch of prime Argentine steak and finally find themselves in the middle of a huge street dance. Tony then travels north into Peru, heading to the ancient city of Cusco where he takes a detour to visit the Amazon rainforest. A further train ride takes him from Cusco up to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Visiting this Incan citadel has been a lifelong dream for Tony, and it does not disappoint

Around the World by Train with Tony Robinson -:- The final stage of his journey takes the actor to America, where he rides the rails across the country, beginning in San Francisco before jumping aboard the famous California Zephyr bound for Denver, Colorado. Heading to Louisiana, Tony finds out from the mayor of New Orleans how the city has been rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina, and then concludes his trip in New York City

Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) -:- The infamous outlaw duo learn their trade and establish their status as train robbers, while creating the notorious Hole-in-the-Wall gang. Prequel to the classic 1969 Western, starring Tom Berenger, William Katt, John Schuck, Brian Dennehy and Jeff Corey, reprising his role from the original film

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris crosses Australia from south to north following the original ill-fated route of the 2,000 mile-long Adelaide to Darwin railway. After beginning his journey on a luxury modern train, he transfers to one of the line's surviving steam locomotives before hitting the Outback, where he quickly concludes that a 4x4 is a more practical means of travelling. He passes through ghost towns and explores abandoned railway relics before uncovering why most of the southern section of the line eventually had to be abandoned. At Alice Springs he hitches a ride on a freight train headed for Darwin and reaches his final destination after nearly 24 hours in the cramped cab

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- Chris takes a trip through India on the Konkan railway, a line that opened in 1998 and runs down the west coast. He starts his journey at dawn in the country's financial capital Mumbai, where the Mandovi Express is the first of many trains he catches along the 472 miles of track running through the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. To keep the line straight, 92 tunnels and 2,000 bridges had to be built in one of the wettest areas of the subcontinent and Chris joins the monsoon team, which patrols daily to ensure that it is free from obstructions

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys -:- TV and radio presenter Chris Tarrant goes on three journeys by rail through some of the world's harshest terrain. He begins by heading to the Congo in central Africa to experience one of the greatest surviving railways of the colonial era, built by the French at a cost of tens of thousands of native lives and connecting the capital Brazzaville to the coast. Chris sets off on his scheduled two-day trip from the station at the port of Pointe-Noire, ending his journey six days - and a whole series of setbacks - later

Easy Japanese -:- Does this train go to Ikebukuro? Find out how to ask if public transportation goes to your destination; use the name of the place plus 'ni ikimasu ka'

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone -:- Documentary offering an insight into the Bolton steeplejack's love of restoring engines and chimneys, highlighting one of his greatest triumphs - the steam traction engine he painstakingly repaired over 27 years. His great appreciation for volunteers who dedicated their lives to preserving the past is also explored

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone -:- Documentary offering an insight into the steeplejack's love of steam-powered engines and machinery. After spending a large part of his life studying their construction and history, he passed on this knowledge in his programmes and highlighted the importance of steam power in Britain's past

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone -:- The steeplejack's interest in industrial engineering, which was sparked by the building of canals, railways and bridges near his Bolton home. The documentary visits Hadrian's Wall, the canal tunnels in Dudley and Conway's suspension bridge

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo arrives in Croydon, where he hears the story of a mixed-race composer who was once celebrated but is now forgotten. At Three Bridges station, he is delighted to find a recently built depot and its fleet of new Class 700 trains - and is given the great honour of washing one down. In Lewes, he makes a beeline for Charleston, the home of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and in Shoreham-by-Sea, Michael discovers how magnificent Edwardians in flying machines took off from the oldest licensed airport in the country

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 continues his journey along the Irish mail route beginning in Chester, where he takes a tour of Roman remains, and then visits a secret Second World War chemical plant at Rhydymwyn, Flintshire. After spending the night in Llandudno, he heads to the Conwy estuary for a spot of mussel fishing

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey along the route of the historic Irish mail service from Ledbury to Holyhead, stopping off in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, to visit the world's first iron bridge. He also explores Wrexham's Chirk Castle, and tries his hand at making traditional Cheshire cheese

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 from Ledbury to Holyhead, taking the train to the summit of Wales' highest peak, Mount Snowdon. He then examines the revival of Anglesey's sea salt industry, before discovering how the railways transformed the port of Holyhead

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo continues his journey from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray, stopping at historic Durham Cathedral. He also explores one of the first locomotives in Darlington, and takes a gothic Dracula-inspired tour of Whitby. Finally, he boards a steam train to travel across the North Yorkshire Moors

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 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 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 leg of his journey, learning about the London Necropolis Railway, a funeral service that transported coffins from Waterloo to Surrey's Brookwood Cemetery from 1854 to 1941. He also discovers how London's West End became a popular shopping destination in the 19th century and examines the changing fortunes of the city's docks

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on the next leg of his journey, travelling from Newcastle upon Tyne to Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, along some of the earliest railways in England. He visits the first locomotive factory in the world, opened by George Stephenson, searches for the lost pit village of Marsden in South Shields, and is entertained by a comic troupe of rapping sword-dancers in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo embarks on train journeys through Edwardian Britain, exploring the grand estates of Norfolk and a bivouac on Brownsea Island on the way. He also learns the ropes aboard an Edwardian wherry on the Norfolk Broads

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores an Edwardian utopia in Letchworth, where he meets a fourth generation citizen who introduces him to the town's community spirit. He then heads towards London, and discovers a favoured haunt of King Edward VII, before sampling the monarch's favourite tipple, the King's Ginger

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo explores the Conwy Valley in north Wales, stopping in Betws-y-Coed to find out about Britain's first artists' colony. He also visits the Victorian slate capital Blaenau Ffestiniog and takes a steam train to Porthmadog harbour

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo goes fishing at Ely in Cambridgeshire with the last remaining eel trapper on the Fens, and visits the Denver Sluice, one of the great triumphs of 19th-century engineering. In the Norfolk town of King's Lynn, he uncovers an ambitious plan to reclaim the Wash in Victorian times

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo heads from Warwick to Rye in East Sussex. In the orchards of East Malling, Kent, Michael discovers how the Edwardians' serious attitude towards cultivation bears fruit even now. In Folkestone, he hears how the town coped with an influx of more than 100,000 refugees fleeing the German invasion in 1914. In the High Weald, Michael heads for Tenterden Town and the light railway that opened in 1900. His final stop is the medieval Cinque Port of Rye, where he tours the home and garden of author Henry James

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 sets off from Dereham in Norfolk on the final leg of his journey to the seaside town of Cromer. Along the way he gets the opportunity to drive a heritage diesel train, discovers why Norfolk black turkeys appeared on the Victorian Christmas menu, and samples classic Cromer crab

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 out to follow the route of the historic Irish mail service from Ledbury in Herefordshire to Holyhead on Anglesey. He begins by tasting the Victorian drink perry, meeting a pedigree Hereford bull and visiting the world's first iron-framed building in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Great British Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo takes a Turkish bath in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and explores the Victorian industrial village of Saltaire in West Yorkshire. He also meets alpacas, whose fleeces made a fortune in the age of George Bradshaw, as he journeys from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire

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 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 -:- The third leg of Michael Portillo's journey from Brighton to Cromer begins in the London borough of Enfield, where he visits the Royal Small Arms Factory, the largest machine shop in Europe in the Victorian era. He then discovers the influence of trains on horse racing in Newmarket, and heads to Cambridge to find out why it could be considered the birthplace of football

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo takes in Georgia and Azerbaijan as he journeys through the former Russian empire. He begins in the port of Batumi, discovers a surprise 19th-century tea plantation in the West Georgian countryside, visits a private museum dedicated to Joseph Stalin - the most infamous Georgian of all - and discovers that a Briton was the first to conquer the highest mountain in the Caucasus range. Arriving in Azerbaijan, he learns about its role in the 19th-century oil industry

Great Continental Railway Journeys -:- Michael Portillo uses his 1913 copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide to explore Holland and Belgium, before travelling to the French sector of the Western Front. He ends his journey in the Forest of Compiegne in northern France to hear how the First World War armistice was signed in a railway carriage

Hornby: A Model World -:- Hornby prepares for a right royal year with a miniature 1930s classic 'Coronation' train including the elegant 'Beavertail' observation carriage

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

How Trains Changed the World -:- One of the great advances of the 19th century, the railways were a tool of the British Empire. This programme examines how the Victorians used them to expand their influence

Impossible Engineering -:- A look at the Qinghai-Tibet line, the highest railway in the world, providing an insight into the engineering challenges faced at high altitude and in bitterly cold temperatures

Impossible Engineering -:- The creation of Hudson Yards on Manhattan Island, New York, a construction project built over the tracks and railway sidings of Penn Station - literally in thin air

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 -:- In 2022, 13 new trains made their debut in Japan. With eye-catching and distinctive designs, many of them are environmentally and user-friendly. Join us as we review Japan's latest trains and trends.

Mighty Trains -:- South Africa's Rovos Rail, one of the most luxurious locomotives in the world. This family operated train manages to deal with extreme weather and problems such as stolen power lines

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

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?

Mighty Trains -:- The Frecciarossa 1000 and Italo Evo, two of the fastest trains in the world. These high-tech Italian locomotives are capable of negotiating treacherous landscapes

Mighty Trains -:- The Indian Pacific is a massive locomotive that journeys across Australia. How does it traverse some of the most scenic and remote areas a train has ever gone?

Railroad Alaska -:- An earthquake threatens to bring the railroad to a standstill and derail a speeding freight train, and Steve races to build an emergency shelter to protect his baby

Railroad Alaska -:- A porcupine infestation threatens to leave Nancy and Jim without electricity, while an emergency crew battles blocked bridges on the railroad to make way for a shipment

Railroad Alaska -:- A snowstorm and faulty equipment threatens the freight crew's journey as they race to deliver a heavy load, while in the woods, Jim and Nancy meet an off-grid couple

Railroad Alaska -:- A train struggles to reach the highest point on the railroad north to make a crucial delivery, while off the grid, things get steamy as JT and Marvin build a traditional bath

Railroad Alaska -:- Jim and Nancy journey to an abandoned cabin and discover that a bear has taken up residence, while Cathy and Larry go in search of an emergency vehicle

Railroad Alaska -:- Spring brings new challenges for the off-gridders as they scramble to repair their cabins, while the freight team prepares its most dangerous load of the year

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

Scotland's Scenic Railways -:- Documentary exploring the railways crossing the Scottish Highlands, and meeting both the workers who keep them running and the steam enthusiasts who safeguard these iconic routes. The programme takes the Strathspey steam railway through the Cairngorms National Park, taking in a charity abseiling event at the Forth Bridge along the way

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

Send in the Dogs -:- The work of British Transport Police's canine units, which help monitor the safety of commuters on thousands of miles of railway and underground track. The programme follows a spaniel trained to search for drugs, as well as police dogs that help their human handlers control the crowds at football matches. Ken Stott narrates

The Architecture the Railways Built -:- Tim Dunn explores St Pancras station in London and its sister hotel - built to show off the might of the Midlands, and learns about Castle Howard station in North Yorkshire

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) -:- A British colonel in a Japanese PoW camp is ordered to build a railway bridge over a river, forging a vital communications link. At first he refuses to obey, but eventually agrees to take the project on - and becomes so obsessed with the task that he creates a dilemma for an American soldier sent to destroy the structure. David Lean's Oscar-winning Second World War drama, starring Alec Guinness, William Holden and Jack Hawkins

The Fred Dibnah Story -:- Fred gets his first taste of fame, but does not entirely welcome the limelight when it interrupts his work on the restoration of a wrecked steam tractor. The steeplejack is further annoyed when forced by his wife to take a holiday to Blackpool, but puts his time there to good use

The Fred Dibnah Story -:- The life of the Bolton steeplejack, explaining how his TV career began and exploring his passion for steam engines. The opening episode sees him working on the spectacular demolition that would set him on the road to fame

The Lady Vanishes (1938) -:- A traveller strikes up a conversation with a scatterbrained elderly lady when their train is delayed, but after the journey resumes, her new friend mysteriously vanishes. Almost everyone else on board pleads ignorance about the matter, prompting her and a fellow passenger to investigate the intriguing occurrence. Alfred Hitchcock's mystery, starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, May Whitty, Paul Lukas and Cecil Parker

The Railway Children Return (2022) -:- In 1944, Salford siblings Lily, Pattie and Ted Watts are evacuated to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth. The children are placed with headmistress Annie Waterbury, whose husband is away at war, and her son Thomas. Eventually the youngsters stand up to injustice close to home when they encounter a soldier on the run. Sequel to beloved family drama The Railway Children, starring Beau Gadson, Jenny Agutter, Sheridan Smith and Tom Courtenay

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.

Train Truckers -:- A legendary diesel locomotive, that's undergone over half a million pounds worth of repairs must be hauled over 40 miles ready for a diesel gala

Train Truckers -:- The A4 LNER Pacific Locomotive, Sir Nigel Gresley, must be hauled 46 miles at 30mph from Crewe to Bridgnorth

Train Truckers -:- The Royal Highland Fuslier, a 100-ton Deltic diesel engine, must be hauled from Leicestershire to Wirksworth in Cheshire

Train Truckers -:- The Train Truckers are on the clock this week as they attempt to move a 100-ton diesel engine to a gala extravaganza, as well as a 175-ton rail crane destined for Egypt

Transsiberian (2008) -:- American couple Roy and Jessie are heading from China to Moscow on the Transsiberian railway when they befriend fellow travellers Carlos and Abby. However, when Roy fails to board the train following a station stop, Jessie begins to suspect her new travelling companions are harbouring a deadly secret. Thriller, starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega and Ben Kingsley

Union Pacific (1939) -:- The overseer of a railway construction falls for a woman who is secretly involved with someone else, leading to tense confrontations and soul searching as the love triangle develops further. Melodrama, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Robert Preston, Akim Tamiroff and Antony Quinn

Walks Around Britain -:- Andrew White walks along part of an old railway line on the Isle of Man, and travels between the Sun and Pluto pubs in North Yorkshire

Wild Wind (1985) -:- During the Second World War, a special Allied unit is formed to destroy a Nazi armoured train that has been terrorising the Yugoslavian countryside. Adventure, starring Jay North, George Montgomery and Dusan Janicijevic

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

We welcome links to publicly available online news items and videos from anywhere in the world.  Despite its name, Raildate covers all transport modes, including also bus, tram, air, and marine.  

Raildate may be freely distributed without permission as long as no changes whatsoever are made to the original document distributed by the Editor.

The main Raildate website https://raildate.co.uk includes a history of Raildate by the founding editor Howard Sprenger and archived editions from 1996 to the present.

Facebook members are encouraged to join the Raildate group.

©  Matthew Shaw 2023