Gordon Connell

Planning permission has been granted for the Curzon Street station. https://www.building.co.uk/news/hs2-gets-planning-for-curzon-street-station/5105683.article?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily Building Daily News&utm_content=Daily Building Daily News+CID_292c1344711ad1cb2adc6647758b9718&utm_source=Campaign Monitor emails&utm_term=HS2 gets planning for Curzon Street station Oops, sorry forgot the above is a subscription service. More here: https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/civils/hs2-station-plans-approved-23-04-2020/

Not if there's a job specific reason for applying an age limit. I don't pretend to know what the reason is in this case.

Thank you. Gordon

Forgive my ignorance but is that G&SWR or GS&WR? Gordon

And some more news in English: https://www.railwaygazette.com/high-speed/frecciarossa-1000-derails-at-high-speed/55737.article

I've had a quick look and it looks like what has been agreed is a funding package of £400m to support economic development on both sides of the English-Scottish border. One project that might benefit from some of this money is an extension of the Borders Railway. In the agreement which can be found here: http://www.borderlandsgrowth.com/ it only talks about "The UK and Scottish Governments will work together through the deal to consider the potential to extend the Borders Railway. "

At the start of this thread the OP said that rail and steel were intimately connected, well.. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48816458

Some thoughts from Lyndon Davies on Hornby's position. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48716918

Unless it's been changed, if you follow the link you will see the BBC do say Grand Union, not Grand Central.

Link to BBC story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48615464 Link to Railway Gazette on the same story: https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/cardiff-london-open-access-plan.html

Thank you for that link. I don't know how consistent the directories were but I note that Allnatt does not appear in the 1914 Directory of Reading, which does have entries for Earley, though there are two other Allnatt grocers, one in Sonning and one in Sindlesham. In the 1915 index there is still an Allnatt in Sonning but the Sindlesham one has gone. This makes me wonder if a relation has taken over the Sindlesham business and and branched into "military contractor" as an addition occasioned by the war. Unfortunately if that is the case it doesn't help with the 1909 goods service but I'm more than happy to be proved wrong. Once again thanks for the link. Gordon

Thanks for posting the link Stephen. In there it said, 'The 1019 fast goods from Brentford to Reading stopped at Earley “when required” to “put out skins"'. Forgive my ignorance but does anyone know what the skins were? And even if they were simply animal skins, for example, why might they have been putting them out in Earley?

There was a small piece in the April Railway Magazine and there's a little more info here: https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/uk/single-view/view/co-operative-proposes-wessex-open-access-train-service.html.

Now into passenger service: https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/europe/single-view/view/vivarail-d-train-enters-passenger-service.html Gordon

This may well be true and goodness knows you shouldn't extrapolate from one personal experience but... My son fell in love with the Pendolino at an early age and his excitement the first time he got on one far surpassed that of any visit to a preserved railway. His favourite model of mine is the Pendolino as well. In spite of my efforts to re-educate him.

Report on ORR inquiry into the timetable fiasco. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45572736 and more details on the ORR website: http://orr.gov.uk/rail/consumers/inquiry-into-may-2018-network-disruption

For what it's worth a new edition of the Oakwood book has just been published. http://stenlake.co.uk/book_publishing/?page_id=131&ref=1133&section=New%20Books Gordon

A parcel arrived at work today and I'm now going to sit here drooling until I get home and get her run in. Apologies for the poor photos.

I think this story sheds some light on the issues: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/hull-trains-managing-director-steps-down.html

Looks like an agreement to actually use these has been agreed. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/d-trains-ordered-for-bedford-bletchley.html

Roy, I agree that Manson wins hands down when it comes to appearance but the dream layout requires Smellie 0-6-0s not Manson's, though I do get his Greenock bogies. Gordon

Stephen, How can you possibly claim the G&SWR wasn't significant? I'll have a Smellie Class 22 over the Stirling, thank you. Gordon

And an as built version - fantastic news! Gordon

Try this: http://www.crecy.co.uk/railway-breakdown-cranes-vol-1?osCsid=56755cdf6fca2e62d77418e6871efa0e

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-40665659 Electrification from Cardiff to Swansea abandoned. and as reported on the DfT website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-improvements-for-rail-passengers-in-wales-the-midlands-and-the-north