Monthly Archives: June 2011

Here is a fabulous film by Jean Mitry called Pacific 231. It’s a film sequence of trains edited to the music of Arthur Honneger. The film is from 1949. This film essay is in two main parts. The introduction has … Continue reading →

Adlestrop Yes, I remember Adlestrop – The name because one afternoon Of heat the express-train drew up there Unwontendly. It was late June. The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat. No one left and no one came (no one got … Continue reading →

This is a post about the Euston Arch. The Arch was the gateway to the old Euston Station and, in the other direction, to London. Here it is, in 1955; black and impressive. It no longer stands. The Arch was … Continue reading →

This is a coloured photo-litho print of the LNER A3 Pacific Class Flying Scotsman. I think this was made as a carriage print – it’s about the right size in landscape format. The engine was built at Doncaster in 1923. … Continue reading →

Here’s the cover of the Southern Railway staff magazine from 1935. The design is signed with the initials VR. That’s Victor Reinganum. You can find out about him, here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Reinganum I bought this in a second-hand bookshop. It was really … Continue reading →

There was a charming TV film last night about the Tanzania and Zambia Railroad Authority. You can watch it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s6bgw/African_Railway/ The systemic dysfunction revealed in this good-natured film is testimony to the difficulties of railway planning. It’s not just … Continue reading →