Received today, the proof of 'Britain's Railway Accidents: Their Causes, Precursors and Mitigations', which considers GB rail safety from Harrow & Wealdstone in 1952 onwards. Thanks to @penandswordbooks.bsky.social for getting this in motion. #rail #safety #corporatememorymatters

Received today, the proof of 'Britain's Railway Accidents: Their Causes, Precursors and Mitigations', which considers GB rail safety from Harrow & Wealdstone in 1952 onwards. Thanks to @penandswordbooks.bsky.social for getting this in motion. #rail #safety #corporatememorymatters

I could not do my job at all without the British Library Asian and African Studies Reading Room — I have spent thousands of hours in there. The privatisation of the BL must be stopped. Please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/st...

Stop the Privatisation of the British Library!

On 16 October, Jeremy Silver, Interim Chief Executive Officer, announced to staff that British Library management intends to: • Close parts of the Library, including the Science Reading Rooms, with th...

megaphone.org.uk

Morning. Here is Class 25 D7580 on ECS at Edinburgh Waverley, with a backdrop of appealing vehicles. It is 11 April 1971 and T Rex are at no.1. 📷©️ loose_grip_99. Click the link to see their Flickr selections. www.flickr.com/photos/loose...

Edinburgh Waverley 11th April 1971

Edinburgh Waverley station on a quiet Easter Sunday morning sees green-liveried Sulzer Class 25 diesel D7580 standing in the carriage Sidings with its stock. Built at Darlington works it was new to T...

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Morning. It seems like a sunshine sort of day, doesn't it? So here is No.1458 arriving at sunny Chalford with the local autotrain on 26 September 1964. Herman is at no.1. 📷©️ David Christie. Click the link and you'll be into something good, too. www.flickr.com/photos/david...

1458 arrives at Chalford Station 1964.

Patience was rewarded with the second "Autotrain" being a proper one complete with 14xx class loco No.1458. Underneath the grime can just be discerned the early Lion & Wheel BR emblem. This was one o...

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Morning. It seems like a sunshine sort of day, doesn't it? So here is No.1458 arriving at sunny Chalford with the local autotrain on 26 September 1964. Herman is at no.1. 📷©️ David Christie. Click the link and you'll be into something good, too. www.flickr.com/photos/david...

1458 arrives at Chalford Station 1964.

Patience was rewarded with the second "Autotrain" being a proper one complete with 14xx class loco No.1458. Underneath the grime can just be discerned the early Lion & Wheel BR emblem. This was one o...

flickr.com

Morning. Here is D1053 WESTERN PATRIARCH at Paddington in August 1976. 📷©️Pete Piszczek. Once again, a click on his link will not disappoint. www.flickr.com/photos/79009...

D1053 Paddington August 1976

Western Patriarch prepares to depart Paddington. She will be withdrawn on 13 November 1976 due to a split cylinder liner.

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Morning. Following from the new Weston North allocation, here is 31315 at Bristol Temple Meads on 6 June 1982. Madness were at no.1. 📷©️ Arnie Furniss. Click the link to see his Flickr selections. www.flickr.com/photos/deadm...

31315 at Bristol Temple Meads - 6th June, 1982

Throwing out some stray oil by the looks of it!

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Weston North has a new allocation. Some work to do, including a renumber to 31315. But a great price that could not be resisted.

Morning. Off to Stroud today, through which the train will pass Kemble, seen here in 1985, with HST in evidence. 📷©️Roger Winnen, via the excellent Cornwall Railway Society website www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/swindon-kemb...

In view of the backlash against the use of AI-generated audiobook voiceovers, I'd like to assure you that mine is definitely read by me. Marvel at the flap of a page being turned! Scoff when you spot when my throat was packing up and I should have gone home..! www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Clapham-...

Currently listening to this. If Richie Havens just means Woodstock to you, there was a whole lot more going on. Reviewed this for SHINDIG mag back in the day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ls...

Morning. Off to Stroud on Monday. Here it is on a Sunday evening in 1984. While 37159 shunts ballast wagons through the old goods shed at Stroud, 50038 FORMIDABLE arrives with a service from Paddington. 📷 ©️ Alan. Click the link to see his Flickr pages. www.flickr.com/photos/acd40...

37159 & 50038 Stroud

37159 shunts ballast wagons through the long disused goods shed in Stroud whilst 50038 arrives with a service from Paddington one Sunday evening in 1984.

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In view of the backlash against the use of AI-generated audiobook voiceovers, I'd like to assure you that mine is definitely read by me. Marvel at the flap of a page being turned! Scoff when you spot when my throat was packing up and I should have gone home..! www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Clapham-...

Morning. Off to Stroud on Monday. Here it is on a Sunday evening in 1984. While 37159 shunts ballast wagons through the old goods shed at Stroud, 50038 FORMIDABLE arrives with a service from Paddington. 📷 ©️ Alan. Click the link to see his Flickr pages. www.flickr.com/photos/acd40...

37159 & 50038 Stroud

37159 shunts ballast wagons through the long disused goods shed in Stroud whilst 50038 arrives with a service from Paddington one Sunday evening in 1984.

flickr.com

On 21 October, it will be 60 years since the terrible tragedy at Aberfan. In the online IOSH magazine, I look back to the accident and ask what it has to teach us about safety today. Many elements will ring bells across other industries. #rememberaberfan www.ioshmagazine.com/2026/10/15/w...

Morning. Banbury bound today. Here are some sheds in the mist at Didcot Parkway just now. 📷©️ Me

Morning. Off to talk to Chiltern at Banbury tomorrow, so here is 47356 passing through in September 1976. PRESENCE is on the deck. Nobody's Fault But Mine. 📷©️ Pete Piszczek. A click on the link will not disappoint. www.flickr.com/photos/79009...

47356 Banbury Sept 76

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On 21 October, it will be 60 years since the terrible tragedy at Aberfan. In the online IOSH magazine, I look back to the accident and ask what it has to teach us about safety today. Many elements will ring bells across other industries. #rememberaberfan www.ioshmagazine.com/2026/10/15/w...

Back home after an aborted trip to Manchester. Here's Piccadilly station, with a similar amount of fog to my brain, in 1976; 40033 in evidence. 📷©️Arnie Furniss www.flickr.com/photos/deadm...

40033 sneaks through Piccadilly on a foggy 10th November, 1976

Remember when we had fog? I recall the whistling of the loco dying away quickly into the murk.

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Just received, CLAPHAM's revised paperback edn, which includes all four RAIB-investigated incidents with similar causal chains. Still included is the passage in praise of RED FOR DANGER, which I recommend to industry audiences. @penandswordbooks.bsky.social www.amazon.co.uk/Clapham-Trai...

Just received, CLAPHAM's revised paperback edn, which includes all four RAIB-investigated incidents with similar causal chains. Still included is the passage in praise of RED FOR DANGER, which I recommend to industry audiences. @penandswordbooks.bsky.social www.amazon.co.uk/Clapham-Trai...

The revised paperback edition of THE CLAPHAM TRAIN ACCIDENT is now available to pre-order. The text has been updated to cover all four RAIB-investigated incidents with causal chains similar to Clapham's: Cardiff East, Waterloo, Dalwhinnie and South Wingfield. www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Clapham-...

The Clapham Train Accident

Clapham was a pivotal point in British railway history. Much technology had been invented and applied to accident prevention by 1988; much more was to…

pen-and-sword.co.uk

Morning. Here is D7039 on a Parcels train, near Ham Mill Halt. It is 26 September 1964 and Herman is at no.1. 📷©️ David Christie. Click the link to see his Flickr pages; you'll be into something good. www.flickr.com/photos/david...

Hymek D7039 on a Parcels train, near Ham Mill Halt 1964.

Hymek D7039 (Canton) heads a Parcels train through the valley near Ham Mill Halt.

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Very thoughtful review of my book, THE CLAPHAM TRAIN ACCIDENT, from a rail industry colleague on LinkedIn this evening. @penandswordbooks.bsky.social lnkd.in/p/eg9hma9p

On 5 October 1999, two trains collided at Ladbroke Grove near Paddington. 31 people were killed and more than 400 were injured. You can find out more - including current industry initiatives - on the RSSB website: www.rssb.co.uk/safety-and-h...

Corporate memory

We explain what corporate memory is, why it’s important especially at a time of industry change, and key supporting materials.

rssb.co.uk

Morning. 50 years ago today, BR launched its 125-mph timetable. Here is 253012 at Swindon with a Paddington service soon after that date. Great 📷©️Phil Wakely. Click the link to see his Flickr pages. www.flickr.com/photos/pwake...

IC125 HST activity at Swindon in October 1976

Recently delivered into public service, but already showing signs of use, IC125 HST unit 253012 waits at Swindon with a down Paddington to Bristol service in October 1976

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Morning all. Here is 45035 on a Down express at Dawlish Warren, as a local heads the other way after a station stop. It is 15 April 1977 and ABBA are atop. 📷©️Chris Nuthall. Click the link to see his Flickr pages. www.flickr.com/photos/55063...

45035 1V86 Dawlish Warren 150477 CJNE289 20EE LR

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'Beside those spires so spick and span Against an unencumbered sky The old Great Western Railway ran When someone different was I' - 'Distant View of a Provincial Town' by John Betjeman on this, National Poetry Day - 📷 Shrewsbury, England, taken by David Christie

Morning. Some music by me for a change. gregmorse.bandcamp.com/track/minor-...

Minor Pages, by Greg Morse

track by Greg Morse

gregmorse.bandcamp.com