Guest Book: Page 14

Previous  :  Page 14  :  Next

Just wanted to say fantastic website and that I have linked to you from my site: The Sectional Appendix

Up until recently, my website included a lot of detailed information that covered the Birmingham/West Midlands area. To appreciate just what kind of information will be included, follow the links off the front page or head directly to: WLNCGO1

Unfortunately, I realised that my site design techniques have not kept pace with developments and I finally bit the bullet and included Cascading Style Sheets, which promptly destroyed the layout of so many of the tables that I was forced to withdraw the whole site. I have just put a few bits back on line, but it will be a hard slog to get back where I was two months ago. (The only sections of the country that I had not covered at that stage were Bristol, Plymouth and the North of Scotland.) I am spending so much time doing this that I think my poor wife has forgotten what I look like and can only recognise me from the back of my head, framed by a computer monitor!

Anyway, the point is that I would much appreciate a return link and would gladly provide a small banner and a promise that I will target your area of interest asap to compliment your amazing work. If you would prefer to wait until the Birmingham stuff is up and running again, I would understand.

Slightly off this topic, I have a friend who's father was a fireman in the 1940s at a West Midlands GWR shed. I will mention your site to him. He might have some pictures and would certainly derive a great deal of pleasure from the ones that you already have.

Kind regards and best wishes with the site - Brian Robertson.

Brian - Its a pleasure to link to your site which I hope will quickly recapture the information you once had on-line. Perhaps we can work together when you populate the Warwickshire area by linking different pages together where they compliment each other. My wife too makes similar comments and I have to say I have sailed very close to the wind on occasion. My wife's New Year Resolution is too see more of her husband which is I believe a warning shot across my bows.

Whilst looking on your site I happened on the 'Whoops' section and in particularly 'lnwrar3' the Coventry derailment - LNWRS Journal December 2007 issue page 37-39 has a detailed article on the incident - also see Ted Talbot's book 'LNWR railway heritage' page 69 for the above photo trusting this to be of assistance.

Have you also availed of the prints from 'Transport Treasury'? I am researching the Irish LNWR outpost - Dundalk, Newry & Greenore Railway and I am endeavouring to gather as much photographic & mapping material as possible - perhaps as part of your own research you may have found some references which you might share?

Best wishes for an excellent site - John Martin (joanjohnm@eircom.net)

John - I was not aware of the article which I must read, especially as I have just become a member of the LNWR Society. Whilst I have yet to order photographs direct from the Transport Treasury I have several photos that are now available through their good services. I fully endorse the idea that photographers should leave their collections to organisations such as the Transport Treasury or Kidderminster Railway Museum as their pricing policy makes certain future enthusiasts can afford copies of their work whereas public sector organisations charges effectively price the private historical researcher out of the market.

With regard to your query as to whether I have any resources that might help you with the Irish LNWR outpost - Dundalk, Newry & Greenore Railway? I use the Internet extensively both to search and to ask questions on various railway forums, public libraries, local history groups (often listed by local studies centres or libraries) and second-hand book shops. Hope this helps - Mike

I am Secretary of the Stephenson Locomotive Society, Midlands Area. We celebrate our centenary in 2009, and I note the SMJ was formed in the 1908-10 period, also. It might be a suitable idea to have a 'Centenary Lecture' from someone who can talk with authority on the SMJ - and invite any of your members along (we meet at Kidderminster Railway Museum). Any help gratefully received - how do you react?

Roger Hennessey

Roger - Other than Robert Ferris' work on the GWR, the principal contributor to the website is myself. You will note that when others contribute to the site I credit their contribution. The 'Study Group' never really took off and and therefore there are no experts - just myself - best described as being obsessive in populating the website rather than being more knowledgeable than anyone else. The captions you read on the site are from my own observations and extensive reading but not from primary research which is I believe the threshold you must cross before you can claim to be an expert on something.

Regarding your search for an SMJ expert. In July 2005, when I was living in Spain, I read in the 'club news' section? of the Railway Modeller that the University of Warwick was to commence extracurricular classes on the SMJ commencing October 2005 in Rugby (and at another location which I forget). A telephone number was provided and I spoke to the gentleman and it was apparent that he and a friend had amassed considerable material much of it new. The edition would have been August or September at a guess. I regret I no longer have or have been able to find a past copy of the Magazine which is a pity as I would now like to contact him myself. I hope this helps as you never know one of your members might have a copy of the relevant edition of the magazine - Mike

Previous  :  Page 14  :  Next