January 2019 - The MrT Podcast Studio

Driving and Firing Experience pt. 1 – WC Ep. 9

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:37 — 20.7MB)

Welcome to this podcast about the Driving and Firing Experience offered by the Watercress Line. This was my opportunity to do something that I’d wanted to do since I was a child!

Drive a steam engine!!

There were three trainees that afternoon, guided by an excellent Watercress Line driver and fireman. I drew the short straw and had to ‘fire’ the loco in preparation for our uphill journey to Ropley and Medstead/Four Marks. The others seemed to have a much easier job!

This episode takes you from our arrival at Alresford to starting off, up the hill towards Ropley.

It was a lovely early autumn afternoon – lots of sunshine. Maybe too warm for shovelling coal ….

If you’d like to do the Firing and Driving Experience click here. Its a wonderful three hour experience.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery:

To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link Watercress Line.

Join me in two weeks for the next episode of Life on the Watercress Line.

You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.

The theme and incidental music Steam Railway used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

US Rail Journeys – Chicago to Burlington on the California Zephyr – S1 Ep.11

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:13 — 18.5MB)

In the eleventh episode I travel from Chicago to Burlington on the California Zephyr. The episode starts at the historic Drake Hotel in Chicago where I stayed for a night. After a restful night I took a taxi to Union Station for the start of my journey on the California Zephyr.

Our journey takes us from Chicago, across Big Muddy and on to Burlington. This is the first part of the journey on the California Zephyr travelling from Chicago to the Bay Area.

Our first stop after leaving Chicago is at Naperville station. Nearly 50,000 Amtrak passengers travelling on the California Zephyr, Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandeberg used the station in 2014. In addition Metra commuter services also call at the station.

Our journey from Chicago to Burlington on the California Zephyr continues to Princeton, which was used by nearly 36,000 passengers in 2014. We then stopped at Galesburg where there is a Railroad Museum. The station was used by over 100,000 passengers in 2017.

Our final stop in this episode, shortly after crossing the Mississippi, is Burlington, Iowa. The station was built in 1944 and is very much in the mid-century modern aesthetic style. Nearly 9,250 passengers used the station in 2016.

I’ll tell you more about the journey on the California Zephyr in the next episode of US Rail Journeys in two weeks time.

Click on any of the ‘thumbnails’ below to open the photograph gallery.

I thank the passengers and crew on our journey from Chicago to the Bay Area, aboard the California Zephyr, for their tolerance of the man waving the microphone. It truly is a magnificent journey.

Full definition copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available on Flickr. In addition a selection are on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Steam Railway is used for the theme music, under licence from AKM Music.

This podcast is also available through iTunes (Apple podcasts), Spotify and Stitcher besides this website.

Open Weekend on the Watercress Line – WC Ep. 8

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:21 — 18.6MB)

Welcome to this podcast about the Open Weekend on the Watercress Line. The weekend enables you to go behind the scenes at this heritage railway and see what makes it steam. The weekend coincides with the Heritage Open Days programme and MHRPS members can come along for free.

There is an enhanced train service for the weekend with steam trains, the Hampshire diesel set and also freight train operations.

Becky Peacock, the project manager for the Canadian Pacific project, gave guided tours of the engineering works and the restoration projects. There was a very interesting display about the role of women on the railways during the two World Wars.

I had the opportunity to visit the signal box at Ropley. Whilst I was there a non-stop freight train came through whilst a passenger train waited at the other platform.

Everyone who visited had a very interesting day out in beautiful weather. The dates of the Open Weekend on the Watercress Line for 2019 are the 14th and 15th September. For more details click this link.

Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery:

Schools Class loco Cheltenham resting at Ropley

Is there going to be a tug of war between these two locos?

Two locomotives coupled together going to Alresford

Disappearing in a cloud of steam towards Alresford

The Hampshire two car unit arrivng at Ropley

The diesel electric Hampshire unit at Ropley

Passenger steam train approaching Ropley

To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link Watercress Line.

Join me in two weeks for the next episode of Life on the Watercress Line.

You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.

The theme and incidental music Steam Railway used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

The White Rajahs of Sarawak (a) – Talking History with Farnham U3A – S2018/9 05A

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:44 — 25.4MB)

The White Rajahs of Sarawak tells the story of the Brooke family’s rule of Sarawak. They ruled for 100 years from 1841 until the Japanese Invasion in December 1941.

The talk starts with some of the history of the area in the centuries preceding the arrival of James Brooke. James used an inheritance to purchase a schooner in which he sailed to Singapore. He then sailed to Sarawak and by quelling a rebellion he managed to gain control of Sarawak.

James, whose hero was Sir Stamford Raffles, ran Sarawak very differently to the normal British way. He spent much of his time with the indigenous inhabitants and became highly respected by those he ruled.

James handed over the rule of Sarawak to his nephew Charles and retired to England.

The White Rajahs of Sarawak is a fascinating story about Imperialism in the mid-19th century.

Click on a graphic to open the gallery:

Please note: The graphics included in this post may differ from those used in the original talk for copyright reasons.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

The music Media Magazine used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

The White Rajahs of Sarawak (b) – Talking History with Farnham U3A – S2018/9 05B

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:52 — 24.6MB)

The White Rajahs of Sarawak tells the story of the Brooke family’s rule of Sarawak. The rule lasted for 100 years from 1841 until the Japanese Invasion in December 1941.

Jenny picks up the story of the Brooke family following the departure of James in the second part of the White Rajahs of Sarawak. She starts with his nephew Charles, who lacked his uncle’s charm, had a great empathy with the Dayaks.

Charles returned to England after the death of his Uncle to find a wife. His wife, Margaret, found to Sarawak be beautiful when she joined him.

Jenny tells the story of the strife between the two brothers, Vyner and Bertram, over the years. The country became a British Colony in 1946; it was Britain’s last Colony!

Click on a graphic to open the gallery:

Please note: The graphics included in this post may differ from those used in the original talk for copyright reasons.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

The music Media Magazine used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

US Rail Journeys – Milwaukee to Chicago – S1 Ep.10

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:24 — 13.2MB)

We travel from Milwaukee to Chicago in the tenth episode of US Rail Journeys. This is the last part of our journey on the Empire Builder as the train travels along the Milwaukee Road.

Originally a plank road for horses and carts Milwaukee Road became the name given to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

The first stop after leaving Milwaukee is at Glenview station which opened in 1995. The Empire Builder, Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service and Metra commuter services use the station. Passengers who want to travel from Glenview to either Chicago or Milwaukee may not use the Empire Builder. They must use the other, more frequent, services.

After Glenview the next stop on this short leg of our journey is Chicago Union Station. This magnificent station opened in 1925 and stands on the west side of the Chicago River. The station is the fourth busiest in the US, and the busiest outside New York. Nearly 3.4 million Amtrak passengers plus around 130,000 Metra commuter passengers a day used the station in 2017. To find out more about the station follow this link to the Union Station website or this link to the Wikipedia entry. The station is a major hub for Amtrak long distance services.

I said ‘goodbye’ to the Empire Builder and took a taxi to my hotel. After 22 hours in Chicago I’d be leaving on the California Zephyr. I’ll start to tell you about that journey in the next episode of US Rail Journeys in two weeks time.

Click on any of the ‘thumbnails’ below to open the photograph gallery.

I thank the passengers and crew on our journey from Portland to Chicago, aboard the Empire Builder, for their tolerance of the man waving the microphone. It truly is a magnificent journey.

Full definition copies of the photographs taken by MrT are available on Flickr. In addition a selection are on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Steam Railway is used for the theme music under licence from AKM Music.

This podcast is also available through iTunes (Apple podcasts), Spotify and Stitcher besides this website.

Talking History with Farnham U3A – 1869 – S2018/9 06A

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:40 — 14.3MB)

Welcome to 2019! Welcome to this review of the year 1869 where Michael A’Bear delves back 150 years. In his talk he gives us a flavour of the people and events of that year.

It’s an average year, he suggests, but includes the birth of Rasputin, the death of Hector Berlioz and the opening of the first Sainsbury store. The Cutty Sark, the last tea clipper, was launched (now preserved at Greenwich), Ghandi was born and ex. US President, the unpopular, Franklin Pierce died.

Listen to the podcast and hear more about these events and also the others that Michael covers.

Click on a graphic to open the gallery: