hogg1905

Harmathanatophobia: Part 1

Another amazing episode from Not Just Bikes, where Harmathanatophobia is outlined; the rational fear of being killed by cars, and outlines the nonsense of ‘vehicular cycling’ and made me aware of the legendary ‘Big Jim’s Booze Bike Ride to Braemar‘ video from the BBC back in the 1970’s. Further info will be put here; butContinue reading “Harmathanatophobia: Part 1”

The World Tram Driver Championships

A very interesting discovery was the ‘Vienna 2025: The First Ever WORLD Tram Driver Championships‘ from The Tim Traveller YouTube channel. This is something that could be a great UK wide event, and could help to raise the profile of tram systems more broadly; I mean, who DOESN’T was to watch Tram Bowling?!? Perhaps evenContinue reading “The World Tram Driver Championships”

‘Railboating’ as a fix for railway retention, reopening lines, and building railside paths?

Could a revival of railway camping holidays in a modern ‘railboat’ be a way of solving a number of issues on the rail network by using resources more effectively? A recent discovery on YouTube was a shipping container conversion into an easily transportable ‘Glamtainer‘, which in the video was loaded aboard a sideloader HGV (examplesContinue reading “‘Railboating’ as a fix for railway retention, reopening lines, and building railside paths?”

Ashville: An Advocate for Railfreight and the End of Ashville Weekly.

Today, Sunday 3rd August 2025, marks the final episode of the Ashville Weekly series by the Ashville channel on YouTube with episode 250 ‘The Last Dance’. I can’t remember the first time that YouTube suggested an Ashville video to me, but ever since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the weekly episodes, as well asContinue reading “Ashville: An Advocate for Railfreight and the End of Ashville Weekly.”

Snippets of info from ‘The Tyne Coal Keel’ by Adrian Osler

A recent loan from my local library has been ‘The Tyne Coal Keel’ (2022) by Adrian Osler, which whilst only partially read so far, is a fascinating book with some initial facts that, in my view, are clearly worth sharing more widely as part of the knowledge of these interesting small vessels that have long-sinceContinue reading “Snippets of info from ‘The Tyne Coal Keel’ by Adrian Osler”

Railway200 2025 undermined by a £2 Coin from 2004?

A few days ago, looking at some change, I noticed a £2 coin with an image of a steam loco upon it, one I hadn’t seen for a very long time which was the 2004 minted Richard Trevithick coin celebrating the then 200th Anniversary of the first steam locomotive, now 21 years past. This coinContinue reading “Railway200 2025 undermined by a £2 Coin from 2004?”

Time Again for Tyneside Trams?

This recent video about Trams by the excellent Not Just Bikes channel on YouTube discusses the vast array of benefits to be had by expansion, and in the case of Newcastle and the wider Tyneside area their reintroduction of tram systems. In this thought piece, perhaps it is time Tyneside to bring back its tramContinue reading “Time Again for Tyneside Trams?”

Opinion: Virtual Railway Stations to expand the rail network’s reach?

There has been a recent announcement of Keswick has rejoined the national railway network by gaining a ‘virtual railway station’, this essentially meaning Keswick Bus Station being treated as a non-rail connected railway station called ‘Keswick Bus’ on Avanti West Coasts website, allowing the rail company to sell a through ticket, but the journey beingContinue reading “Opinion: Virtual Railway Stations to expand the rail network’s reach?”

Turn Community Defibrillators into ‘Emergency Hubs’

A recent online post from my MP, David Smith was talking about some of the challenges behind the digital switchover from copper landlines, especially in emergencies where loss of mains power would result in the loss of the phone network. The older copper system was self-powered, meaning if mains electricity was lost, landline phones couldContinue reading “Turn Community Defibrillators into ‘Emergency Hubs’”

Beyond the Borderline Greenway; Walking sections of the Alnwick and Cornhill Railway between the B6341 and Edlingham Station

Since the public opening of the Borderline Greenway, I was interested in sampling the route beyond the end of it, particularly the lesser trotten stretches well beyond Alnwick, heading in the direction of Edlingham Station. The first video is from the section immediately north west of the B6341, access being gained from underneath the bridgeContinue reading “Beyond the Borderline Greenway; Walking sections of the Alnwick and Cornhill Railway between the B6341 and Edlingham Station”