When did the last train ferry run?  When was the first railway to Clevedon opened? When was cycle hire first introduced at Yatton Station? When was the line from Swindon to Kemble redoubled? When did Black Dog Halt close? When were electric pumps switch on on the Lynmouth to Lynton Cliff lift to recycle water?

In this "railway history" board - http://www.passenger.chat/b55 - I'll be posting "On this day" throughout 2022 - events that can be tied to specific months and days that bring you subjects that I have found interesting in my research over the years.   The idea is that I am seeding discussions and members are very welcome indeed to contribute memories, links, context, suggestions.  I'm also welcoming suggestion of events to include - a separate members thread at http://www.passenger.chat/25828 will be started in a few minutes on that Done!.

Initially, I have articles / ideas for around one day in two and there are some significant time period gaps - nothing much happens in mid to late January, for example, in most years.   I am refraining for falling back onto a railway accident database where, sadly, almost every day in the calendar would be covered; I will include a few notable accidents and hope we can then discuss the context.

And so - for the next few days, come back to this board.   The start of the year has been busy - three openings, two closures and two significant accidents in the next ten days.

 
On this day - a master thread (continued)

You have probably come to this thread because you have followed our "On This Day" link. If that's the case, there is no primary Coffee Shop forum thread discussing the event (there may be later in the day) but I invite you to visit http://www.passenger.chat/otd.html where you'll find links to our source material where you can read up further.   

If you're a member, you can start a thread (please do!) on today's topic - and let me know by personal message and I will add a link to the "on this day" index.

If you are not a member, please register.  It's free ... the whole forum is free ... and we welcome new members with an interest in transport - especially public and sustainable, and especially across the South West quadrant of the UK.

Anniversaries of various types happen almost daily through the year, and "on this day" brings you news of selected events that happened today in past years - it might be last year, or it might be centuries ago. It's not intended to report on everything that happened on this day in the past, but please do let me know of any gross ommissions!

 
And so we come to 31st December (2023) - and "On this day" should automatically restart next year.  It's a good way bring stories back up into our headlines occasionally, and I am inclined to let to run around, adding some fresh discussions and links as we go.  However, it takes up screen "estate" and needs to be scrolled past in some formats, and as such there was some discussion as to whether it should be continued there.  Inputs welcome.

The master page at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/otd.html gives you a year-to-date report so will reset at midnight tonight.  You can see the whole year at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/otd.html?all=365 and the whole database sorted by year (rather than by day of the year) at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/otd.html?byyear=1&all=365

Please let me know at any time if you spot a significant event that's missing from the timelines - especially positive ones. Rather sadly, closures and accidents are almost always accurately assigned to a particular day and tend to crop up strongly and I have been setting a higher hurdle to the inclusion of these than I have to openings and dated trivia.   I do have a "database" of railway accidents in the member's archive at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/rax_otd.pdf

 
On 17 July 1984, 46 009 (formerly D146), hauling three Mark 1 coaches, was deliberately crashed into a "Flatrol" wagon loaded with an empty nuclear waste flask and lying on its side. 46 009 had been adapted so that it could be operated remotely, and also had a camera mounted on the nose to record the impact. At the point when the locomotive hit the flask it was travelling at about 100 mph.

 

I had two different sources telling my 16th and 17th ... I'm erring toward 17th now.

 
Agreed: my source also supports 17 July as the date.

See http://www.nigeltout.com/html/crash-test-old-dalby.html

 

 
"No on this day events fo 29th December" - the lull after Christmas? I did a search and found the usual lists of people who were born or passed on this day, and of battle amd accidents with major fatalities.   I also found:

1852 Emma Snodgrass is arrested in Boston for wearing trousers
1860 The first British seagoing ironclad warship, HMS Warrior, is launched
1876 11 passenger cars crash in a ravine near Ashtabula, Ohio, 92 die
1908 Patent granted for a 4-wheel automobile brake, Clintonville, Wisconsin

And for - today - 2025 - Regional Highlights:
* Pershore railway station installed solar-powered docks for foldable bikes to improve station connectivity.
* Greater Manchester's Bee Network froze tram and bus fares for 2026.

Finally, a couple of musical videos which are my taste, have railway content, and are guarantee to irritate anyone else in the room the second or third time you play them:

https://youtu.be/y6120QOlsfU

https://youtu.be/cD3QlR98--A