Arrivals expected in early 2008

Just thought I'd let you know of some arrivals due in early January.

On the 6th of January 1923, the railway network was reorganised into what became known as the "Big Four" companies - GWR, LNER, LMS & SR (for those who are new to the wonderful world of Rail Traction, these are the Great Western Railway, London and North Eastern Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway and last, but by no means least, good old Southern Railway). Next year marks the 85th Anniversary of this reorganisation and we are proud to be working with the National Railway Museum to commemorate this occasion.

We will be producing an official National Railway Museum stamp sheet, featuring the crests of the Big Four Railway Companies and the stamp labels will feature a great selection of magnificent locomotives. The sheets (code: BCSHEET11) will cost £22.95 plus postage but, that won't be all! A percentage of the sale of each sheet goes back to the National Railway Museum, so by ordering one of these sheets, you'll also be supporting the work of the museum. We will also be producing commemorative covers, each featuring a stamp and label from the sheet!

We will be producing one cover for each region, available individually (code: R34 at £9.95 each, our choice) or a set of four covers, one for each region (code: R34SET at £39.80 per set). The illustrations on the website are described as artists impressions but I have since learned that the illustrations have been confirmed.

Advance orders can be made either through the www.railwaycovers.co.uk website, the www.buckinghamcovers.com website or by phoning 01303 278137. Our most recent covers have been selling incredibly quickly so (at the risk of sounding like a 70's commercial!), don't delay, order today!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year,

Regards,

Sarah

Eurostar covers - Signed Versions!!!

Just to let you know that we will be getting some of our latest Eurostar covers signed!!

The covers carried on the last Eurostar from Paris to London Waterloo feature an illustration of Eurostar, based on a painting by renowned railway artist Terence Cuneo, so we have had some of the covers signed by his daughter, Carole Cuneo (code: R31S £19.95).

The autographs on our other covers are Tony and Cath Buckingham. They have great Eurostar credentials! They carried covers on Eurostar right from the very first train! Cath designed the covers and Tony created them. Both are signing to raise funds for ChildLine this Christmas.

The covers carried from St Pancras to Brussels on the 14th of November show a view of the train, giving you some idea of the length (and they are long, take my word for it!). Cath carried these covers and is signing them (code: R32S £19.95). She was on the first ever Eurostar to Paris and the first ever high speed train to Paris. She also was Head of Design for all the first Eurostar covers at Benham and, of course, the designer of all our 2007 Eurostar covers as well.

The final additions to our trio of trains are the covers that Tony carried from St Pancras to Paris, also on the 14th of November. These also feature another illustration that gives some idea of the length of these trains, but focus mainly on the cab in this case. Tony carried these covers and will be signing some (code: R33S £19.95). Tony was on the first Eurostar to Paris, the first high speed train to Paris and the first shareholders’ shuttle. He also drove the first car on the first public shuttle. If that is not enough, of course, Tony is also the creator of all the first Eurostar covers at Benham and here.

On a lighter note, I’m looking for Rail-related jokes (ones that I case use, please) for future letters. Steam trains, modern traction, I don’t mind. I know that rail enthusiasts have a sense of humour – there are certainly occasions when we need them!

Best wishes,

Sarah

PS My account of the day is now on the website - I'll add the photos as soon as I can!

Yesterday I met my Waterloo..... train

Just a quick message as the phones are going mental here today!

Yesterday was a very long day - I left my home at 6.45am but got to Waterloo in plenty of time to check in for my trip to Paris. I can say that all of the covers for yesterday's historic journey were all stamped and postmarked (in my presence - I was even sticking some of the stamps on!).

We had been worried that the Eurostar services might be affected by the imminent French strikes, but I was assured that they wouldn't be, and this proved to be the case. There was a good atmosphere on the return journey, and one of the Train Managers invited us all to the buffet car for a complimentary glass of wine, to mark the occasion. By the time I got there for my glass, the small buffet car was packed!

The train arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule, and there was a jazz trio playing for us when we arrived! I took a few photos, which will appear in the account of the day (I'll write it up when I've got more time), and finally got home just before 11.00pm.

Our Chairman has the covers at present but, as he's on today's inaugural journey from St. Pancras to Paris, he'll bring all of the covers in tomorrow, where they'll be individually numbered, and certificates printed.

I'm still feeling exhausted, but in the next day or so, when the phones have calmed down a bit, I'll get my full account written up and added to the site (a printed copy will also be sent out with the covers).

Sarah

Meeting my Waterloo.....train (counting the days!!)

Not long to go before I travel to Paris to pick up the covers and carry them back on the last train to Waterloo - and I can't wait!!!!!

I know that in my last entry, I promised to write one of my usual chatty letters but having realised what time I need to get up that day, and what time I'll get home, there probably won't be much about the journey itself. Aside from the fact that it'll be dark before I start my return journey, I'll probably be asleep for much of it (I'll need to get up very early to catch 7.00am train to London, to give me plenty of time to check in, and look to get home between 10.30 - 11.00pm!!) All in all, a very long day.

I will try to include as much as I can about Paris, and any interesting things that happen when I travel around Paris, to pick up the covers. I'll also take my camera (I never go abroad without it) so I'll include a few photos of Paris, and try to get some good pictures of the Eurostar. I can't guarantee good quality though - I tried to get a picture of a Eurostar as it left the Gare du Nord, back in April but I ended up with a grey, white & yellow blur. I haven't quite mastered the art of photographing moving trains, but I'm working on it. Aside from getting a decent photo for you, I'd like one for my own collection!

We will also try to get some of the covers signed - but we can't promise anything. I'm told that these won't be driver signed - as the correct term is PILOT. You learn something new every day!

A bientôt,


Sarah

Meeting My Waterloo......train

News just in of not 1, but 3 (!), new Eurostar covers - 1 for the final train to Waterloo on the 13th of November (carried by yours truly from Paris) and one each for the first trains from St Pancras, to Paris (carried by Tony) and Brussels (carried by Cath) on the 14th of November. The codes will be R31 (last train the Waterloo), R32 (first train from St Pancras to Paris) and R33 (first train from St Pancras to Brussels).

Usually, the rail covers are £8.95 each but as these will be very special covers, they will be £14.95 each, (plus the usual postage, handling and insurance charge) and there are very good reasons for the price difference for these covers:

1. These covers are being carried on the relevant Eurostar trains - return tickets to Paris & Brussels aren't cheap but carrying them makes the covers that little bit special (and also means that we can get them back from postmarking that bit quicker!).

2. Each cover will have two stamps, (one of the stamps and labels from our forthcoming Eurostar customised stamp sheet and one French/Belgian stamp) and will be postmarked twice - once in London and once in Paris/Brussels.

So, although they'll be a little more than usual, I'm sure that you'll agree that the covers will be well worth the extra. With the Paris - Waterloo covers, you'll get one of my usual chatty letters, wittering on about the journey and perhaps a few photos of Paris (if I get the time and the weather's not too bad for the time of year - who am I kidding, it'll be November and freezing!!). With the St Pancras - Paris & St Pancras - Brussels trains, there'll no doubt be a letter from Tony, in his own unique style.

The covers won't be available until after the 14th of November so, unless you're already a member of our RAIL club, I'd advise you to order your covers now. If you're not already a club member, why not join, and get your covers automatically reserved.

A bientôt,

Sarah

By the way, the photo at the top of this post is of the Sacre Coeur, in Paris. I've included it as it was the first Paris landmark that I saw when I went to Paris in April - I saw it from the train, when it was still approaching the Gare du Nord.

Arrivals and Departures

Just a short update to let you know of a forthcoming cover - today is the 60th Anniversary of the Transport Act of 1947. This made provision for the nationalisation of the railway network so we've produced a cover for this important event. Although details aren't on the www.railwaycovers.co.uk website yet, full details and an illustration are on our www.buckinghamcovers.com website.

Cover R21 (The Mumbles Railway) has sold out and is fully described on the "The Train Now Departing" section on our railway covers website. If anyone has one of these covers that they are thinking of selling, please think of us first. Contact me through either of the above websites.

Finally, I'm back in the office after a 2 week break. Ian & I went down to Bath and I'd hoped to visit at least one steam line while we were down there (The East Somerset and/or the Avon Valley). Unhappily, we didn't get to visit either. Still, there's always next year.....

If anyone has any suggestions regarding railway anniversaries for next year (or even the year after!), please let me know.

Best wishes,

Sarah

Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway - 80th Anniversary

WELCOME TO THE BUCKINGHAM RAILWAY COVERS BLOG!

This is the first time I've ever done a blog so bear with me...

My name's Sarah and I work for Buckingham Covers. Because I love my trains, I'm head of our Railway Team. The great news about this is I get to research railway anniversaries and carry covers on trains! So if you know of any big anniversaries coming up (steam trains or modern trains), let me know!

I carried covers in the name of work last Saturday on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway for their 80th Anniversary.

I’d been on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway a few times (you can’t live down here and not take at least one trip on it!) but the last time had been over 20 years ago, and I’d only gone as far as Dymchurch on that occasion. To most people in the Hythe area, the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is as much a part of every day life as it is a tourist attraction – the railway provides a school train to take pupils to a nearby secondary school. The train is usually diesel hauled (the “Captain Howey” or “John Southland”) – it would be unusual for the school train to be steam hauled.

The train left just after 3.00pm and it didn’t take long to reach a decent speed – fast enough to feel like it was a good speed but slow enough to enable you to properly take in the surroundings. Some of the gardens that we passed were empty but now and again we’d pass groups of people standing and waving and who’d been waiting for the train to pass by.

The afternoon was bright and warm, almost a perfect summer afternoon and a far cry from the chilly January day when I travelled on the Kent Coast Express. Although the flat marshlands stretch for miles, there was variation in the scenery – fields of corn quickly changed to sheep grazing, and as we left Hythe, I could see Lympne Castle high on the escarpment overlooking Hythe and the Romney Marsh.

The carriages are almost as old as the locomotives and, although they’d be described as basic, in comparison with modern carriages, they were comfortable nonetheless. And you still get the “clickety-clack” noises that you would expect to hear! The windows in the carriage where I was sitting weren’t intended to open, so doors were kept open to let some air in and it seemed strange seeing the clumps of grass passing so close to my feet (close enough to touch), and hearing the grassing brushing against the carriage.

We slowed down as we approached Dymchurch station but didn’t stop, the reason being that this was a recreation of the original journey, and Dymchurch station hadn’t been built at the time. The same applied to St Mary’s Bay, a little further down the line. At Dymchurch station, it felt like we had stepped back in time – on the platform were members of the Home Guard! However, this was simply a mark in the timeline of the Railway (Hythe being the beginning of the line, represented the 1920’s).

On leaving Dymchurch, we picked up a little speed before slowing down again, this time for St Mary’s Bay. We finally arrived at New Romney at 3.30pm.

The return train would be a little over an hour later so I made my way over to the refreshment area, where a buffet had been set up for passengers on this anniversary train. Afterwards, still carrying the box of covers (they were well and truly carried, by train and by me!) I made my way over to the Running Shed to take some pictures. I took quite a few, so only the best have been chosen for this letter.

On the journey down, the train had been carrying VIPs – local dignitaries such as the Mayors of Hythe and Lydd, and our own MP, Michael Howard. On the return journey, they had been shown directly to “Gladys”, the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch own Bar Car. Presumably this was for extra special guests, as myself and other invited guests (including passengers who had been on the very first train back in 1927) were shown to the next car down. Not that I’m complaining – I’m sure that I was with far more interesting companions!

We arrived back in Hythe at 5.13pm, and found the station empty, but only because everyone else was still in New Romney, where the party was still going on.

This railway line is special to me, as one of the first steam train journeys that I remember taking was on this line, and I’d recommend it to anyone (unless you’re as tall as Tony Buckingham. With the carriages and locomotives being scaled down versions, the carriages could be a little uncomfortable!) For more information about other special events, or just to see pictures of the trains, look at their website, http://www.rhdr.org.uk/rhdr/home_flash.html .

My thanks to everyone at the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway, who work tirelessly to keep this line running, especially Chris Harvey and Tony Clarke for their help in getting the covers carried.

If you'd like one of the covers, they are great! There are 4 different versions and each has a Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway official Rail Letter stamp. But they are nearly sold out when I last checked. You can see them on our website at http://www.buckinghamcovers.com/shop/productdisplay.lasso?product_id=759

Best wishes,

Sarah