Eagle 142's photostream  

One of my father's group photos from his time with the Cheshire Regiment in India during the 1930's. The real reason I am posting this is the two instruments of their trade at either side of the group (one detailed below.) Although radio was obviously available, it seems they were still using heliograph instruments, India being a good place for their use with sunshine and high hills. Reading Google, apparently heliographs were still being used in Afghanistan in recent years. I suppose they are very directional and thus not always easy to intercept unless you are in their line of sight. Not sure how wide their beam was but, of course, the further away you get the wider the beam (like a torch.) Radio is easy to intercept and even using code is not infallible (the Royal Navy's capture of the Enigma machine and Bletchley's subsequent code breaking is a famous example.) Flag signals can be read from 360 degrees so I suppose a line of sight instrument is not so far out after all (but not if you live in this grey skies part of the world.)
Also part of the photo are the trophies this platoon has won at Football, the Cheshire's apparently being renowned for their sporting prowess.
(The EXIF data is because I had to take a photograph rather than use my scanner - too large to fit because it has a cardboard frame.)

Ramsbottom Station on the East Lancs Railway, a heritage line. The signal box is across the road from Ramsbottom Station, a crossing point for trains on this single line between Bury and Rawtenstall. The crossing is guarded by normal traffic lights outside the box and the gates worked via a wheel. On this occasion, the gates are being opened to allow a train to head for Rawtenstall. It is pulled by Black 5 45407 Lancashire Fusilier running tender first.
The video taken on a Fujifilm X10 still camera. Sorry about the wind noise but only able to us the camera mic as yet.

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First video taken on my new Fujifilm X10 camera. 71000 The Duke of Gloucester leaves Ramsbottom Station on the East Lancs Railway banked by Super D 0-8-0 49395.
Not bad quality for a still camera although it is a little small and working the lens whilst videoing can be difficult. At least it has an optical viewfinder which means it can be held against the face to be steadier. Unfortunately, Flickr does not seem to recognise the AVCHD Video which gives better results.

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It's an illusion, of course. It was an 1/140th second gap in the traffic missing the rear bumper of one vehicle and the front bumper of the one following. The Railway Magazine has been debating the use of traffic lights at crossings instead of the present flashing ones. Here at Ramsbottom the crossing is controlled by normal traffic lights. I presume the signalman controls the lights and it must be a lot easier for him to work the gates (the wheel is just inside the windows) when he can stop the traffic completely first.
Ramsbottom is the main intermediate station on the East Lancs Railway, a major player on the Heritage Railway stage. On gala days such as today, this can be a busy spot with trains passing and engines, or even whole trains, waiting on the distant sidings. It is a single line (the "double" being part of the long sidings) up to the newish terminus at Rawtenstall. At one time this was a junction station with the present line continuing through Rawtenstall and looping round to Rochdale. Just round that bend, another line slid off on the left to climb the valley and over towards Accrington. Little is left of that line but you can see embankments and the remains of bridges at the left from the present East Lancs trains.

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IN 1894, the Brocklehurst family gave the Victoria Park to the people of Macclesfield. Not large but quite well planted. It even has a bandstand and I like to think of those Victorians and Edwardians sitting here amongst (young) trees listening to Military or Brass band playing on a warm Summer's Sunday afternoon.

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