"Any Old Iron"

Paul Heslop. A main component of the Industrial Revolution was cast iron but its impurities cause weaknesses. Two consequences were at New Hartley Colliery when the pumping engine beam snapped, trapping 199 underground and the bolts in the Tay Bridge which collapsed in a storm as a train was crossing. This talk looks at the circumstances of these two tragedies.

Bill Davis - Bill will give a light hearted review of his general interest in transport and of his 42 year railway career including his time as a train driver.

Arthur Cunningham. This is the story of Joseph Bazalgette and his remarkable contribution to London. His work on building London’s sewers is only part of the story.

Terry Summers will present a Victorian Magic Lantern show with material from his personal collection.

Richard Thomas returns to talk on the history, building, development and rise and fall of the largest man-made waterway in England. We travel eastwards in Victorian times to follow the creation of the canal and then board a Mersey ferry to Liverpool for the return journey.

John Cartledge. The station celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018. John’s talk will examine how the station has changed over its history and the railway’s significant part in the growth of the locality.

Ronald Koorm. Ron discusses the breaking of the Enigma Code and other coding machines, the infrastructure of the code breaking bases and the development of Eastcote as the first GCHQ.

David McCann. David is the Chief Tunnel Engineer for the Chiltern Tunnel. At just over 19kms long it stretches from Maple Cross in the south to Gt. Missenden in the north. Also including five vent shafts, it is a major civil engineering project of national importance in our part of the world.