Tim Dunn Profile picture
Jul 27, 2020 4 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Vienna's hospital railway: Between 1904 - 2011, the city's large Lainz nursing home had its own narrow gauge railway to deliver meals, clothes and fuel. Trains ran from the kitchens and little wagons were dropped off to wards at mealtimes. #MealsOnWheels ingr.co.uk/rly_vienna.html ImageImageImageImage
There were at least three of these little hospital railways in Vienna; and several more in other countries. Saint-Jean-de-Dieu Hospital in Montreal was so large it had a tramway to deliver meals etc around the site - even indoors Image
Some large hospitals had their own railway TO them - like the Hellingly Hospital Railway - to transport staff, patients and often coal to heat the place. East Sussex County Council ran this one near Hailsham thetimechamber.co.uk/beta/sites/asy… ImageImage
But I reckon the best hospital railway was at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, Carshalton. By the 1970s it was Europe's largest children's hospital and had its own zoo & miniature railway for entertainment & fundraising. It closed in 1993.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Tim Dunn

Tim Dunn Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @MrTimDunn

Nov 21, 2023
#OnThisDay 21st November 1997, the very last train operated by British Rail ran: the 23.15 Dollands Moor to Wembley container freight service. Few saw it rumble through the night and into history, or indeed its neat ceremonial headboard “[British Rail] 1948-1997” that it was posed with before departure. Here’s Chris Wilson’s photo of it in @RailwayMagazine; via @RailUKForums.
Image
But the British Rail double arrows symbol has been extraordinarily persistent since. It represents so much for so many - in very different ways (I’ve no doubt there’ll be endless replies to that tweet re the Politics of privatisation and Nationalisation; there always are)…
If one takes the “modern railway” to have begun in 1825 with the Stockton & Darlington, the web of lines were a private affair for 122 years until British Railways began in 1948 (this is complex; one could say they were under state control earlier, through the war and so on; but that’s not a debate I’ve time to have today). But that double arrows symbol has come to represent the railways for many not just by ownership, but as a system; an entity.
Read 6 tweets
Sep 27, 2023
#OnThisDay 27 Sept 1825, the first steam-hauled passengers were officially carried on a public railway: the Stockton & Darlington. That single trip changed the world. So exactly 198 yrs later, I’m in Darlington: today, colleagues & I have some CHUFFING BIG news for you… Image
In 1825 that first public steam passenger train ran;
In 1875 a jubilee banquet was held to mark the occasion;
In 1925 the LNER held the Railway Centenary
In 1975 BR did #Rail150 with a cavalcade & tours;
It has been my dream since childhood to imagine what 2025 might hold (2/-)…


Image
Image
Image
Image
I am BEYOND excited to be able to share news of the project I’ve been working on: 2025 is set to be #Railway200! The year-long nationwide programme of activities, events & partnerships will celebrate rail’s remarkable past, importance today, and look forward to its future… (3/-) Image
Read 5 tweets
Aug 15, 2023
Fun fact! In 1977, London became the first capital city to get a direct underground rail link to its airport. The Piccadilly line to @HeathrowAirport has some surprises if you look carefully; here are my faves from researching & filming tonight’s #SecretsOfTheLondonUnderground:

Image
Image
Image
London Transport’s Heathrow Extension opened in two stages; to Hatton Cross in 1975 and Heathrow Central in 1977. Planes were, naturally, part of the ace launch tube roundel, on the 86 new trains’ HEATHROW destination blinds, and “Fly the tube” ads of 1978.

Image
Image
Image
Heathrow Central (now called “Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3”) is contained entirely within a 3-level 120m x 26m concrete box. Moving walkways connect it to terminals (T1’s is now shut); the experimental multi-lingo Passenger Route Indicator helped tourists. Note new ceremonial plaque!


Image
Image
Image
Image
Read 7 tweets
May 11, 2023
“I MUST tell you,” said a lady with breathless excitement, stopping us suddenly as we walked down Bermondsey Street last night, “I MUST tell you that you are wearing the same clothes as that building.” and skipped off Image
(What she didn’t tell me, and my bf only casually dropped into chat as we reached home, was that I was wearing my jumper back-to-front, so thanks, guys)
I have also just realised that this occurred, with some irony, almost outside @FashionTextile museum
Read 5 tweets
Mar 4, 2021
Just unveiled: confirmed finalised designs for London's new tube trains. Known as "2024 stock", 94 trains will be built for @TfL's Piccadilly line by @SiemensMobility, many in Yorkshire. Due to enter service in 2025. Walk-thru cars, aircon, info screens, more energy efficient...
Bakerloo, Waterloo & City, Central lines will also get these if (and there is a very big if) funding is approved.
Big new tube train factory kicking off in Goole. #Goole.
Read 4 tweets
Dec 29, 2020
GREAT news from @RailwayMuseum in York: the museum's Station Hall exhibition is to be refreshed. Overseen by @celkingston, over 2021/2 the royal trains will be shuffled, 200 new objects displayed, plus more on railway workers, inc stories of women and Windrush generation (1/4)
Objects to be displayed in NRM's refresh include the old @LondonWaterloo wooden WH Smith kiosk, the Royal Train class 47 loco "Prince William", and (possibly) a waiting room display inc these beautiful Grantham station tiles, currently in store at @sciencemuseum Wroughton (2/4)
Designers will be appointed soon, with vehicle moves & construction to happen in 2022 (Covid-dependent, obv). There's also major roof restoration happening, AND wonderfully, film & sounds from National Archive of Railway Oral History. Much of this funded by @friends_railway.(3/4)
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(