Locomotives, Croatia

So, after the revival of the postcards' blog, it is about time to bring this one back to life too. Though it has not been as neglected as the Postcards one, still, it's been a few months since anything has happened here.
I see Sunday Stamps is still alive and soon ready for a new round, so I thought it would be most convenient to join it at the new A in a few weeks.
For now, my favourite Croatian stamps from last year (yes, even more favourite than Balthazar and the cats :D).
They issue trains like every second year, but so far I must say that this design is the best one. Probably cos it kinda differs from the previous ones which kinda resembled each other, so I was never sure if I actually have a particular issue or not.

This set consists of two different stamps, both with a face value of 7.60 kunas and portray locomotives of the Samobor Railway.

The concept of Samobor Railway includes the narrow-gauge railway with the track width of 760 mm between Zagreb and Samobor that was operational between Jan. 16th, 1901 and Dec. 31st, 1979. The railway was constructed under the status of a commercial railway with a length of 19 kilometres.
After WWII, the railway became a part of JDŽ and on July 1st, 1950 it started operating as an independent company entitled Gradska željeznica u Zagrebu (GŽZ). In 1951 the railway was extended by 5 kilometres from Samobor to Bregana. During the next two decades, investments were made into railway renewal and modernisation of mobile capacities. Despite that, the railway transport on that track could not compete with the expansion of the roadway transport so the Samobor Railway was closed for transport at the beginning of 1980. Used engines or leased engines were mostly used to pull trains on that track. The only new engines were a steam locomotive no. 7 and aluminium diesel-electrical motor trains.


The first stamp shows the Steam Locomotive no. 7, while the second one The Silver Arrow Dev 1.

I have these stamps both mint and on a cover. I just need to find the FDC now to have it complete :)

Thanks to Predrag and Danijel for making it possible to have them in my collection!

Trains in Sabah, Malaysia

A great cover from Malaysia, a whole-set-of-stamps (if we don't take into account the souvenir sheet), the kind I ultimately like the most.

On 28th December 2015, POS Malaysia issued a set of 3 stamps and one souvenir sheet featuring different trains across Sabah, one of the states of Malaysia.

The history of the trains in Sabah had begun with the British North Borneo Chartered Company in 1896, known as the North Borneo Railway. It was originally intended primarily for the transport of tobacco from the interior to the coast for export. The first line built was a 32km track, from Bukau river north to Beaufort and south to the port of Weston. that had eventually been extended several times.

The Railway Network had been almost entirely destroyed during the Second World War after which a number of ambitious projects had been put into force in order to restore and improve the network and its services.

Trains in Sabah nowadays use diesel locomotives such as the Diesel Multiple Units (DMU), the Railbus, and the Hitachi Diesel Hydraulic Locomotive, all of which are featured on the stamps above.

Locomotives EXPO '86 Vancouver, Cuba

this weather outside has kinda totally ruined my plans for the day, so if we're gonna stay at home, at least lets spend it in some productive way (where productive doesn't mean cleaning or working).

And being that no Cuban stamps have seen the light of the day here, here comes something Cuban, which in a way is related to everything else but Cuba :D

On May 2, 1986, Cuba Postal issued a set of 6 railway stamps, plus one souvenir sheet, representing different kind of steam engines, which were exhibited during the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication held in Vancouver, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986. The theme of the Fair was "Transportation and Communication: World in Motion - World in Touch.


And here for display we have the mint stamps (shown above already), the FDCs (shown below), and also the maxicards (even further below). Couldn't be any happier regarding this possession :D

Out of all these, it is just the souvenir sheet that represents a Cuban steam engine from 1837.

The rest of the steam engines:

-The first Russian locomotive from 1845

-next is the Stephenson's Rocket steam engine from 1829 (Great Britain)

-from the same year of 1829, below you can see the Stourbridge steam engine from the US

-next is a French one from 1830, depicting Seguin's steam engine

- here we have the first Canadian locomotive from 1836






- and the last one is dedicated to Belgium, showing an urban locomotive from 1872 pulling a train at the Belgian Grand Central Railway.

*fun fact no. 1 - it is not that fun actually - but I have totally lost track of who has actually sent these to me. I find it embarrassing and kinda rude, but unfortunately I just cannot remember =/ So a big big thank you to the sender, and if you remember being the 'guilty' one for these in my collection, please drop me a line!

* fun fact no. 2 - Depeche Mode had had a concert during this EXPO!!! Seriously!! Back in their early days still, as part of the Black Celebration tour... damn, that setlist looks soooo good! Nowadays I would never probably hear live songs like Fly on the Windscreen or Christmas Island or Leave in Silence or Blasphemous Rumours
(weeps in silence)

* fun fact no. 3 - Apart from DM, A-ha have performed here as well!
(weeps in silence a bit more)

* fun fact no. 4 - Death Cab for Cutie have a song called 'Expo 86', and just now I know what it actually refers to - I've never really liked that one so never really cared to google for more info. It is from their Transantlanticism album (2003), where you can find my favourite DCC song, called Transantlanticism as well, but I wonder how an EXPO could actually serve as an inspiration for someone writing a song....

Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotives, Croatia

On October 3rd, the Croatian post issued these two locomotives' stamps - seems that each year, the do dedicate an issue to trains and railways, which I absolutely support :)

The history of railway systems is marked by huge and complicated development of hauling locomotives, starting from steam locomotives to the electrically, diesel and diesel-electrically driven locomotives. At the same time the sequence of development from steam locomotives to today's technically and technologically sophisticated hauling locomotives was enormous and can be traced in many segments. This is the reason why the review of the original series of steam locomotives - especially those which were used in industry or in freight and passenger traffic on narrow gauge railway tracks is almost inconsistent when compared with the possibilities and exploitation features of today’s locomotives.

Steam locomotive model  207 (top stamp) - locomotives of this kind were built for hauling in industrial plants and mines for the 600 millimetre gauge. The locomotive model no 207 is a tender locomotive functioning on the saturated steam system. It was built in 1949 at the Đuro Đaković Factory in Slavonski Brod. From 1951 it was used in the mine Rudovci and then in the Tile and Brick Factory Ilovac in Karlovac. It was withdrawn from traffic on 1 December 1966. In 1993 the locomotive was donated to the Croatian Railway Museum by the Technical Museum of Zagreb. The power of the locomotive was 26 kW (35 KSi), its length was 5.312 mm, its weight 8.87 t, and the highest allowed speed 20 km/h.




Steam Locomotive of the series JDŽ/HDŽ/JŽ 83-106(SHS/BH Stb IV a5 1138) (bottom stamp) -  locomotives of this series were built for hauling of light freight and passenger trains on narrow gauge tail tracks of 760 mm in Bosnia and Hercegovina. They were constructed by Austrian engineers by reinforcing one kind of steam locomotive which was already hauling trains on local lines in Austrian Alps. In the period between 1903 and 1929 the locomotives from this series were built in Austrian factories Krauss in Linz and Jungenthal in Sieg and in the period between 1948 and 1949 ten locomotives from the series were produced also in the Đuro Đaković Factory in Slavonski Brod for the needs of Yugoslav Railways. At first the locomotives were built using compound system on saturated steam and later the system of superheated steam. Their special features were round steam distributors, Heusinger steering, handbrake and vacuum brake Hardy, water filter and chimney Kobel. The locomotives of this series were known in public under the name „Ćiro“ and they hauled trains on the narrow gauge railway network in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After Second World War on the narrow-gauge railway Split-Sinj (the so called rera of Sinj) several of these locomotives were used as replacement for the locomotives of the series JDŽ/HDŽ 186. In Croatia one locomotive remained preserved from the mentioned series and is featured on this stamp). The locomotive was built in 1916 in the Krauss Factory in Linz, Austria; from 1918 it was used in Bosnia and Herzegovina and later also in Croatia. It was withdrawn from traffic on 18. February 1975. The locomotive is exhibited at the train station Ploče, and makes part of the fundus of the Croatian Railway Museum. The power of the locomotives from this series was 254 kW (345 KSi), the length with tender 13,700 mm, the weight of the empty locomotive 32.5 t, the weight of the locomotive in function 36 t and the highest allowed speed 35 km/h.

I have to thank myself for these two :D

Railways of Greece, Greece

Recently Dimitris was very kind to give me these two fabulous FDCs, and being that (as I've recently realized) I haven't posted any Greek stamps before, I think that this is like the perfect way for that first post :)

Throughout their history, the railways have fundamentally changed the way people communicate, contributing decisively to the development and modernization of Greek society, significantly assisting the national war effort, vigorously promoting the country's economic growth, and becoming a source of inspiration for intellectual creators and artists.

A leading role in this effort was played by steam locomotives, which in their century-long history in Greece proved equal to the challenge of smoothly transporting the trains throughout the network. Of the dozens of steam locomotive series used in Greece, four are now pictured on stamps as a small tribute to the country's rich railway history.

They are:
- the American G401-420, the first powerful steam locomotives in Greece;
- the Austrian La901-940, which played a leading role in the struggles of the Second World War;
- the French Z501-517, which tirelessly traversed the Peloponnese for decades;
- and the German 40-45, the most powerful steam locomotives on the Thessaly network.

(original text written by Giorgos Handrinos, Association of Friends of the Railway)

The stamps were issued on 30 March 2015. Some websites say they are commemoratives, some say they are definitives...go figure...


Thanks a million to Dimitris for such a contribution to my collection!

Modernisation of Rail Transport, Malaysia

I don't know how come I have never posted anything from Malaysia before, so it is time to change that....

Malaysia issued this set on October 10, 1998, to promote the modernisation of their railway transport.

And there are 3 stamps here for that occasion, where on the first stamp with a face value of RM 1, you can see the KTM Komuter, which is a commuter rail service brand in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu. It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas.
Nowadays it is the most profitable passenger service offered by KTM, with approximately 46.957 million passengers per annum.

The middle 50 sen stamp shows the Star LRT - a light rapid transit (LRT) system network in Klang Valley, operated by Rapid Rail, a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia. It is the first standard gauge light rail transit network in Malaysia which commenced services in 1996.

The last, 30 sen stamp shows the Putra LRT, which is its former name and is now known as the Kelana Jaya Line. It was opened in 1998. Operated by Rapid Rail as well.


I often wonder how come that even in 2016, our railway transport is not even close to what some countries had decades ago.

The 130th Anniversary of the Moldava-Saxony Railway, Czech Republic

Last year my mailbox was delighted to receive this awesome surprise from the kind Radim.
And this is one of the very few FDCs that were actually mailed to me ON the actual date of issue :)

It was issued on 6th of May 2015, to commemorate the 130th Anniversary of the Moldava-Saxony Railway. Designed by A.Absolon who used a 1884 photograph as the basis of his design.

From the website of the Czech post office:

The Moldava Railway, also known as Ore Mountains Railway or Teplice Semmering, is a railway connecting Most and Moldava in the Ore Mountains. It used to connect Moldava with Freiberg in Saxony and although it lost its international significance, it continues to belong to the most beautiful local railways in the Czech Republic.

Between individual stations the train passes through a couple of tunnels and crosses a valley on the third viaduct on the route. Although the times when fast trains from Prague travelled on the railway and continued further from Moldava on their way to Saxony are gone, less traffic does not detract anything from the beauty of this romantic railway. There is no shortage of attractive views on the forty-kilometres-long route.

The railway was built by Prague-Duchcov Railway Company whose main objective was to enable coal exports to the neighboring Saxony. Although the first projects to connect the Most coal basin to Saxony originated as early as the 1860s, the construction was delayed due to financial and technical difficulties. The Most-Hrob section was opened on 15 May 1877; the Hrob-Moldava section had to wait until 6 December 1884. The cross-border connection line to Freiberg in Saxony was opened on 18 May 1885.


(btw, Moldava is a village and municipality in the Czech Republic - and it has nothing to do with Moldova, even though my eyes often keep reading it as such).

Thanks a lot lot to dear Radim for this most awesome FDC with the great First Day postmark too!!

Railway Tourism of Taiwan

I received this amazing FDC recently as a 'thank you' from a very kind Taiwanese girl, and it made me realize that I have not posted anything Taiwanese here so far...I don't know why, but well, time to change that....and I think it's been a long while since I've dedicated an entire post to trains only, so I'll dare to do so now :))

To promote the rail tours, Chunghwa Post has selected three TRA tourist trains and tours - namely the Summer Formosa Cruise-Style Steam Engine Train - Yuli to Taitung, the Cruise-Style Trains on the South Link Line and the Evolution No.1001 - Jiji Line - for a set of three stamps.


Taiwan’s railways are fascinating and charming, and taking a vacation by rail has become quite popular in recent years. To promote rail tours, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) has launched vintage steam engine trains, cruise-style trains that “wait for the passengers,” and themed trains. Chunghwa Post has selected three tourist trains and tours for a set of three stamps. The designs follow:
- 1.Summer Formosa Cruise-Style Steam Engine Train—Yuli to Taitung (NT$5): TRA formally launched the Summer Formosa steam engine tourist train in 2012 to celebrate establishing a sister-train relationship with a steam-engine train in Japan. In recent years, in coordination with the summer peak season, TRA launched an itinerary between Yuli and Taitung, making stops at the famous tourist attractions along the way, allowing passengers to take in all the natural beauty and culture of Hualien and Taitung.
- 2.Cruise-Style Trains—South Link Line (NT$10): This cruise-style train, modeled on ocean cruises, makes stops at several stations with special local colour. Passengers get off the train for sightseeing and then get back on the train and head for the next destination. A prominent feature of the South Link Line is the abundance of bridges and tunnels. The majority of the line is built where the sea meets the mountains, allowing passengers to enjoy the spectacular mountain and ocean vistas of Taiwan’s southeast coast.
-3.The Evolution No. 1001—Jiji Line (NT$15): This train was formerly known as DSC1001 and served as the TRA director-general’s official train. It was mainly used as a temporary command center on TRA’s branch lines during natural disasters and major accidents. With the growth of tourism, TRA has employed artists to convert the train into a sci-fi-themed train with the story line that it has been taken over by alien train buffs in search of a home. It runs on the tourism-heavy Jiji Line, which features abundant cultural resources and beautiful and diverse ecology and scenery.


Curious to know how much would a ticket cost....I tried to do a search, but the returned results pointed out to something insanely cheap, so Im not really sure I did the right thing there :)


* Date of Issue: 25 November 2015
* Paper used: Phosphorescent stamp paper
* Dimension of stamps: 60 × 30 (mm)
* Perforation: 13 × 13 1/2

Celebrating 150 years of South African Railways - 1860 to 2010, South Africa

Today is a special day for Viridian's blog, coz we are celebrating the 100th post of the Sunday Stamps! That means, 100 Sundays of sharing stamps, stories, ideas...deserves to be marked somehow!
I actually almost opted out from today's posting, coz as indecisive as I am (and being an open theme), I really had no idea what to post, yet for it to be something special....well, I know that after participating so many times, it would have really been a pity to miss today, so in the end I picked a beautiful set of train stamps issued on June 25, 2010, commemorating the 150 years of South African Railways.
Plus, it's actually been a while since I've posted something related to trains, so, here we are :)

so here we have a longish post, talking about this set of 10 beautiful colourful stamps on which you can see the evolution of the South African Railways, starting from 1860, when the first railway was opened in South Africa, called the Natal Railway Company

1. So on the first stamp you can see the Natal 0-4-0, which was the first locomotive to arrive in 1860 and operate the Point railway.
After the Natal Railway was rebuilt to Cape gauge in 1875, this locomotive was sold to a local farmer for use as a stationary boiler. After subsequently falling out of service, it was buried in a riverbank for more than 70 years. Some research indicated its last locality and it was excavated in 1944, cosmetically restored and is proudly displayed today in the new Durban station forecourt.

2. Next to it is the Class NGG 16 Beyer-Garratt 2-6-2+2-6-2.
As a result of success in using articulated Beyer-Garratt steam locomotives on the SAR’s extensive 600mm narrow gauge lines, an order was placed for an upgraded Garratt design in 1937 with overseas suppliers. In all, 34 of these locomotives were ordered. Many of these engines are now in preservation service and some have been exported to the UK, their country of origin, where the best-known examples now serve on the 2ft (610mm) gauge Welsh Highland Railway. Locally, several are in service with the Sandstone Heritage Trust railway.

3. The third stamp shows the Class 24 2-8-4, which is a medium-duty locomotive designed for use on lightly laid branch-line tracks, as was typically the case in the South West African (Namibian) railway system, prior to dieselisation in 1960. The best known and longest operating locomotives have been a feature of the scenic George to Knysna tourist branch line. This train (known as the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe) continued to operate until the line was closed due to flood damage in August 2006. Several locomotives still remain in local service to Mossel Bay with the Transnet George railway museum and two other preservation groups, but the majority have now been scrapped.

4. On the fourth stamp you have Class 25C 4-8-4.
These were designed to operate through the arid Karoo on the main line between Cape Town and Johannesburg. To conserve scarce water supplies on the Northern Cape routes, they were fitted with special steam condensing equipment. Used steam from the cylinders was collected and fed to the ultra large water tender, which was equipped with five large condensing fans. . Only one locomotive, No. 3511, remains intact for museum purposes and is currently stored out of service at the Kimberley locomotive depot.

5. Class GMA/M Beyer-Garratt 4-8-2+2-8-4 The Class GMA/M may be considered the ultimate of the articulated Beyer-Garratt steam designs to have been placed in service on the SAR. The difference between the GMA and GMAM classification was the coal-carrying capacity of the bunker at the rear. The front water tank served as ballast or for emergency use, hence these engines always operated with an auxiliary water tanker to increase operating range. Most of these locomotives saw final regular SAR duty until 1985, with the majority now scrapped. Several survive as static exhibits or preservation usage.

6. Class 35 Co-Co Diesel-Electric Locomotive
These were introduced in 1972 as replacement for aging steam locomotives on the SAR branch lines. The GE version depicted on the stamp is rated at 1160 KW continuous power output and weighs in at 81 tonnes. The units are powered by a V8 diesel engine driving a dc generator, which in turn supplies power to six axle hung traction motors. The majority of Class 35s are still in service.

7. Class 9E Co-Co 50KV ac Electric Locomotive
In the mid-1970s, 25 kV ac traction was introduced as a more efficient power distribution system, along with more effective air-braking installations, for lengthy freight trains.
In view of increased traffic levels on this export railway (trains now comprise 342 wagon, 35000 ton loads) insufficient 9E availability has necessitated supplementing motive power with additional Class 34 diesels, as depicted on the stamp design.

8. Class 26 4-8-4
This class was classified as non-condensing and was fitted with regular coal/water tenders. In 1980, SAR selected one of these locomotives, No. 3450, for a radical rebuild programme to improve power output and efficiency. By this time, SAR had already decided to phase out steam power completely and No. 3450 subsequently operated regular revenue-earning duties on the De Aar to Kimberley main line until the early 1990s. To identify the locomotive, it was painted red, together with its tender, earning the popular nickname ‘Red Devil’. After being relegated to tour train services during the late 1990s and early 2000s, it operated its last tour trip in 2004. It is now stored out of service at Cape Town’s main station as part of the Transnet museum collection.

9. Class 19E Bo- Bo Dual Voltage Electric Locomotive Placed in service at the end of 2009, the Class 19Es are able to switch voltage supply automatically between the dc and ac transmission network at Ermelo station, hence may operate straight through without stopping and changing locomotives, saving much train marshalling and time.

10. Gautrain Electrostar Bo-Bov
The first provincial railway in Gauteng was due to be partly commissioned by mid-2010. The maximum operating speed of the train sets is 160 km/hr, the fastest regular train service in the country today. Passenger capacity (with standing room) ranges from 77 to 165 persons per car, depending on the specific coach application.


For more special stamps click on the button below

and wishing Viridian many many more occasions like this! :)

Heritage Railway Stations of India, India

I was a bit doubtful when preparing this update, regarding what to put and what to exclude, but in the end I decided that it would be the best if I just placed all I had regarding this issue....in case you have something additional belonging to it, feel free to contact me :)

and these are the first Indian stamps featured here as well....so Im glad to have the chance to present you this stuff.

As the title says, this issue presents the Heritage Railway Stations of India and consists of 4 stamps, as you can see above...the stations represented are as follows:
- top left corner shows Howrah Station (one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata) - bottom left corner shows the Old Delhi Station ( the first railway station to be built in Delhi)
- top right corner shows the Chennai Central Station (the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai and home of the Southern Railway and the most important rail hub in South India)
- bottom right corner shows the Mumbai CST Station (is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and historic railway station in Mumbai which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India, and serves both as a terminal for long distance trains terminating in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai Suburban Railway)

I was happy to receive this Special Cover for this issue, commemorating the Frontier Mail from Bombay to Peshawar via Baroda.

The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI Rly) was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing a railway line between Bombay and Baroda in India. Baroda (Vadodara) was a part of historic BBCl Railway. The first train came to Baroda on 9th January 1861 and the city was connected with Broach and Surat. In 1863 BB&CI Railway completed the Surat-Baroda-Ahmedabad line. Bombay (Grant Road) was connected with Baroda in 864 via Navsari and Bulsar. By 1879 Baroda was connected with Delhi via Palanpur, Ajmer, Jalpur and Alwar. On 5th November, 1951 the BB&CI Railway was merged with the Saurashtra, Rajputana and Jaipur railways to give rise to the Western Railway.

The frontier mail was flagged off on 1st September 1928, from Colaba Terminus, the main station on the BB&CI Railway. It was the first luxurious and prestigious train in the Indian Subcontinent. The radio facility was provided for the first time in a running train in India and it was also the first fastest train of India. After Independence, it is running between Mumbai and Amritsar. The train has now been renamed "Golden Temple Mail".

And Im honoured to have not one, but TWO fantastic FDC copies...since the stamp's arrangement is different, i can freely consider them as different and equally important for my collection!
One arrived as a lovely surprise from Laura, and the other one arrived from Som.

Indian Railways has stood as an emblem of progress spanning over 150 years. In this period, it catalyzed India's industrialization and has emerged as a lifeline of India's development. Some railway structures are monumental in nature representing significant developments in architecture and technology. On 15.08.1854 a train ran from Howrah to Panduah. This Heritage Run is commemorated by the release of a set of four stamps representing four Heritage Railway Stations in India.
A plan for railway in India was first put forward in 1832. In 1844, the Governor-General of India allowed private entrepreneurs to set up a rail system. The first train became operational on 22nd December 1851 in Roorkee. On 16th April 1853, the first passenger train ran between Bori Bunder, Bombay and Thane, covering 21 miles. The rail network then developed rapidly, radiating from Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Delhi.
Railways in India were patrons of a style that combined the prestige and relevance of train travel with imaginative innovations of engineering. They were designed with grandeur and dedicated to the customer for eternity. Also, the four Metro Stations - Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi were monumental in scale, striking architectural creations of the 19th century, innovatively designed and incorporated local traditions and craftsmanship. They became a focal point of each city. With the coming of the Railways, there came up railway stations, Railway companies vied with each other to build imposing railway station buildings.
In 1853, India's first train should have started from Howrah but the ship bringing the coaches sank in the river Hoogly and the steam locomotive was mis-dispatched to Australia. It opened in 1854 as the first in the East and amongst the first few stations in India, as a temporary tin shed, for just two pairs of trains, a small booking office and one line along a narrow platform. The first train of the East Indian Railway, driven by Joshua Greenbo, ran from Howrah to Hoogly on 15th August 1854, a distance of 24 miles. This led to India's 1st commercial railway goods corridor from Howrah to Raniganj. The present day station became a necessity with increasing number of trains and opening of the Bengal Nagpur Railway from Howrah in 1900.
From humble beginning for just 5 carriages of only one train, Howrah Station now is among the largest railway stations in the world, catering to all major cities in India, handling over a million passengers a day through 23 platforms and over 300 pairs of trains. From within its magnificent archaic structure, huge crowds and the olden day charm of this great monument make this a wonderful destination. It became and still remains a gateway to the entire eastern and northeastern India.
The first imposing heritage station of the Railway's came up with the Victoria Terminus, housing the office of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway Company. This building was started in 1878 and it was completed and thrown open to the public on New Year's day 1888. The ceiling are very high and exude a sense of space and freedom. The magnificent monument was designed by F.W. Stevens. The decorative carved detail was executed by native carvers from models supplied by Mr.Gomez and the students of the Bombay School of Art. The buildings are faced with a light buff coloured Coorla stone with dressings, cornices and moldings in Porbandar and Seoni stones. The total cost of the whole building was about Rs.27 lakhs. All the work was entirely executed by indigenous labour. In quick succession came the large and imposing station buildings at Madras and Howrah. The landmark in Madras Central Station is the Victorian Clock Tower.The Howrah Station has a predominance of arches with a touch of contemporary British architecture and local trappings. Railways came to Delhi with the establishment of the imposing Old Delhi Railway Station constructed in 1867. The building has several Gothic features. The two-story building has deep verandas on both floors and though the original building is in a good condition, many modifications and additions have since been done. Semi-octagonal turrets rise from the corners of the building.

Date of issue: 16 August 2009
Denomination: 5.00 INR (each stamp)
Width             57.0 mm
Height             32.0 mm

Trains, Mozambique

It's been a while since ive been able to participate in Viridian's blog...but here we are to stop that tradition.
And well, today's theme is 'anything you want'....so in order not to think toooo much and negotiate with myself what to pick, ill go with my favourite topic of trains :) Sorry :)

And here I have two FANTASTIC souvenir sheets I received thanks to Goran who had arranged them for me!

these s/s were both issued in 1999.

The left one depicts the Railway Station in Frankfurt with the Talent DMU train in front of it. DMU stands for Diesel Multiple Unit, which is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country. These trains have gained tremendous popularity in Europe, where they have proven their worth in passenger service on more lightly used intercity routes that wouldn’t be economical to operate using more conventional locomotive hauled trains.

The right s/s depicts the Anhalter Bahnhof, which is a former railway terminus in Berlin in Germany. In front of it a 2-8-2 German steam locomotive is presented. In a 2-8-2, the wheel arrangement of the two leading wheels is on one axle (usually in a leading truck), the eight powered and coupled driving wheels are on four axles, and the two trailing wheels are on one axle (usually in a trailing truck) This configuration of steam locomotive is most often referred to as a Mikado (frequently shortened to Mike), but it is also referred to as a MacArthur. The 2-8-2 was particularly popular in North America, but was also used in continental Europe and elsewhere. The German 2-8-2s were built in both passenger and freight types where the passenger locomotives were used mainly in a mountainous terrain.

to see what others have come up with today, click on this big button below

wishing you all a very nice weekend!

History of Latvian Railway, Latvia

I know ive really neglected this blog, but you know that im awful in juggling between the two of them...and that in general am an awful time manager..but anyways, I hope to be able to stick to some more regular postings here...and bother you with my trains and railways in general....sorry :)

Elena sent me this fantastic Latvian FDC, said to commemorate the history of the railway in the country.

Unfortunately not much info I could come across on the net regarding this particular issue, but other sources had this to say:

-The history of rail transport in Latvia began with the construction in 1860 of a railway from Abrene (now Pytalovo) to Dinaburg (now Daugavpils), 160 km in length, as part of the Saint Petersburg – Warsaw Railway. More intensive development of railways in Latvia commenced the following year, 1861, when the 232 km long Riga - Dinaburg railway was opened. It connected with the Saint Petersburg – Warsaw Railway, and thus joined the Latvian railways with the Russian rail network. For the rest of the second half of the nineteenth century, the intensive construction of railways continued. Lines constructed during that period included Dinaburg–Radviliškis, Mitau (now Jelgava)–Muravieva, and others. From the 1890s, narrow gauge lines (750 mm) were built to complement the broad gauge lines (1,524 mm). Most of the narrow-gauge railways were later converted to broad gauge, but then dismantled in the second half of the twentieth century.


This stamp was issued on August 5, 2010.
perforation: comb13 1/4 : 13 1/2
printing:      offset
face value:  40 Santimi

Thomas the Tank Engine, UK

Some days ago my mailbox was again pleasantly treated and surprised by Silvan, who had ordered for me two fantastic items! I honestly didnt even know this issue was released until I opened the envelopes! And what do I see inside?? The lovely Thomas the Tank Engine!
In case you havent watched the cartoons, you should spare some time and do so...and dont worry for looking 'childish'...I personally have been downloading these series too, and try to watch an episode or two every now and then when I manage to grab some free time....Thomas is one very cute engine :)

the Royal Mail had issued several items this year, and what I must point out here (or brag about) is that the two items i had received are considered 'special issues', since they were available only on issue date and cant be purchased anymore...at least not from Royal Mail, but maybe you can find them from someone who has bought them and can give them to you.
The above envelope is an FDC with stamps, while the one below contains the mini sheet of four stamps.

Do you actually know how Thomas was born?
It all started with Wilbert Awdry, whose passion for railways had been instilled in him by his clergyman father, Vere, and when Wilbert himself had a family, he shared his railway enthusiasm with his own son, Christopher. It was while two-year-old Christopher was suffering with measles that Wilbert tried to enliven his son's bed-bound quarantine by telling stories and drawing pictures about a group of little engines. He wrote down the stories, and was encouraged by his wife to get his work into print. Eventually in May 1945, The Three Railway Engines - featuring 'Edward's day out', 'Edward and Gordon', 'The Sad Story of Henry' and 'Edward, Gordon and Henry' - was published, and soon more than 45,000 copies had been sold. Between 1945 and 1972, Reverend Awdry wrote 26 volumes in The Railway Series, and in 1983 Christopher began writing stories for the series. A year later, the engines of Sodor were brought to the small screen courtesy of television producer Britt Allcroft.  Filmed in 'live-action model animation', Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends enjoyed almost instant success. Since September 1984, 348 episodes and 14 series have been broadcast, the last two series produced in full computer-generated imagery. With over 200 million books sold globally, and the programmes viewed by more than a billion households worldwide every week, Thomas & Friends continues to entertain and delight the children throughout the world.

technical specifications:


Date of issue: 14 June 2011
Process of printing: lithography
Format: landscape
Phosphor: all over
Number of stamps: 6
Size: 60mm x 21 mm
Perforations: 14.5 x 14.5


number of stamps in the mini sheet: 4
sheet size: 115mm x 89mm
Size: 41mm x 30mm
Perforations: 14.5 x 14


So if you are having a lazy weekend and the weather outside aint really convinent for outdoor activities, make some popocorn or get some snacks and enjoy some time with Thomas and his friends.

And thank sooo much Silvan for always bringing such pleasure to my mailbox!

Anniversary of Iraqi Railways, Iraq

Well, im REALLY happy that today's Sunday Stamps topic is Transportation! This of course includes planes, trains, cars, trams....but even though I can say I have stamps of each of these, it would feel extremely illogical that I post something NOT regarding trains....I mean, how can I neglect my favourite topic! Thanks so much to Viridan for choosing this subject. To see what others have come up with, please visit Viridian's blog by clicking on this big 'button' below:

Well, while looking at my train stamps, I was wondering which ones should I choose for today...I really wanted for it to be something special, and eventually the final choice fell on this amazing Iraqi issue...so not only that the stamps are amazing, but they come from such a rare country that Im extremely happy and proud to have them in my possession (the WHOLE set!!) and all that is thanks to dear Joey from Norway!

The stamps were issued in 2010, commemorating the Anniversary of the Iraqi Railways.
We have three stamps issued, face valued of 750, 500 and 250 dinars ( I guess that apart from doing a lousy scan, I put the stamps in a reverse order, but I hope you dont mind it so much). The funny thing about the dinars is that it ALWAYS reminds me of Yugoslavia, coz the dinar was the currency we used back then...so it is kind of funny to find this currency in other countries too...\
The date of issue is 25 January 2010 and the size of the stamps is 50 x 40 mm.....perforation is 13 x 13

and apart from the three great stamps, the issue contains one FABULOUS mini sheet! I feel for this ever since I saw it long time ago, and I still cant believe it that it is actually mine right now!
It is imperforated and its size is 80 x 80 mm, with a face value of 1000 IQD.

Well, a few words about the Iraqi Railways.... The Iraqi Republic Railways Company (IRR), founded in 1905 (Im honestly confused about the anniversary here, coz ive come across several different data). It runs over approximately 1,900 kilometres of standard gauge track and runs from Rabiya in the north southward through Mosul, Bayji and Baghdad to end at Basra, with a number of branch lines.
The first section of railway in what was then the Ottoman Empire province of Mesopotamia was a 123 kilometres length of the Baghdad Railway between that city & Samarra opened in 1914.
(So it seem like the anniversary is something in-between.)
IRR uses Soviet-style SA3 automatic couplers. In order to allow interchange with CFS and Turkish State Railways which both use screw couplers, IRR locomotives and most wagons are equipped with screw couplings and buffers. In Iraqi service the buffers do not make contact and the screw couplings hang down unattached.

Have a great Sunday everyone, and let me know if you've had the chance so far to travel with IRR or if you're gonna do it so in the future :)

Railways of 1900 and 2000, Czech Republic

Well, being a Sunday, I think I can finally participate in the Sunday Stamps! And being the theme for today is 'anything you wish', my choice fits in rather well I think :)
If you want to join as well, just follow this link:

Well, im posting today this fantastic cover that Radim sent me, featuring a railway mini sheet.

Unfortunately, the information with regards to it are rather scarce, but still, it shouldnt be an obstacle of posting it here, no? :) And I know I have some Czech readers here, so if they could provide some more detailed info, Id be very grateful!
These stamps were issued on 09.05.2000 where the stamps at the top show a train from 1900 with a steam locomotive, service coach and carriages for passengers, while the bottom ones show a type 371 locomotive. The coupon in the middle features a map of the main railway corridors which run across this country.
The face value of the sheet is 23 CZK.

Again, thanks a million to Radim for such a great contribution to my collection!

125 Years of the Frontier Railway Spielfeld-Strass – Bad Radkersburg, Austria

Today I have these two fantastic items to show, thanks to Andrea who was very kind and eager to help me with my Austrian collections.

She sent me both the FDC and a cover with the same stamp coz as you may or may not, I have this odd urge to have the train stamps in all possible versions....so for example if I have a mint version of a stamp, I wont be satisfied with it, but I just want to have it all =/ One can call it greediness, or passion....I would choose the latter :)

In 2010, the Spielfeld Strass – Bad Radkersburg frontier railway celebrated a round anniversary; exactly 125 years ago, in 1885, this railway commenced operations. The commemorative is an impressive reminder of this proud birthday. The stamp motif, designed by Ernst Sladek, shows both a historic steam locomotive of the time and a modern train of today, thus reflecting the history and development of this southern Styrian frontier railway in an original pictorial language.

Technical details:

Release Date:            10|07|2010

Number of Copies:  300.000

Printing Style:           Offset

Type:                            Special issue stamp

Width:                          42.0 mm

Height:                         32.25 mm

Denomination:          0.65 €

Number in set:           1

Layout/Format:         sheet of 50

Perforations:              14 by 14

Dutch Trains, The Netherlands

In 2005, the Netherlands issued stamps on railways and Paul was very kind and sent me both the FDC and the set of mint stamps!

It is a set of four stamps showing typical Dutch trains, issued in a sheet of 10, on the occasion of the reopening of the Utrecht Railway Museum which was renovated.

The stamp in the top left corner shows the Blue Angel. It got its name from the famous movie "Der Blaue Engel" from 1929 featuring Marlène Dietrich. This train is now to be seen in the Utrecht railway museum. Its official name is DE 41 and it was introduced in 1953. It could contain 73 passengers.

Next to it, in the top right corner is the steam locomotive 3737. It ran services till 1957. One still survives and is operational. It sometimes carries out special rides.

In the bottom left corner is the Intercity Express train. It is a German ICE train which can reach speeds up to 330 kilometers per hour on special high speed track, not available in the Netherlands at the moment these stamps were issued.

Next to it, in the bottom right corner is the Front Runner (Koploper), which is in use since 1977. The train driver is high above the passenger compartment, which makes it possible to couple carriages without obstructing the way through to the next carriage. It was also the first train in which benches were not only placed opposite each other but behind each other as well

Technical Details:


Date of issue: 14.10.2005
Value of each stamp: 0,39 euros
Paper: non-phosphorescent with phosphorescent beam
Print: offset
Perforation: 14½
Watermark: none

Thank you so much again Paul!!!! 

Classic Locomotives of England, UK

Once again Silvan made me and my mailbox overwhelmed with joy with this absolutely fantastic surprise! It is hard  to describe how fantastic it is! And this is a very recent issue, which makes me even more proud to have it :)

Royal Mail pays tribute to the ‘workhorses’ of the railways; many of which had working lives of several decades before diesel and electric technology completely took over in the 1960s.

Classic Locomotives of England is the first in a new series featuring steam locomotives, used not just on the public railway network, but also in many industrial locations like factories, quarries and docks.

1st Class Stamp – BR Dean Goods No. 2532
A Newbury bound British Railways local service Dean Goods Class locomotive at East Garton photographed in 1951. These sturdy Victorian goods locomotives saw a great deal of use in both world wars, but by the 1950s they had been relegated to light duties, such as hauling passenger trains on rural branch lines.

60p Stamp – Peckett R2 Thor
This Peckett 1689, named Thor was built in 1925 for the Tunnel Cement company of Purfleet, Essex. Compact, powerful and rugged, industrial locomotives were the all-purpose workhorses of plants such as Tunnel Cement and many were used continuously for several decades. The loco spent its entire life at Thurrock - where the photo was taken - and it was scrapped there in March 1965.

88p Stamp – L & YR 1093 No. 1100
The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway locomotive photographed here at Liverpool Exchange Station in 1909 is pulling the 2.10 to Hull. From the middle of the 19th century, British companies offered integrated travel to continental Europe, combining rail services with steamships which sailed from ports around the United Kingdom

97p Stamp – BR WD No. 90662
During the Second World War heavy-freight “Austerity”’ locomotives were built for military service, transporting goods and troops. Before the Normandy Landings, the Army had very little use for these locomotives, so they were loaned to the "Big Four" railway companies. After June 1944, "Austerity" locomotives were shipped out to France. Eventually British Rail had 733 of these locos.

Technical Details

Number of stamps:   four
Size of sheet:           179mm x 74mm
Stamp Format:        Landscape
Stamp Size:            41mm x 30mm
Print Process:         Lithography
Perforations:           14.5 x 14
Phosphor:               All over
Gum:                      PVA

Technical monuments - Narrow gauge railways, Lithuania

A great Lithuanian cover franked with the two train stamps issued in 2002.

In Lithuania the first narrow-gauge railways were built at the end of the 19th century. In 1939, the total narrow-gauge network was comprised of 407 kilometers of lines.
Later narrow-gauge railways were dismantled or replaced by broad-gauge railways.
In 1996, the remaining narrow-gauge railway lines between Panevėžys and Rubikiai, Panevėžys and Biržai, and Joniškėlis and Linkuva were included into the Register of Immovable Cultural Values of Lithuania.
At present, the narrow-gauge railway line between Panevėžys and Rubikiai is used for the local tourism purposes.

Date of Issue:    8 June 2002
Width:              39.0 mm
Height:              26.0 mm
Perforations:     12 by 12

the 1,30 Lt Face value stamp shows a Diesel Locomotive TU2, while the 2 Lt stamps shows a Steam locomotive PT4.

Great Australian Railway Journeys, Australia

Another amazing railway-related FDC...this time coming from Australia.

The Aussie PO issued this last May, celebrating the country's most scenic railway trips. There were 4 different stamps issued, which of course you can see attached to the FDC as well.

Australian trains like The Ghan and the Indian Pacific cross the continent from south to north and east to west respectively, covering great distances, often over isolated and difficult terrain. Other routes, such as the West Coast Wilderness Railway on the west coast of Tasmania and Kuranda Scenic Railway in northern Queensland traverse much smaller distances in rugged and precipitous mountainous country. These railways were once the primary means of linking isolated Australian settlements with more populous cities. Today tourists include these routes among the great railway journeys of Australia.

The great Australian railway journeys featured are (from left to right):
* 55c – The Ghan
* 55c – West Coast Wilderness Railway
* 55c – The Indian Pacific
* $2.10 – Kuranda Scenic Railway

Stamps' Width:   37.5 mm
Stamps' Height:  26.0 mm
Perforations:      13.86 by 14.6
Date of Issue:    7 May 2010