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.

EUROPA, Liechtenstein

Dear Sara sent me this very nice envelope from Liechtenstein with the EUROPA stamps from 2010. You know (probably) that EUROPA is not my primary theme of collection, however, I can never say no to a nice cover with EUROPA stamps. And the envelope is so fitting to the theme :)

For the 2010 theme, Liechtenstein immortalised on a commemorative stamp a classic of Liechtenstein children’s literature: “Lisa and Max” (face value CHF 1.40). Since 1992, when the first book in this series (“Der Wunschhund“/“The Perfect Dog”) appeared, these popular picture-books have followed the twins Lisa and Max and their dog Mischa on their adventures in Liechtenstein. Each of the stories published to date takes place in a different month and in a different one of the Principality’s eleven communities. Each of these monthly books focuses on a distinctive Liechtenstein tradition: “The Shrovetide Procession”, “The Spark Sunday Witch”, “The Easter Treasure”, “The Birthday Castle”, “The Phantom of the Corpus Christi Procession”, “The Mountain Walk”, “The Prince’s Birthday”, “The Return from the Mountains”. In 2011 the series will be continued with the October book. In 2007 the “Lisa and Max Fairy-tale Trail” was opened in Malbun in the Liechtenstein Alps.

The subject depicted on the stamp and designed by Mariagrazia Orlandini is that illustrated on the title page of the August story “The Prince’s Birthday” which appeared in 2001. The “Prince’s Birthday” is synonymous with Liechtenstein’s national holiday, celebrated every year on 15th August. This festive occasion, which was first held in 1940 and arose from combining the Feast of the Assumption (15th August) with the birthday of the then Prince Franz Josef II (16th August), has since 1990 always taken the same form: The official act of state begins with an open-air mass followed by festive speeches on the castle meadow. Afterwards the Prince and Princess invite everyone to a public reception in the castle gardens. In the early afternoon in the centre of Vaduz the informal celebrations begin, which every year bring thousands of visitors into the “Städtle” and whose climax includes a firework display from the castle rock.

technical details:

Date of Issue:         6 September 2010
Subject:                 Europa 2010 - For Children
Width:                   30.0 mm
Height:                   34.0 mm
Denomination:        1.40 CHF
Number in set:       1
Layout/Format:      sheet of 20
Perforations:          14 by 14

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

Toše Proeski 1981-2007, Macedonia

This FDC was issued by the Macedonian Post Office in 2007 in honour of one of the most famous Macedonian people ever, Toše Proeski.

Some of you know him, some have no idea who he was, but he was a very important part of the Macedonian music and culture in general, who had touched the hearts of many, not just in Macedonia, but across the Balkans as well, and was, I can freely say so, the best ambassador of our country.
I think that whatever I say about him, wont describe his greatness...you really had to know him in order to be at least a bit  aware of it so I wont go into details about his biography or career. And for any info youd be interested in, there are many sources about him on the internet. But I just do want to commemorate this day at least somehow.
If the destiny hadnt twisted the paths on 16 October 2007, today this great man would have celebrated his 30th birthday....unfortunately, it is his fans and all the Macedonian people who are left to do so, by attending or organizing all sorts of commemorative concerts and events. But of course, without the celebrator, it is not even close to same.
RIP Toše!

Technical Specifications about the stamp:


Face value: 12 denars
Perforation: Comb
Size: 30.2x40.2mm
Printing technique: Offset
Date of issue: 15/12/2007

The FDC comes with two different cancellations, one with the town of Kruševo, and another one with the city of Skopje. Being that Toše's hometown was Kruševo, I prefer this FDC. And I think that this picture with the pigeon in his hands, pretty much describes the heart and soul this man had.

Railway Construction, China

A lovely cover I received from China, featuring a set of train stamps issued in 2006.

All stamps are of the same value and represent the following respectively:
- the top left stamp is called "Raising Speed and Increasing Capacity"
- the top right stamp is called "Material Transportation"
- the bottom left stamp is called "Border Port Transportation"
- the bottom right stamp is called "Transportation in Agriculture"

the stamps' technical details are:

Date of issue: December 28, 2006
Size of stamps: 50 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 16
Printing process: Photogravure

the issue also includes a souvenir sheet featuring a high-speed train, which according to some sources has been printed with a special technique which allows you, under UV lights, to see the control numbers, a map of China as well as a route map of the Chinese railway. I havent tested this in order to confirm it or deny it (need to find UV lights somewhere first), but if it is true, then that's really interesting.

Size of S/S: 127 * 76 mm
Stamp of S/S: 90 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5 * 13

Thanks a lot to Huang for sending these great stamps to me!

World Champion in Water Polo - Melbourne 2007, Croatia

Apart from tennis and Formula 1, sport related stamps and cards are not really in my scope of collecting...but when something great is received, it is worth to show it, and this cover is a perfect example for that!

Goran used this mini sheet on his letter, which portrays the Croatian water polo team, the world champions of 2007, at the tournament held in Melbourne.

The event lasted from March 19 to April 1, where Croatia had not lost a single match throughout the tournament and had beaten Hungary 9-8 in the final game.
Stipe Karadžole says "Though it may sound unfair in respect to them, but all of the sudden, just like that – quite suddenly – the words “Croatian water polo players” came upon the lips of all of us and at this moment all the adjectives modifying these four words blend into one – magnificent"

no description can demonstrate what water polo players go through in their careers; along with that, they always find themselves shadowed by the more powerful sports and spend their time in swimming pools and fitness centres. Hours, weeks, months and years of training often remain unpaid for at the competition itself. Despite all this, the Croatian water polo had never lost its status in the world framework (or better to say in European frameworks because the almost complete top can be placed within them) but the medal was like the “forbidden fruit”. Particularly the golden one. In the seventies, the water polo players stepped onto the pedestal “only” three times – always a step below the gold: it was silver at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, and silver medals at the European championships in Florence and Kranj. But now the Croatian water polo touched the shiniest pedestal and this is what makes the gold from Melbourne historic. The goalkeepers Vićan and Pavić, the players Hinić, Smodlaka, Đogaš, Vrdoljak, Barač, Burić, Bošković, Bušlje, Kunac, Joković and Marković, the selector Ratko Rudić and the other numerous strong accompanying trumps, all these are the reasons why the Croatian water polo recorded the finest moments in its history in March 2007. The whole scenario had become even more perfect on account of the rivals who were part of their battling path. For years Hungary was the first letter in the ABC of water polo, and not infrequently they were flanked by Serbia. A rough qualitative description would even divide the representative world of water polo in two parts – Hungary and Serbia had made one and all other national teams made the other half of the world. In Australia, though, Rudić’s players managed to break through among the “elevated”. They had won against Serbia in the semi-finals in a wondrous way and then, in the great finals they beat Hungary. This is a team that can be best described in such a way as to compare them to the Brazilians in football. Because Hungary has dominated the water polo since the 19th century; this sport is their national pride, but in the finals Croatia was – “the water polo Brazil”. Frano Vićan rose to the surface from the swimming pool like an octopus and it is one of the unjust matters of this championship that he was not proclaimed the best goalkeeper. The offensive players Smodlaka and Hinić dealt with the foulest business in the swimming pool, Vrdoljak dragged on as a captain in some delicate moments, Bošković showed that what he held in his hands was a canon; Đogaš routinely used his great qualities, while Marković and Joković displayed the fact that they were the future of the Croatian water polo. Referring to Rudić, it suffices to say that he has 21 medals from great competitions to his credit and that he is the coach with the greatest number of trophies of all times. This is why his strong hand, in the water polo intelligence, was priceless. Along with all the individual qualities, what has been built upon, was a top-grade defence, a rationally conceived attack and what the team sport cannot do without: the water polo players have, from the very beginning been cast one into another – the positive team spirit and belief in success have led the thirteen players toward the greatest success of the Croatian water polo in history.


Technical details:

Value (of each stamp):       5 kn

Size:                                             105 x 68 (31,24 x 35,50) mm

Paper:                                          white 102g, gummed

Perforation:                                 Comb,14

Tehnique:                                    Multicoloured Offsetprint, Foil blocking

Date of issue:                              3.5.2007