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Cold War themed weekend?

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by SilentHunter86, May 27, 2017.

  1. SilentHunter86

    SilentHunter86 Member

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    Has any railway ever organised a Cold War equivalent to the Second World War weekends? With re-enactors, secret agents shulking about, vintage vehicles from both sides, etc.

    It's just that my nearest railway, the Epping Ongar, is close to the Kelvedon Hatch nuclear bunker and some of the others aren't too far from old US airbases.
     
    SilentHunter86, May 27, 2017
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  2. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Some railways do 60s events and that's the era of the Cold War. Unlike WW2, uniformed personnel weren't all over the place and the railways weren't visibly on a war footing. As for secret agents, they were dressed just like the rest of us. It's only in films that they wear raincoats and wide brimmed hats. :)
     
    Spamcan81, May 27, 2017
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  3. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    The Mid Norfolk does a decent Cold War weekend, blue and grey stock, blue diesels, Casey Jones Burgers and staff in '80s uniforms. Or BR as it was known at the time! How could you do a Cold War weekend? And what part of the Cold War era could you represent? When you think about it at the height of the Cold War you had steam trains going past the Golf Balls at Fylingdales, surely a trip on the NYMR past that site is an experience from that time in itself?
     
    Matt37401, May 29, 2017
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  4. SilentHunter86

    SilentHunter86 Member

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    Apparently, the reason secret agents look like that is that is because how people generally dressed in post-war Berlin.

    Also, the 'Golf Balls' at Fylingdales are gone, being replaced by the current 'pyramids' in the early 1990s.
     
    SilentHunter86, May 29, 2017
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  5. SilentHunter86

    SilentHunter86 Member

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    You could have one station themed like the West and another like the East.
     
    SilentHunter86, May 29, 2017
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  6. Nick Gough

    Nick Gough Well-Known Member

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    Nene Valley did that for 'Octopussey'!
     
    Nick Gough, May 29, 2017
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  7. Forestpines

    Forestpines Well-Known Member

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    And block the tracks between the two with barbed wire and shoot anyone trying to travel between them?
     
    Forestpines, May 30, 2017
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  8. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    Pity none of the Sealink & Caledonian MacBrayne ships fitted with washdown facilities to deal with nuclear fallout are in service.....................

    But Waverley it seems has reinforcement in the hull to carry AA Guns.............
     
    johnofwessex, May 30, 2017
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  9. Copper-capped

    Copper-capped Part of the furniture

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    [​IMG]
     
    Copper-capped, May 30, 2017
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  10. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I suppose there could be an 'On the Beach' event Down Under.............
     
    johnofwessex, May 30, 2017
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    Forestpines and Copper-capped like this.
  11. pmh_74

    pmh_74 Well-Known Member

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    Surely the place to do this is on the Harzquerbahn?
     
    pmh_74, Jun 1, 2017
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  12. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    It's a bit of a non starter, can't see the public getting too interested. I reckon the NYMR could do a Heartbeat weekend, all Anglia Policecars and BSA Bantams. I know people from over here who have visited "Heartbeat" Country but when you get there it's a bit of a letdown, a themed weekend with all the frills might be popular, it's still shown on ITV 3 everyday
     
    Reading General, Jun 1, 2017
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