Trivia> Trivia!!

[thenorthern]

How about Workington North, built in the shortest time (six days) and (maybe) with the shortest time in operation (314 days)?

Definitely the shortest to open although Heathrow Junction was open for about 5 months in 1998 and I am not sure how long Ramsline Halt in Derby was open for.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

How about Workington North, built in the shortest time (six days) and (maybe) with the shortest time in operation (314 days)?

There might be a few other temporary stations that were even shorter in terms of lifespan. Leeds Whitehall lasted longer I think, but wasn't used all the time- mostly on weekends and bank holidays so the total number of days it was in use might have been less.

 

[miami]

How about Workington North, built in the shortest time (six days) and (maybe) with the shortest time in operation (314 days)?

And given the "overhead" of things like safety and planning nowadays, it would be the equivalent of building a station in about 15 seconds back in the 1800s.

On the age subject, the oldest operational station in the world (Manchester Liverpool Street, albeit charter only) is about to be severed from the network. The oldest continuously operational station I believe is Hexham
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Definitely the shortest to open although Heathrow Junction was open for about 5 months in 1998 and I am not sure how long Ramsline Halt in Derby was open for.

7 years according to wikipedia

 

[507 001]

On the age subject, the oldest operational station in the world (Manchester Liverpool Street, albeit charter only) is about to be severed from the network. The oldest continuously operational station I believe is Hexham

Edge hill is the oldest I believe.

 

[thenorthern]

And given the "overhead" of things like safety and planning nowadays, it would be the equivalent of building a station in about 15 seconds back in the 1800s.

On the age subject, the oldest operational station in the world (Manchester Liverpool Street, albeit charter only) is about to be severed from the network. The oldest continuously operational station I believe is Hexham

Edge hill is the oldest I believe.

The oldest station building presently in use is at Earlestown station.

 

[Kentish Paul]

Also, Bruce Dickinson is not only a blooming good singer with Iron Maiden, he is also a qualified fireman

And a qualified commercial airline pilot.

 

[plastictaffy]

I think I read Tamworth Station is the furthest station from the coast.

Coton in the Elms (Derbyshire) is the furthest point from the sea in Great Britain, and it's nearest station is Willington, served by Cross Country.

 

[Darren R]

There might be a few other temporary stations that were even shorter in terms of lifespan. Leeds Whitehall lasted longer I think, but wasn't used all the time- mostly on weekends and bank holidays so the total number of days it was in use might have been less.

The temporary station at Preston Maudlands was the shortest-lived I can think of: opened 9th March 1991, closed 10th March 1991. (Bridge replacement works on the Blackpool Line.)

Wasn't there a branch line in Wales that was built but only saw one train before closing? (I can't for the life of me remember where exactly, and my searches have drawn a blank. One for the historians/pub quizzers!)

 

[Howardh]

And given the "overhead" of things like safety and planning nowadays, it would be the equivalent of building a station in about 15 seconds back in the 1800s.

Many, many stations must have been hit by bombs during the war - not to mention lines. How quickly could they get stations re-usable or temproary ones built? I suppose in those times crossing over rubble to catch a train was the very least of their worries

 

[thenorthern]

Coton in the Elms (Derbyshire) is the furthest point from the sea in Great Britain, and it's nearest station is Willington, served by Cross Country.

Not true the nearest station to Coton in the Elms is Burton-on-Trent although the nearest station to the farm nearby where the centre point is I think is Tamworth.

Talking about that part of the country Appleby Parva nearby is the centre of the UK population.

 

[backontrack]

Wasn't there a branch line in Wales that was built but only saw one train before closing? (I can't for the life of me remember where exactly, and my searches have drawn a blank. One for the historians/pub quizzers!)

The Llangurig Branch. Opened in 1864 from Llanidloes, it closed officially in 1882.

 

[IanD]

Daisy Hicks's video for "Girl on a train" involves her dressed in tight leather clothing rolling around a rake of Mk III pulled by 55009 with 1Z55 as the headcode. From time to time, other trains are spotted such as a London Midland unit and a Penderlino! If someone can tell me how to post a YT video here, I'll upload the video

Leather?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Leather?

Yes - exactly what I said... Safe to say I have watched that video a fair few times

 

[krus_aragon]

Nearby is the Church of Llangwstennin - in the churchyard are the graves of two footplatemen killed on duty in Ditton? c.1910/1912?

The days when Llandudno Junction men signed Garston!

I'll have to take a look the next time I'm biking past Llangwstennin. (It's a lovely route to cycle.)

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

The Llangurig Branch. Opened in 1864 from Llanidloes, it closed officially in 1882.

Wiki advises that...

After the initial section of the Llangurig branch was built west of Llangurig station 52°24′23.62″N 3°36′15.24″W, a single MWR goods train hired by the L&NR ran along its entire length. This legally entitled the L&NR to invoice the M&MR for its share of the cost of the joint station at Llanidloes, which it promptly did. The branch service was immediately terminated by the M&MR, being wholly unprofitable without through traffic

 

[krus_aragon]

Probably because the letters K, Q, X and Z don't exist in the welsh alphabet....

I'm straying into non-railway trivia here, but the letter K used to be commonly interchanged with C in Welsh spellings, and is still used in reprints of some old Middle Welsh texts. When Bishop William Morgan translated the Bible into Welsh in 1588, he standardised on one letter. As 'K' is relatively rare in English, the typesetters of London would never have had enough of them to print a Bible, so he settled on using C everywhere instead.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Daisy Hicks's video for "Girl on a train" involves her dressed in tight leather clothing rolling around a rake of Mk III pulled by 55009 with 1Z55 as the headcode. From time to time, other trains are spotted such as a London Midland unit and a Penderlino! If someone can tell me how to post a YT video here, I'll upload the video

I see that the rest of the passengers have decided they'd rather wait for the next train than listen to her.

 

[SeanG]

Rudy by Supertramp has the Paddington Station announcer announcing the departure of the 19:45 to Bristol Temple Meads on the track.

As does an alum track from The Courteeners first album - "Yesterday, Today & Probably Tommorrow" which has the announcer from Manchester Piccadilly and mentions it in the lyrics

 

[Iskra]

As does an alum track from The Courteeners first album - "Yesterday, Today & Probably Tommorrow" which has the announcer from Manchester Piccadilly and mentions it in the lyrics

Great song, also mentions Euston. A song from their second album mentions Deansgate too.

Down In The Tube Station At Midnight- The Jam, features sounds from an Underground station and stock at the start.

 

[IanD]

Yes - exactly what I said... Safe to say I have watched that video a fair few times

If you watched the same one as I did then sorry to disappoint you but that aint leather she's wearing.

 

[Darren R]

The Llangurig Branch. Opened in 1864 from Llanidloes, it closed officially in 1882.

That's the one! My eternal gratitude - it was driving me mad last night trying to find it!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

If you watched the same one as I did then sorry to disappoint you but that aint leather she's wearing.

It is leather where it counts

 

[Michael.Y]

The ultimate train music video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHkKJfcBXcw

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Thats hellfire...!

 

[TheNewNo2]

"Graffiti on the Train" is <s>apparently</s> allegedly inspired by some idiots who tried to break into the lead singer's house to access the railway to spray-paint some trains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFmLVtSqQo0

 

[alexl92]

I think Waterloo East is the only station to have a platform C or D

As in 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d or just literally 'C' and 'D'?

EDIT: Ooh crumbs, forgot that that comment was on page 4 of a 14-page thread! Either way, I'm interested to know!

 

[Penmorfa]

ELO - Last train To London

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXXZMebT3m8

 

[lewisf]

As in 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d or just literally 'C' and 'D'?

EDIT: Ooh crumbs, forgot that that comment was on page 4 of a 14-page thread! Either way, I'm interested to know!

The platforms at Waterloo East and New Cross are literally just A, B, C and D rather than 1, 2, 3 and 4.

 

[the sniper]

"Graffiti on the Train" is <s>apparently</s> allegedly inspired by some idiots who tried to break into the lead singer's house to access the railway to spray-paint some trains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFmLVtSqQo0

Yeah that's true. I think I heard it on BBC 6 Music, with Steve Lamacq interviewing Stereophonics...? I certainly heard the lead singer himself say that somewhere! They didn't break in though, they climbed on his roof.

 

[TheNewNo2]

ELO - Last train To London

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXXZMebT3m8

I went to an ELO tribute concert a while back. They played a video to go with the song, unfortunately it was the famous video of London to Brighton, so it was a bit wrong...

Yeah that's true. I think I heard it on BBC 6 Music, with Steve Lamacq interviewing Stereophonics...? I certainly heard the lead singer himself say that somewhere! They didn't break in though, they climbed on his roof.

He said it at a gig, which means he's repeating it, so I'm thinking it's somewhat more fiction than anything.