Western Sunset
Established Member
With, at best, two electric trains each way an hour, is the line between Bristol Parkway and Cardiff one of the least used mainlines by electric trains?
Yes....that's correct off-peak. Likewise Ely-King's Lynn.What about Haughley Junction-Norwich? Is that still one Class 745 each way per hour or are there now two Monday-Saturday?
The line over the Garabit viaduct in France is lucky to see one train a day in each direction. Electrified at 1500v DC. But hardly a main line these days.
Doesn't look like there is currently a service, from posts on the international section of this forum. No idea if track has been taken up.Does the Garabit Viaduct even have any railway over it at all these days??
Perhaps the occasional 88 to/from the DRS depot?The first mile or so of the Crewe-Shrewsbury line was included in the original WCML electrification in the early 1960s, presumably to allow access to Gresty Lane Yard, but does anything electric ever go that way?
Carnforth Platforms. No booked use.
It was used for mileage accumulation on TPE Nova sets, and when West Coast change engines there the 86 can get sent into the platform.I did watch a loco put its pantograph up in the up one a couple of years ago !
It certainly doesn't get as far as Southampton Terminus, not sure how far down alongside the depot it goes.Third rail used to extend from Northam to Southampton Terminus (the line across road to docks), so only got used by occasional boat trains.
Think it has been de-electrified (except approach to Northam depot)
I suspect that the Furness line platforms at Carnforth - and the run round line behind the wall - were electrified to facilitate loco changes on such long gone services as Euston-Barrow (both daytime and sleepers) and the Euston-Workington TPO. In practice, I seem to remember that once Carnforth train crew depot had closed, these trains seemed to change locos at Preston. I do remember being at Carnforth one day (a Sunday?) in the mid-1970s when an LNER Society special from Euston, formed of Manchester Pullman stock, arrived behind a class 86/0 loco, which ran round and hauled the stock out into one of the reversible down loops. IIRC, the passengers had the choice of either wandering around the then open Steamtown museum, or a coach trip to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway and a cruise on Lake Windermere.Carnforth Platforms. No booked use.
That does indeed seem a logical explanation, thank you for the information.I suspect that the Furness line platforms at Carnforth - and the run round line behind the wall - were electrified to facilitate loco changes on such long gone services as Euston-Barrow (both daytime and sleepers) and the Euston-Workington TPO. In practice, I seem to remember that once Carnforth train crew depot had closed, these trains seemed to change locos at Preston. I do remember being at Carnforth one day (a Sunday?) in the mid-1970s when an LNER Society special from Euston, formed of Manchester Pullman stock, arrived behind a class 86/0 loco, which ran round and hauled the stock out into one of the reversible down loops. IIRC, the passengers had the choice of either wandering around the then open Steamtown museum, or a coach trip to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway and a cruise on Lake Windermere.
Hopefully, once Filton bank gets wired, we'll have electric power on some TM-Cardiff services. I don't expect it to happen any time soon though.With, at best, two electric trains each way an hour, is the line between Bristol Parkway and Cardiff one of the least used mainlines by electric trains?
Seems the eastern docks branch single line has no third rail from a few yards beyond Northam Junction, after the road bridge only the facing points leading to the depot arrival/departure line are third rail fitted. The two depot roads (that run parallel but behind a fence almost as far as Chapel level crossing) are obviously powered.It certainly doesn't get as far as Southampton Terminus, not sure how far down alongside the depot it goes.
The original WCML electrification around Crewe, Liverpool, etc got very profligate in how far they wired down the various side lines. Runcorn Docks freight branch was another. The whole of Basford Hall marshalling yard at Crewe was wired, all tracks, yet all the shunting there was done by diesel shunters. Someone worked out there was sufficient unnecessary/unused wiring around Crewe to have done the Crewe-Kidsgrove link.The first mile or so of the Crewe-Shrewsbury line was included in the original WCML electrification in the early 1960s, presumably to allow access to Gresty Lane Yard, but does anything electric ever go that way?
IIRC, the Western Docks branch, which was originally the double track main line to/from Southampton Terminus, was at one time electrified for just over a train length from Northam Junction - primarily to enable the class 73 or 74 hauled boat trains to change power modes clear of the main line, thus avoiding blocking it in the event of a problem occurring (more common in the case of the 74s).Seems the docks branch single line has no third rail from a few yards beyond Northam Junction, after the road bridge only the facing points leading to the depot arrival/departure line are third rail fitted. The two depot roads (that run parallel but behind a fence almost as far as Chapel level crossing) are obviously powered.
Some 30 years later - to be fair when it was specced that was an eminently reasonable level of demand - and bi-modes, whilst they existed, weren't viable in the way they are now.The ECML main line north of Necastle was only expected to cope with a couple of electric trains an hour at most, which is now proving to be a bit of a problem, with some bi-modes running on diesel.
That was my understanding too. Southampton Terminus effectively closed to passengers at the time of the Bournemouth electrication. For a scheme that was authorised in the Marples/Beeching era (albeit not completed until 1966-67) it would have been a bit odd to electrify the whole distance. Boat trains (generally 'ocean liner terminal' specials) obviously had to be diesel-worked in the docks area anyway.IIRC, the Western [EDIT: 'Eastern'] Docks branch, which was originally the double track main line to/from Southampton Terminus, was at one time electrified for just over a train length from Northam Junction - primarily to enable the class 73 or 74 hauled boat trains to change power modes clear of the main line, thus avoiding blocking it in the event of a problem occurring (more common in the case of the 74s).
None at all, and so arguably doesn't count (Along with the Sheepcote lane spur, to Latchmere Jn)What trains use the following lines once used by Eurostars between Waterloo- Paris/Brussels-
Nine Elms Jn - Linford Street Junction
Fawkham Jn- Sringhead Jn? (just south of Ebbsfleet)
That is right. I lived in Southampton for 18 years and worked at South Western House (Terminus hotel, which was the home of BBC Radio Solent) for 8 of those years. The line between Chapel Level Crossing down into Eastern Docks and Ocean Terminal was never electrified during that time. I believe it was the plan though but didn’t actually happen during the 1967 Bournemouth scheme.That was my understanding too. Southampton Terminus effectively closed to passengers at the time of the Bournemouth electrication. For a scheme that was authorised in the Marples/Beeching era (albeit not completed until 1966-67) it would have been a bit odd to electrify the whole distance. Boat trains (generally 'ocean liner terminal' specials) obviously had to be diesel-worked in the docks area anyway.