Recent content by Andy873

Thanks everyone, points noted! Can someone remind me please - If you have two signal boxes only 0.5 miles apart and each box has just two signal posts, what colour signals we they be? I can't see any intermediate signals.

I was looking at an OS map (Revised 1929). Now on this map sheet it shows signal boxes, some are noted by S.B. while other boxes are shown without the abbreviation S.B. Does this mean anything? The 1909 map lists them as boxes. The ones without S.B. next to them - could this denote the box is...

How accurate are John Marshall's gradient profiles? John's gradient profile moving west from Great Harwood station goes up hill at 1 in 196, then 1 in 90, then to the summit at 1 in 200. Now I get the summit to around 430 feet. From this summit continuing west you go down hill for around 1.5...

I decided to test out Google Earth's altitude details... I know at the west Blackburn end the junction was at 416 feet, which is also shown on a bench mark on the original signal box. At the location that was the junction, Google Earth does indeed place the height at 416. Moving back to the...

Thanks for all the replies on this again. @Springs Branch Thought you might have a gem of a photo regarding the Springs Branch! Absolutely, I've lost count of how many disused and active mines there were close to my old branch line. It actually suffered over the years because of subsidence...

Thanks everyone for your input on this. As I've said before, Rose Grove West Junction height is illusive, I've tried before to calculate its height but due to the lack of BM's and spot heights I can't find a decent reference point except railway bridge No. 56. The 1890's map shows a road next...

Thanks once more John and all. I was just curious about rounding up or down to the nearest foot, and the nearest foot is close enough for me! So I would say a value of .48 we can round up, less than that round down. One thing I have found out is that the goods yards at Padiham and Great...

Thanks John, looks like your right. Each foot was divided into a hundred. One hundredth of a foot was 1/8 of an inch or so I've just read. https://www.newenglandlaser.com/gfs/media/pdfs/inches_tenthsconvert.pdf

I had a look around and yes, one has .48 and one has .50?? Looking at modern examples the initial value is meters and after the dot it's milometers, but these 1890's map are imperial measurements. There's only 12 inches per foot so it can't be inches, what else could it be?

I have for a long time now been trying to both confirm some station heights and the heights of two junctions, not easy when both the stations and the line have long since gone. Normally, I view the 1909 OS map, but yesterday I had a look at some older town map from the 1890's, whilst these only...

I agree too, when you sit back and think about what the two crews were doing it really does look skilful. This begs a question especially for steam locos - would a driver who hadn't done banking before have to learn the hard way, or would an experienced driver teach them? that is, under...

Here is a 15 minute video of some rail tours from the 4 August 1968 celebrating the end of steam. It doesn't add to the topic except to say it's a lovely watch - thought you all might enjoy it!

Absolutely, walking into a BR office and asking to charter a train would have been one thing, to actually make it happen would have been something else. On other threads, we've talked about staffing, route planning and timing. Perhaps BR might have asked you what time you wanted the train to...

Thanks for that, that's very interesting. I started a thread a while ago about Wakes Weeks holidays covering say 1900 to the 1960's and it was very common for trains to be chartered. All sorts of groups such as miners, working men's clubs, weavers, even some mill owners chartered trains for...

Would there be occasions where the two drivers (the lead train and the banker) would need to communicate whilst on the move? and if so, how? some whistle code? e.g. to say "More power".