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Weirdest Oddities Still on the UK Network?

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stut

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I do find it odd that there are so many foot/farm level crossings over the ECML (particularly around the Bedfordshire section). I know planning was approved to replace them with bridges and tunnels, but haven't seen any more.

The Biggleswade Green Wheel path takes you over a rather fast section of the line here at the Holme Crossing: https://goo.gl/maps/KpbsFnQCRmz - it's one I have some trepidation about whenever I cross!
 
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stut

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The mid-platforms footbridge at Kings Cross has a strange variation on this, as it has a lift and a single escalator connecting it to each of the intermediate platforms, with the escalator invariably running down, even where the only movements are arrivals. So to get up to the bridge you have to use the lift. This is arranged facing south, so most of the arriving passengers walking towards the barriers do not even notice it is there.

A lot of the originally designed passenger flows for KX were abandoned. The lift buttons at platform level were locked out of use - it was only platform 0/1 where you could get up to the bridge (and that was if you ignored the "no entry" sign). The buffer facing barriers were all to be exit only, and the concourse-side barriers entrance only. This was quickly abandoned.

Thing is, if you need to get over to St Pancras, or up towards the canal (lots of offices and the like there now), then a lot of people find it quicker to go up to the bridge, meaning queues for the lifts. They're clearly not built for heavy capacity and use, and there's been more than one occasion where they've given up the goat* halfway up. I certainly used to use the bridge against the flow when using the cycle park on platform 0, then taking a train from platform 10.

* I know it's 'ghost', I just enjoy this malapropism.
 

bramling

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A lot of the originally designed passenger flows for KX were abandoned. The lift buttons at platform level were locked out of use - it was only platform 0/1 where you could get up to the bridge (and that was if you ignored the "no entry" sign). The buffer facing barriers were all to be exit only, and the concourse-side barriers entrance only. This was quickly abandoned.

Thing is, if you need to get over to St Pancras, or up towards the canal (lots of offices and the like there now), then a lot of people find it quicker to go up to the bridge, meaning queues for the lifts. They're clearly not built for heavy capacity and use, and there's been more than one occasion where they've given up the goat* halfway up. I certainly used to use the bridge against the flow when using the cycle park on platform 0, then taking a train from platform 10.

* I know it's 'ghost', I just enjoy this malapropism.

I’ve always wondered how it would work if they ran the escalators in the up direction - perhaps evening peak excepted. Apart from commuters surprisingly few seem to use the bridge, yet there’s always a stream of people trying to use the lifts and reach the bridge when a train arrives.
 

CaptainHaddock

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Technically it's not on the UK rail network but it's such a prominent landmark within a few feet of the North Wales coast line, I thought it worth mentioning. The abandoned ship The Duke of Lancaster, which has been gently rusting away for the best part of 30 years, is about to get a new lease of life.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46811938
 

Highlandspring

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This thread might as well be titled “Name something, anything at all, you know about or nearby the railway
 

6Gman

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Technically it's not on the UK rail network but it's such a prominent landmark within a few feet of the North Wales coast line, I thought it worth mentioning. The abandoned ship The Duke of Lancaster, which has been gently rusting away for the best part of 30 years, is about to get a new lease of life.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46811938

The article actually says that a planned use (for a few days hosting a "zombie" event, whatever that means) has been postponed!

So still no future use.

Rather comically the article describes the vessel as a "former ocean liner" which it certainly wasn't! It was built as a Heysham-Belfast ferry which did a bit of off-season local cruising in its early years.
 

infobleep

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I do find it odd that there are so many foot/farm level crossings over the ECML (particularly around the Bedfordshire section). I know planning was approved to replace them with bridges and tunnels, but haven't seen any more.

The Biggleswade Green Wheel path takes you over a rather fast section of the line here at the Holme Crossing: https://goo.gl/maps/KpbsFnQCRmz - it's one I have some trepidation about whenever I cross!
I like the wording, cross auickly. I have visions of people running across. I know they don't actually mean that.
 

trainmania100

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Very interesting, I enjoyed that.
Saw
There was until recently, and may still be an open foot crossing in Greenwich, London, on the lightly used freight line to/from Angerstein wharf.
Commonplace in country areas, but I think that this might be the only one in London.

It is approached via a narrow path between the gardens of two houses, the footpath passes UNDER the upper floor of the houses via a brick arch, feels like a tunnel but is at ground level.
Very odd for inner London.
Saw this video a little while back and am tempted to go, maybe when the Hastings thumper tour goes to it this year
 

LowLevel

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EMT's Peterborough - Lincoln Central service is also mostly run using single 153s.

It's worth pointing out that hardly any EMT services run by single 153s are operated as such because they've been determined to be suitable for that service - they're just the only units left available. Almost all routes allocated single 153s have services that leave people behind as a matter of course.
 

Lucan

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.... I thought it worth mentioning. The abandoned ship The Duke of Lancaster, which has been gently rusting away for the best part of 30 years, is about to get a new lease of life.
This is of relevance to the railway. The ship was used for a time as a duty-free department store (even though docked/beached), but was shut down because the road access from the A548 is via a bridge under the North Wales coast railway. This bridge is only a field access type and too low to allow a fire-engine through. For that reason the "deparment store" was compulsorily shut down. I guess that would remain a reason for not re-opening the ship unless someone pays to enlarge the bridge.

It did feature on a "Derelict Britain" type website (not there now). Someone trespassed on board and took photos - there was still some unsold clothing hanging up.
 

bnsf734

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Heysham station has cars to and from the Isle of Man ferry driving across the station concourse! Can be observed by using the daily train from Leeds.
 
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I suppose this is more of a quirk than an oddity, but some GWR lines still have mile-posts fabricated out of old broad-guage rail. Anyone else know of any other instances where broad-guage rail is still serving a functional purpose?
 

Doomotron

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I suppose this is more of a quirk than an oddity, but some GWR lines still have mile-posts fabricated out of old broad-guage rail. Anyone else know of any other instances where broad-guage rail is still serving a functional purpose?
Broad gauge museum?
 

181

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I suppose this is more of a quirk than an oddity, but some GWR lines still have mile-posts fabricated out of old broad-guage rail. Anyone else know of any other instances where broad-guage rail is still serving a functional purpose?

It's not that uncommon (but is still interesting) to see it used for fenceposts along GW routes (including closed lines). You don't have to look all that hard to find some at Paddington.
 

twpsaesneg

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Technically it's not on the UK rail network but it's such a prominent landmark within a few feet of the North Wales coast line, I thought it worth mentioning. The abandoned ship The Duke of Lancaster, which has been gently rusting away for the best part of 30 years, is about to get a new lease of life.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46811938

It is of relevance to the railways, since she was a ship built for British Railways!

I hope they do either do something meaningful with her or finally put her out of her misery.
 

infobleep

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I think there might be a postbox at High Wycombe? I didn't look for it when I was there recently, but it's definitely a Compulsory Ticket Area.
Godalming has one but there are no barriers to the platform so probably doesn't count
 

Penmorfa

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It is of relevance to the railways, since she was a ship built for British Railways!

I hope they do either do something meaningful with her or finally put her out of her misery.

In the last couple of months the ship's exterior has had a full repaint: red funnel, white superstructure and black hull. It looks much smarter now alhough the black does go too far up the side. Must get down for an up to date photo.
 

theageofthetra

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Does any city other than London have a terminus station like Bromley North where persons of reduced mobility can't use it?

This is due to no step free access at the other station Grove Park. I suppose they could just be going to Sundridge Park though! Which you can see from Bromley North
 
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theageofthetra

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Why can't they use it? Is it unstaffed? (Assuming PRM =People with Reduced Mobility)
They can join at Bromley North but at Grove Park where they have to change to another service it's stairs all the way. On very rare occasions if Bromley South is closed for works then trains will run through from Bromley North to Charing Cross or Cannon St and then PRM can dare to use this service.
 

TRAX

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I'm going to nominate Pacers as a weird oddity on the UK network. I've never seen anything like them anywhere else. They are novel and endangered.
Railbuses certainly aren’t a Pacer/UK specificity.
 

James H

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Halesworth station still has the level crossing in the platforms (see Google Streetview picture and details here). I travelled on this line to and from Lowestoft a couple of times around 1970 and it was disused by then, and I'm a little surprised that it's still there and hasn't been replaced by a normal platform structure.
Just been grade II listed:

The moving platforms at Halesworth, dating to the second half of the C19, are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest: * as exceptionally rare survivals; * as an innovative engineering solution which stood the test of time and retain their form and character.

Historic interest: * as tangible evidence of the mid-to-late-C19 development and expansion of the railway, and a bespoke solution to the conflicting needs of rail and road transport
 

bramling

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I was thinking more of instances on the operational, national network.

There’s some I think mixed gauge rails embedded in a road adjacent to one of the quays at Plymouth harbour. I believe this is left over from operational days. Can be hard to photograph though as it quite often has cars parked over it.
 

Skipness

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There was until recently, and may still be an open foot crossing in Greenwich, London, on the lightly used freight line to/from Angerstein wharf.
Commonplace in country areas, but I think that this might be the only one in London.

It is approached via a narrow path between the gardens of two houses, the footpath passes UNDER the upper floor of the houses via a brick arch, feels like a tunnel but is at ground level.
Very odd for inner London.
Thanks for the interesting video. How many hgvs would be needed to transport this load?
 

matt_world2004

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A small stretch of broad gauge disused track near brunel University and a boiler from the SS great Eastern.
 
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