Infamous Inclines!

[fgwrich]

If you want a fairly long and continous gradient - Theres the rather lengthy (around 15 miles) of 1 in 200 up from Eastleigh to Battledown Flyover - Certainly makes track machines and Freightliners slow down a fair bit!...

And youve got some fairly steep gradients on the Salisbury to Exeter route - The climb out of Axminsters fairly steep at 1 in 80!

 

[dstrat]

What about the climb from Dover to Sandwich? Doesn't have to navigate around something short of a cliff?

 

[Hydro]

What about the climb from Dover to Sandwich? Doesn't have to navigate around something short of a cliff?

Not as dramatic as that, there's a bit of a climb before Guston tunnel, it's all downhill after that to Walmer.

There's a gradient profile on the RAIB site in an investigation to a fatality at Deal in 2006.

 

[notadriver]

That climb is a ruling gradient of 1 in 60.

 

[fgwrich]

Well, whilst where on the subject of gradients, ive just come across this video on Youtube filmed across the South West...

Warning, Video content Not Suitable for some people on here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=jD6X7pnjEzY&feature=endscreen



But for those of you who like the other kind of engine, theres at least one bit of ee close to it!

 

[Ploughman]

In the 70s whilst waiting on Preston station, I watched a train attempt to come up off the docks. It just about made it to the top of the bank and slid back down.
Think it was a 25.

 

[Hydro]

In the 70s whilst waiting on Preston station, I watched a train attempt to come up off the docks. It just about made it to the top of the bank and slid back down.
Think it was a 25.

That's a hell of an incline, I went down there on a Sprinter about three weeks ago.

 

[tirphil]

There's quite a few in this area. Santon bank as mentioned, plus Brocklesby bank and Elsham bank a little bit further out. In the other direction, it's quite a climb from where the line crosses the M181 to Scunthorpe station. Something like 1 in 60 for a couple of miles.

Indeed. Brocklesby bank is fairly steep but I never had trouble pulling away from a standing start on the signal protecting the junction on the bank with a train from the HIT. Elsham wasn't so much a problem. It was fairly steep but as I usually drove coal trains I usually had empties going up Elsham so I never had any problems.

 

[RPM]

Saunderton bank was (apparently - it was before my time) a great place to watch GWR Kings working hard. These days 165s tackle it easily whilst 168s struggle their way up it like the slugs they are. You actually get a better run over Saunderton in a 165 despite their lower top speed.

 

[12CSVT]

Being on a northbound class 116 DMU setting off from Abercynon used to be quite entertaining, especially on wet rails. The graident here is 1 in 30.

 

[sprinterguy]

A lot of the Nottinghamshire colliery lines had some challenging gradients.
Calverton was a good one. It was always advisable to keep your thumb/foot on the sand button on the way in to maximise your chances of making it to Bestwood Park on the way out. A pair of 20's or a 56 would generally do it with 42 loaded HAA's, but you could be in trouble if you had a 58 with blocked sanders (common problem) especially on a wet rail.
Silverhill was another good one. Full blast coming out. I remember being on a pair of 20's and having to switch the slow speed control in to get up the hill as one of the loco's would keep overloading.
The king of them all though, and real test of manhood was Bentinck Colliery near Annesley. Just to get to the loading hopper you had to take a run up to the hill. If you were doing any less than 10mph then forget it. 15 was the preferred speed and even then you might need two three attempts. Any more and rather than go round the sharp left bend to the hopper, you'd more than likely go straight on into the nasty waste pond!
They used to keep 58's off the Bentinck's unless there was really nothing else they could send.
It all changed when we got 60's that could go anywhere in any weather with the heaviest loads.

Would it have been Bentinck that I read about in an old copy of RAIL or Railway Magazine that 58s were limited to 28 HAAs into in the mid nineties? I was surprised at the time that that should be the case for locos that were specifically designed with Midlands coal traffic in mind when 56s could handle the trips much more capably.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Thanks for all your replies; very much appreciated.

Does Shap summit trouble anything nowadays given that during the steam era just about everything was banked from Tebay. Also, are HST's and Voyagers able to maintain line speed up the Lickey? As stated before I've read an account of a class 60 being reduced to a snails pace up the Lickey but in its defence it was hauling a heavy oil train.

 

[Kneedown]

Would it have been Bentinck that I read about in an old copy of RAIL or Railway Magazine that 58s were limited to 28 HAAs into in the mid nineties? I was surprised at the time that that should be the case for locos that were specifically designed with Midlands coal traffic in mind when 56s could handle the trips much more capably.

It definitely wasn't Bentinck. We had 42HAA's there no matter what was on the front. You've got me thinking now as there was somewhere that had only 28HAA's, but i can't think where, and it was the standard for that pit no matter what was hauling it.
I'm going to be very boring and itemise the train lengths for all the pits now....

42HAA:- Bennerley, Bentinck, Silverhill, Cotgrave, Calverton, Denby.

36HAA:- Welbeck, Thoresby, Ollerton, Bilsthorpe, Oxcroft.

That leaves Bolsover, Clipstone, Rufford, Coalfields Farm, Lounge, Nadins (which used to be Rawdon) Daw Mill and Asfordby. Gedling is a possibility as it never hosted MGR trains as such, normally a shorter rake of HEA's so that's a possibility.
I'm pretty sure Rufford was 36 if i remember rightly but not 100%

At least i've narrowed it down a bit if you're all still awake!

 

[sprinterguy]

Also, are HST's and Voyagers able to maintain line speed up the Lickey? As stated before I've read an account of a class 60 being reduced to a snails pace up the Lickey but in its defence it was hauling a heavy oil train.

In my experience, the Voyagers and HSTs don't have a problem with the Lickey. It's a completely different story for the 170s, 153s and 150s that tackle the bank though, particularly those that have stopped at Bromsgrove and hence are robbed of a good run up.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It definitely wasn't Bentinck. We had 42HAA's there no matter what was on the front. You've got me thinking now as there was somewhere that had only 28HAA's, but i can't think where, and it was the standard for that pit no matter what was hauling it.
I'm going to be very boring and itemise the train lengths for all the pits now....

42HAA:- Bennerley, Bentinck, Silverhill, Cotgrave, Calverton, Denby.

36HAA:- Welbeck, Thoresby, Ollerton, Bilsthorpe, Oxcroft.

That leaves Bolsover, Clipstone, Rufford, Coalfields Farm, Lounge, Nadins (which used to be Rawdon) Daw Mill and Asfordby. Gedling is a possibility as it never hosted MGR trains as such, normally a shorter rake of HEA's so that's a possibility.
I'm pretty sure Rufford was 36 if i remember rightly but not 100%

At least i've narrowed it down a bit if you're all still awake!

Thanks for that, it's fascinating to find out about things like this.

 

[RPM]

In my experience, the Voyagers and HSTs don't have a problem with the Lickey. It's a completely different story for the 170s, 153s and 150s that tackle the bank though, particularly those that have stopped at Bromsgrove and hence are robbed of a good run up.

We have the same problem here with having to hit Hatton bank from a standing start because of Warwick Parkway.