Railway General Knowledge.

[EbbwJunction1]

Okay, eighteen hours with no guesses, so I'll give the answers:

Chafer An invalid Carriage
Giant A 50' Bogie Covered Van with Corridor
Locowag A Coal Wagon
Monster A 50' Bogie Covered Scenery Van
Python A A long Covered Carriage Truck strengthened for Elephants
Totem An Armour Plate Wagon, capacity 45 Tons

I declare an open carriage and wagon shop!

 

[Cowley]

Okay, eighteen hours with no guesses, so I'll give the answers:

Chafer An invalid Carriage
Giant A 50' Bogie Covered Van with Corridor
Locowag A Coal Wagon
Monster A 50' Bogie Covered Scenery Van
Python A A long Covered Carriage Truck strengthened for Elephants
Totem An Armour Plate Wagon, capacity 45 Tons

I declare an open carriage and wagon shop!

I didn’t know any.
I almost took an educated guess at a couple of them, but having read the answers I would’ve probably made a fool of myself so a lucky escape I think.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I don't blame you ... I'd heard of a couple, but didn't know what they were!

 

[Calthrop]

I declare an open carriage and wagon shop!

This question concerns the longest distance that it has ever been possible to go, on the island of Great Britain, without touching any public rail line. (Think maximum British public rail mileage ever -- i.e. about a hundred years ago.) A matter of travelling in a straight line (assume flying, or magical means of crossing rough country). Where is this "longest" -- starting-point to finishing-point -- and what is its approximate length? Am not intending extreme nitpickiness re judging of answers.

 

[A Challenge]

I'm guessing its from Kyle of Lochalsh to Wick across the Highlands?

 

[Calthrop]

I said I wouldn't be nitpicky; so, close enough. To be pedantic: from Toscaig, on the north side of Loch Carron -- opposite side from the Kyle line -- to Scrabster just west of Thurso (Kyle -- Wick in a straight line, would tangle with the Far North line). Distance 185 km. / 116 miles.

Your cross-country odyssey / ordeal, to plan !

 

[A Challenge]

I think this will be a nice journey - start at 000.00, stop at 016.12, 040.46 and 054.18, amogjnst others (though these are first), on a normal day, where is the London Terminal and which is it? Take .79 to be next to 1.00

Spoiler: A hint if you need one

This is one direct journey, and take the number of zeros as a hint to the number in the answer.

 

[krus_aragon]

I think this will be a nice journey - start at 000.00, stop at 016.12, 040.46 and 054.18, amogjnst others (though these are first), on a normal day, where is the London Terminal and which is it? Take .79 to be next to 1.00

Spoiler: A hint if you need one

This is one direct journey, and take the number of zeros as a hint to the number in the answer.

I presume that we're looking at mileages out of a London Terminus here. Without thinking too much about which stations re 16, 40 and 54 miles out, I'm going to zone in on your last sentence: "Take .79 to be next to 1.00". Is this a change of mileage roughly a mile away from a London Terminal?, perhaps Broad Street?

 

[A Challenge]

It wasn't Broad Street. The station is still open, and the journey still possible (leave this evening if you want, and are in the right place, note that it is (as the spoiler says) it is more than 100 miles long) and it terminates at the London terminus

 

[krus_aragon]

It wasn't Broad Street. The station is still open, and the journey still possible (leave this evening if you want, and are in the right place, note that it is (as the spoiler says) it is more than 100 miles long) and it terminates at the London terminus

Ah, so we're starting outside of London, so the change of mileage is not at the London end. And we're at least a hundred miles out, on a through journey. I'll need to put my thinking cap on for this.

Are the stops at 016.12, 040.46 and 054.18 the only stations in the first 50 miles, or just the ones that this London service calls at?

 

[A Challenge]

Just the stops of this train, and mileage is continuous, not mile distances on mileposts.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I think this will be a nice journey - start at 000.00, stop at 016.12, 040.46 and 054.18, amongst others (though these are first), on a normal day, where is the London Terminal and which is it? Take .79 to be next to 1.00

Aberdeen to King's Cross.

 

[A Challenge]

Your right with Aberdeen, but not with the terminus.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Errr... I have a choice of two, then, so I have a 50% chance of getting this right.... so I'll state the full terminus first.... Glasgow Queen Street?

 

[A Challenge]

It is a London Terminus, if the next one you are going to guess is Edinburgh Waverley. Would it help if I told you that this journey is taken partly on either side of midnight?

 

[martinsh]

WEll, presumably it's the sleepere to Euston then ?

 

[A Challenge]

Yes, you can have it, but can you give the distance?

Sorry if that was too difficult

 

[Peter Mugridge]

D'oh....!!! Of all people I should have thought about the Sleeper shouldn't I?!

 

[Springs Branch]

..... "Take .79 to be next to 1.00". Is this a change of mileage roughly a mile away from a London Terminal?, perhaps Broad Street?

Assuming this was a clue to the distances being given in miles and chains i.e. 0.79 + 0.01 = 1.00 (80 chains in a mile)

 

[A Challenge]

It was a clue on there being 80 chains in the mile.

 

[martinsh]

Whereabouts on the Natonal Rail network are you most likely to come across Beechings Legacy ?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Whereabouts on the Natonal Rail network are you most likely to come across Beechings Legacy ?

Assuming you mean 47 830, isn't it just used as an oversized shunter at Crewe Basford Hall these days?

If it is, open floor - I'm in too much of a hurry tonight to think up another question.

 

[martinsh]

Assuming you mean 47 830, isn't it just used as an oversized shunter at Crewe Basford Hall these days?

If it is, open floor - I'm in too much of a hurry tonight to think up another question.

Is correct, so Open Floor

 

[krus_aragon]

In September 1939, the Government took control of the railways in Britain. As well as the obvious suspects (LMS, LNER, Southern, GWR and London Passenger Transport Board) they also took control of five other railway companies (excluding joint-owned lines). What were the names of these additional companies?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch was one, I think.

I would guess that the others were all in the South East / South / South West of England and could be used for coastal defences? I can't think of any other names, though.

 

[krus_aragon]

The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch was one, I think.

I would guess that the others were all in the South East / South / South West of England and could be used for coastal defences? I can't think of any other names, though.

Wikipedia suggests that the RH&D was taken over in 1940 rather than 1939 (but doesn't give a good source). While it was undoubtedly used in the war effort, it isn't mentioned in the source I've based this question on, and the five railways I have in mind are all standard gauge.

Some are in Southern England, but not all.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks, I'll leave to others to have a go now, because I don't know!

 

[martinsh]

Was the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire one ?

 

[krus_aragon]

Was the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire one ?

Yes, indeed (and the reason the list caught my eye).

One down, four to go...

 

[Calthrop]

I'm guessing: being in the perceivably most-threatened south-east -- Kent & East Sussex, and East Kent. And -- Derwent Valley Light Railway? (seem to recall reading somewhere, that that line was a useful diversionary route for freight during WWII: so much concealing grass-and weed-growth over the tracks, that enemy aircraft didn't know from nothing).