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Railway General Knowledge.
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Sorry, you are right, and I did reply, with a comment that it was surprisingly soon after departing Euston, considering that the first troughs from St Pancras were about 55 miles out (if my memory serves me correctly.) I don't know how it didn't get posted.
Maybe it was for filling up on the way into Euston: saves work and especially time at the terminus and the sheds around it, plus it may have been much cheaper and possibly better water than nearer in to the city.
Your go...
[Correction: the Midland's first ones were at Oakley, 54 miles out. Bushey is 16 miles.]
Maybe it was for filling up on the way into Euston: saves work and especially time at the terminus and the sheds around it, plus it may have been much cheaper and possibly better water than nearer in to the city.
Your go...
[Correction: the Midland's first ones were at Oakley, 54 miles out. Bushey is 16 miles.]
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Thanks -- posting-or-not, can sometimes be quirky !
I like stuff about rail gauges -- so here's a question thereon...
Various past "happenstances" have caused a few railways to adopt gauges which are "nearly metre gauge, but not quite" -- both "over", and "under". Two such, arose in different respective areas within a just-over-2000-mile radius of Britain -- differing from each other by a mere 5 millimetres; but in the highly-precise railwaying world, this distinction is enough to matter. On one of these two scenes, nowadays the gauge just clings to life by a thread as regards being in active service; on the other, an appreciable though not huge amount is still in traffic.
Please identify the two gauges, and the areas of the world in which they obtain.
I like stuff about rail gauges -- so here's a question thereon...
Various past "happenstances" have caused a few railways to adopt gauges which are "nearly metre gauge, but not quite" -- both "over", and "under". Two such, arose in different respective areas within a just-over-2000-mile radius of Britain -- differing from each other by a mere 5 millimetres; but in the highly-precise railwaying world, this distinction is enough to matter. On one of these two scenes, nowadays the gauge just clings to life by a thread as regards being in active service; on the other, an appreciable though not huge amount is still in traffic.
Please identify the two gauges, and the areas of the world in which they obtain.
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martinsh
Established Member
I'm guessing one of these is the Hedjaz railway (1050mm) in Jordan / Syria (and formerly Saudi Arabia), but I have no idea about the other one
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Definitely only 5mm, not 50mm?
I ask as I can't think of a guage only 5mm different to metre guage, but at 50mm narrower than metre there would be the "Italian" metre guage of 950mm, measured as one metre between the centre rather than inside of the rails.
Correct -- the Hedjaz system is indeed one of the two.
I was perhaps a bit imprecise: the two gauges are 5mm (truly) different from each other -- they are both "close to metre but not metre", but differ from each other by that tiny amount.
The outfit which is not the Hedjaz, is in and peculiar to a country which seems to get unfairly overlooked in railway lore -- it has abundant and interesting railways, dating from "way back". Hint -- this country's standard gauge, used to have Garratts of a very unusual kind.
Marton
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Sofia trams 1008mm
An ingenious thought -- but, no; "proper railways" are concerned, literally only 5mm. different from the Hedjaz gauge. (And Bulgaria never had Garratts
.)
hexagon789
Veteran Member
I think it's equally my fault for not readily g too closely.
Would the other be Algeria which I believe still has not insubstantial narrow guage mileage?
Algeria, is right. A considerable part of the system -- lines intended to open up rather inhospitable areas inland from the coastal strip -- was built to the 1055mm gauge: per Wiki, there are 1085 km. running today, on that gauge.
The Garratts "per hint", were the visually magnificent "double-Pacific" express passenger ones built in the late 1930s / early 40s -- unfortunately too delicately and refinedly engineered, to last very long. The 1055mm gauge also had some, more workmanlike, Garratts.
Sheikh martinsh and hexagon789 Bey: "you each got one". Would you like to negotiate, re which of you takes the floor?
The Garratts "per hint", were the visually magnificent "double-Pacific" express passenger ones built in the late 1930s / early 40s -- unfortunately too delicately and refinedly engineered, to last very long. The 1055mm gauge also had some, more workmanlike, Garratts.
Sheikh martinsh and hexagon789 Bey: "you each got one". Would you like to negotiate, re which of you takes the floor?
hexagon789
Veteran Member
martinsh
Established Member
Thank you Mr Hexagon.
What do the following have in common ?
Trevithick's original Pen-y-Darren locomotive
An original Victoria Line tube train
An HST
What do the following have in common ?
Trevithick's original Pen-y-Darren locomotive
An original Victoria Line tube train
An HST
Marton
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All have been used on coins.
martinsh
Established Member
Correct !
Pen-y-Darren loco and LU train on £2 coins, HST on Paddington Bear 50p piece
Your legal tender ...
Marton
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Thank you
For what feature is the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway best remembered?
For what feature is the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway best remembered?
The Belah Viaduct, between Barras and Kirkby Stephen? -- a successful design by Thomas Bouch, before his notorious and disastrous brick-dropping with the first Tay Bridge...
Marton
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That is a feature. But I would say it’s not the best recorded.
DerekC
Established Member
Hmm - Stainmore Summit, perhaps?
(Actually for me it's the stunning view down the Eden Valley that you get from Barras Station. I wanted to buy it once, long ago!0
(Actually for me it's the stunning view down the Eden Valley that you get from Barras Station. I wanted to buy it once, long ago!0
Marton
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That’s what I had in mind.
Perhaps I should have used record not feature.
Stainmore was the highest rail line in England till it closed in 1962/3.
There is a great old film of snow being dug out on YouTube.
Your floor
Perhaps I should have used record not feature.
Stainmore was the highest rail line in England till it closed in 1962/3.
There is a great old film of snow being dug out on YouTube.
Your floor
DerekC
Established Member
OK. What (in railway terms) links the names Figgis and Churchill?
Marton
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Figgis was a film director.
Did he make a film about Churchill using railways at DDay?
Did he make a film about Churchill using railways at DDay?
DerekC
Established Member
Wrong Figgis, I think. But D-Day is relevant - or rather 4th June 1944 (D-2).
Marton
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I would be using wiki etc were I to proceed.
DerekC
Established Member
A clue - the connection is a station (now sadly closed), not far from where I live in the Meon Valley.
I had heard of this D-Day / Meon Valley matter in general terms, so felt that a bit of looking-up was permissible. Churchill chose Droxford station on the Meon Valley line as his base for overseeing D-Day operations; used an armoured train in the station sidings, where he met with assorted important Allied figures. At the inception of the Meon Valley line, the architect for stations was one T. P. Figgis.
If correct, open floor please.
DerekC
Established Member
Spot on, Calthrop. I am not sure how long Churchill spent there and doubts have been cast locally about whether the story is true at all but certainly that is what is told. Droxford had a long siding on the up side and the station is quite well away from the village so would have been a good place, I guess.
Open floor it is.
Open floor it is.
SteveyBee131
Member
I'm a bit new to this but I'll have a go to get things moving again...
In what year was Goole Signal Box built, and by which company?
In what year was Goole Signal Box built, and by which company?
hexagon789
Veteran Member
I'd guess the NER but the year I would only get by looking up.
SteveyBee131
Member
It was indeed the NER who built Goole Signal Box. I'll let you have it because in retrospect I might have been a bit cruel asking for the year as well! 
(For the record it was 1909 )
@hexagon789, the floor is yours
(For the record it was 1909 )@hexagon789, the floor is yours