Railway General Knowledge.

[D6130]

Bourg St Maurice? (Non-stop to Albertville)

 

[Peterthegreat]

Bourg St Maurice? (Non-stop to Albertville)

Sorry.

 

[D6130]

Montpellier?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Montpellier?

Nope.

 

[Whistler40145]

I believe it was London Waterloo to Cannes non stop

 

[Peterthegreat]

I believe it was London Waterloo to Cannes non stop

You believe correctly. It was in conjunction with the Cannes film festival and the launch of the Da Vinci Code Film.
Please set the next question.

 

[Whistler40145]

How old is Kilsby Tunnel?

 

[D6130]

187?

 

[Whistler40145]

Correct

 

[Jamesrob637]

You believe correctly. It was in conjunction with the Cannes film festival and the launch of the Da Vinci Code Film.
Please set the next question.

One of the best films ever produced.

 

[Efini92]

Correct

It opened in 1838

 

[D6130]

It opened in 1838

Ah....I must admit that I thought it opened in 1837! In which case it should be you to set the next question.

 

[Efini92]

What year was the failsafe track circuit invented?

 

[DerekC]

As I recall, the non-failsafe version was invented in Britain in the mid 1870s, with the failsafe version being developed in the USA a little later. I am going to guess 1879.

 

[xotGD]

Should we call this question void and be told the answer?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

1872 and open floor because I've cheated in order to get things moving along again in view of the comment from @xotGD above...

 

[Calthrop]

Open floor, and no action for a fair few days -- I'll weigh in, if I may; hoping for folks' indulgence re my love of "gauge" stuff.

The railways of "British East Africa" as was -- Kenya / Uganda / Tanzania -- were for long (superseding by standard gauge, is now well "in train") metre-gauge: rather anomalous for that side of Africa, and especially for African territories whose railways were inaugurated under British rule. How did this come to be? -- especially re Kenya and Uganda? -- Tanzania, German until 1918/19, was "a different kettle of fish".

 

[Calthrop]

This one doesn't seem to be going anywhere -- best put it out of its misery, I think. (Inspiration for setting questions, in short supply for me nowadays: breadth of my railway interest is not all that great -- no good on matters technical, little interest in or knowledge of "modern stuff".)

Kenya / Uganda came to be metre-gauge, because of being equipped as at the system's inception, turn of 19th / 20th centuries, from the resources of the metre-gauge "secondary main-lines" network of British India -- just "across the pond", so to speak. Britain's using the metre gauge on such a scale, in any capacity, at that time in history, seems a bit surprising (and it was just the gauge -- everything else conducted in Imperial measurements). Have seen it suggested that this was political finagling: a sop (which would cause least possible potential bother) to the then quite vociferous lobby in Britain, for our switching to the metric system.

I'd ask -- once again, open floor.

 

[DerekC]

Well - I'll take a risk here because although I have done a bit of research, somebody else may know better than me!

What was or is the heaviest locomotive ever to enter service in the UK? (If a steam locomotive, without the tender).

 

[Snow1964]

I will have a guess at the 16 wheel peaks (class 44) with steam boilers fitted. I am sure they were 130+ tons

 

[Peterthegreat]

I would guess the LNER Garrett.

 

[SteveM70]

I will have a guess at the 16 wheel peaks (class 44) with steam boilers fitted. I am sure they were 130+ tons

The use of the singular "locomotive" makes me think this is going to be wrong, but the 46s were heavier than the 44s and 45s

 

[DerekC]

The use of the singular "locomotive" makes me think this is going to be wrong, but the 46s were heavier than the 44s and 45s

The 46s were certainly the heavyweights amongst diesel locos at 138 tons (the 45s a little bit less at 133 tons)

I would guess the LNER Garrett.

But the LNER Class U1 2-8-0+0-8-2 weighed in at a huge 170 tons - so @Peterthegreat - the floor is yours.

However before handing over I thought Microsoft Copilot AI's response to the question might amuse - although in a way it's quite worrying! Here's a screenshot and I will transcribe below per the Forum requirements:

"The heaviest railway locomotive ever to operate in the UK was the GWR (Great Western Railway) 4073 Class, also known as the "Castle Class". These powerful steam locomotives were designed by the legendary engineer Sir Nigel Gresley and were renowned for their impressive performance."

Oh - and the piece ends with a nice picture of a "Dean Single".

Perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised - the sources quoted include the Daily Mail!

 

[Peterthegreat]

Apologies for the delay I've been having Internet issues.
Following it's takeover by the military the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Rail was formally reopened to the public in 1947.
Who performed the opening ceremony?

 

[Gloster]

Laurel and Hardy? Or was that the original opening?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Laurel and Hardy? Or was that the original opening?

Stan and Oliver it was!
Please provide the next question.

 

[Gloster]

The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch is a minimum-gauge railway. What was the first line to be so described?

 

[Calthrop]

Sir Arthur Heywood's at Duffield Bank, Derbyshire?

 

[Gloster]

Sir Arthur Heywood's at Duffield Bank, Derbyshire?

Correct. Your turn to gauge our knowledge.

 

[Calthrop]

Thank you.

What is, at the present day, the second-northernmost operational railway in the UK? (Not part of the national network; and a decidedly unusual specimen.) Just the name, would be an acceptable answer -- a "thumbnail" description would be welcome.