Which line would be most likely to have a train stuck in snow?

[absolutelymilk]

Having read about the film "Snowdrift at Bleath Gill" where a train got stuck in snow on the Stainmore line, I was wondering which modern-day line would be most likely to have this happen? (I realise that it's a bit less likely to happen nowadays!)

EDIT: To clarify, I am talking here about properly stuck in snow, i.e. not just stuck because the third rail has frozen over!

 

[Bletchleyite]

S&C probably.

 

[IanD]

Far North and Kyle lines? Might be better now but I recall it happening on one or the other in the late 70s early 80s

 

[rebmcr]

Kent or Scotland

 

[Hornet]

Far North and Kyle lines? Might be better now but I recall it happening on one or the other in the late 70s early 80s

The Blizzards Of 1978

http://www.aircrew-saltire.org/lib202.htm

Interesting story of passengers being airlifted from snowbound trains on the far north line. I think something similar happened in the 90's.

 

[DarloRich]

Freight wise I would say the lines beyond Buxton. Passenger wise I would say Highlands. NR will try and keep the lines open but the ploughs cant be everywhere and a sudden snowfall can cause issues.

Third rail land is prone to stranding in poor weather of any kind!

 

[BRX]

The Highland Main Line reaches a considerably higher summit than the Kyle or Far North lines. I'd have thought that more prone to drifts.

 

[Macwomble]

I'd go for Crianlarich to Fort William......goes right across Rannoch Moor.

 

[tsr]

Tonbridge-Redhill or the East Coastway. Inevitably there are at least a few stranded trains directly caused by ice and snow/freezing rain each winter, usually combining to many hours of inconvenience. It’s happened several times already in the last couple of months in the Eastbourne area. There is a good reason why Tonbridge Yard has a fair few de-icer trains and a snowplough!

 

[swaldman]

The Highland Main Line reaches a considerably higher summit than the Kyle or Far North lines. I'd have thought that more prone to drifts.

The HML is high, but also busy. I'd have thought one of the lines with just a few trains a day would be more prone to this?

 

[daikilo]

The film dates from 1963 I believe but there are others. In essence the weather combination you need is continuous wind, heavy snow for say 24h or more and then sub-zero temperatures. In addition, you probably need a low-medium cutting at about 90 degrees to the wind. With that combination, you could have a line blocked almost anywhere, although it is more likely to occur on exposed routes at altitude. That said, it is unlikely that in the current operating environment a train would actually be dispatched without being preceded by a plough or light engine.

 

[Kite159]

ECML when the snow brings down those fragile wires

 

[BRX]

I'd go for Crianlarich to Fort William......goes right across Rannoch Moor.

The west coast of scotland gets considerably less snow than the central highlands (warming effect of the sea).

The WHL doesn't follow the coast of course but it's not that far inland and you can see on this map that it kind of skirts the blue area. On the other hand the HML winds right between those two very darkest patches.

 

[Macwomble]

The west coast of scotland gets considerably less snow than the central highlands (warming effect of the sea).

The WHL doesn't follow the coast of course but it's not that far inland and you can see on this map that it kind of skirts the blue area. On the other hand the HML winds right between those two very darkest patches.


View attachment 40470

Well the Glencoe Ski Centre is one of Scotland's main & best.....and it lies between the coast & the rail line.

The A82, between Bridge of Orchy & Ballachulich, is a regular on the closure list too when it comes to snow.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The answer of course is next to the sea.....as this incident from 1982 shows

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00j99bg

 

[AngusH]

One awkward possibility is that the lines which are most likely to get hit with snow are also the ones where the effort will be focused with snow plows and clearance. (or pre-emptive cancellation on safety grounds)

Perhaps a stuck train is more likely to occur on lines where snow is not thought to usually be a problem?

 

[SussexMan]

It’s happened several times already in the last couple of months in the Eastbourne area.

We had some snow flurries on Monday this week but I don't think any trains were affected. We certainly haven't had any other snow in the last couple of months.

 

[tsr]

We had some snow flurries on Monday this week but I don't think any trains were affected. We certainly haven't had any other snow in the last couple of months.

Freezing rain and ice have already caused issues.

 

[BRX]

Well the Glencoe Ski Centre is one of Scotland's main & best.....and it lies between the coast & the rail line.

The A82, between Bridge of Orchy & Ballachulich, is a regular on the closure list too when it comes to snow.

Glencoe ski area's up a mountain though, above rannoch moor and the rail line. Last time I skied there the snow line was well above the car park.

Yes for sure the A82 and the WHL are subject to snow closures sometimes. I just think you're more likely to get severe conditions on the HML/A9 route.

 

[Deepgreen]

The Bridge of Orchy hotel had to accommodate tens of detrained passengers when a train became stranded near there in 1982 - the lounge bar and corridor walls used to have many photos of the events. I have travelled the line frequently in winter and I have seen snow (level, not drifted) up to platform surface level from the track of the SB platform loop at Corrour (1320 feet AMSL). The Rannoch snow shed was built at a very vulnerable spot. The Far North line has also seen news-worthy strandings (I think a severe one in the 1980s led to trains carrying emergency hampers).

 

[Deepgreen]

Tonbridge-Redhill or the East Coastway. Inevitably there are at least a few stranded trains directly caused by ice and snow/freezing rain each winter, usually combining to many hours of inconvenience. It’s happened several times already in the last couple of months in the Eastbourne area. There is a good reason why Tonbridge Yard has a fair few de-icer trains and a snowplough!

The OP specifically excluded conductor rail issues and wanted to know about strandings caused by volume of snow rather than traction problems.

 

[tsr]

We had some snow flurries on Monday this week but I don't think any trains were affected. We certainly haven't had any other snow in the last couple of months.

There has been some already and I can assure you it caused more than a few headaches!

The 27th (ie. in a couple of days) looks like it’s going to be at least the second or third bit of cold weather this winter where contractors have been put on standby to clear Sussex area stations of heavy snowfall.

The OP specifically excluded conductor rail issues and wanted to know about strandings caused by volume of snow rather than traction problems.

As I said, there’s a reason Tonbridge has its own plough available at the west end of the yard. Redhill-Tonbridge tends to see more than its fair share of winter difficulties, especially given it is fairly far south in the UK. Conductor rail issues have caused more problems recently than snowfall volumes, sure, but heavy snow usually causes at least one blockage in and of itself each winter.

 

[Trackbedjolly]

Merry Xmas everyone!

I would suggest that there are locations on the Borders Railway which have a potential for snow blockage. There are a lot of locations where there are gabion basket (stone-filled wire cage) walls supporting the sides of cuttings sometimes on both sides of the track-those could well be vulnerable to snow accumulation. See for example these images taken near Stow Station
https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/49/418/
https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/49/559/