Recent content by apk55

I could not get any closer without climbing over a fence. The picture was taken from the roadside,

I was out walking in Cheshire with my local walking club and while walking along Willington lane at SJ525651 (south side) spotted in a field an old loco. Any information ?

They were running some services on the Altrincham line terminating at Old Trafford and the Airport and Didsbury lines terminating at Firswood. They were using Old Trafford depot as reversing sidings. In Manchester the Oldham and Bury lines were diverted via Piccadilly reversing at Piccadilly...

The reality is that gone are the days of job security, with too many firms taking a hire and fire attitude. If you are made redundant and the nearest job you can get is 100 miles away do you commute or move for what may well be a temporary job. If you are well established in an area and the...

Some more pictures

Renters could still possibly charge from a normal mains socket - 2KW x 10 hours for a car that does 3 miles per KWH = 60miles. More than enough for most commutes.

Navigation Road deserves a mention. While the road is not too busy it is a well used residential feeder road with schools in the vicinity so there is a steady stream of traffic throughout the day. However the railway and Tramway crossing it are very busy. It is actually two independent single...

After my injury last year when a tendon in my knee ruptured (see earlier entries) I am slowly getting back walking again. It took 6 months before I could mange easy walks with my walking club. Then I was tired after a 5 to 6 mile easy walk, now after another 6 months I have plenty left and...

You need to build into the model other factors such as resistance of running rails and overhead line. Steel running rails can have significant resistance and will affect return currents Also there is inductance of the line which can be significant.

One aspect that I have not seen mentioned here is the emergency services who will probably require at least a hybrid vehicle. This would also apply to people living in remoter parts of the country also some maintenance vehicles. We can guarantee that there will be weather events that will...

Most of the modern trains are Regen and rho-static breaking. Normally this would be done by having a resistor that can be controlled by an electronic switch to prevent the supply voltage getting too high. This would be almost essential anyway as a train may suddenly be gapped or otherwise lose...

I would have thought the power supply for a complex station area would be divided up into many different sections each with its own circuit breaker which would be set at level of maybe 2 train loads max. This would be done so that if there is a short circuit fault it can be detected and cleared...

You have not mentioned re electrification of the Altrincham line (MSJ&A) line from 1.5KV DC to 25KV AC in 1971. Then much of the line was converted to 750V for Metrolink tram service although part remains at 25KV for access to Trafford Park Many of the 1931 MSJ&A overhead support structures...

Seeing the pictures of Millers dale reminds me of the disaster that has struck me. What started off as an ordinary Sunday walk for me with my local walking club from Wyedale to Chelmorton, Taddington, Priescliffe and Millerdale - about 10miles and 1500 feet of climbing - ended in disaster when...

Been exploring some of the old railways between Eccles and Bolton recently. Most of the old railway between Patricroft and Bolton has been converted into a walkway (from Monton to near Bolton). Also a walkway is most the line from Patricroft to Clifton with a deviation required via Victoria park...