Manchester Picadilly - Crewe - Stafford - Coventry (via Nuneaton) - Rugby - (via WCML and HS1 Connecting Line Avoiding St Pancras!) Dover Priory - Ramsgate - Strood (via Chatham) - Dartford - London Bridge - St Pancras Low Level - Sheffield - Leeds (via Wakefield Westgate) - York - Sunderland - Newcastle - Edinburgh Waverly - Falkirk Grahamstone -
Seems fine to me!
Bishopbriggs - Partick* - Glasgow Central (lower level) - Newton - Motherwell - Carlisle
Ah, I reckon you are thinking Maryhill-Anniesland. Problem is Anniesland diesel platform is a dead-end and according to my Quail map there is no connection, before the station. (yes the line from Maryhill does join up northwest of Anniesland but of course that requires a reversal to get to Glasgow). However you can get to Motherwell not via Newton but via Springburn & Coatbridge. (it would be more straightforward, though less mileage, if you went via Cumbernauld), however for maximum mileage you could go via Springurn, Alexandra Parade, Paisley Gilmour St, Newton-on-Ayr, Mauchline, Dumfries. This includes some lines that will not appear on a passenger map (but I've done on 37s and 40145 on railtours in 2006/07).
- Barrow in Furness - Preston - Warrington Bank Quay - Chester - Wrexham - Shrewsbury - Wolverhamton - Tame Bridge Parkway - Birmingham New Street (via Duddeston) - Worcester Shrub Hill - Oxford - Swindon (via Didcot Avoider Line!) - Bristol parkway - Bristol Temple Meads - Western Super Mare - Exeter Central - Salisbury - Southampton Central - Havant - Horsham - Sutton - Clapham Junction - Willesdon Junction - Stratford - Ipswich - Peterborough - Doncaster - Wakefield Kirkgate - Blackburn (avoiding Bradford!) - Bolton - Salford Cresent - Manchester Piccadilly
Seems OK!
*using this map, shows a connection between bishopbriggs and partick!,
there are a few ways to do Bishopbriggs-Partick but none that would leave you facing the right way without reversing.
and I believe that there is a loop at Newcastle so not reversing there?
Yes that's fine
and I'm assuming that there is a connection between the new LO platforms and the mainline at stratford!
Approaching Stratford from Hackney Wick, you can get to Tottenham Hale, South Tottenham, about 6 platforms at Stratford (the high numbered ones), Liverpool St and Limehouse (and beyond, where applicable).
Lines cross but don't use the same station twice nor the same line twice (if I read the map correctly!)
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/maps/nationalrailnetworkmapZoom.pdf
Ah, that map suggests that trains from Maryhill direction approaching Anniesland can just continue in a loop. This is not the case. I know, as I've changed trains there! But you can see it
here.
edit - I've just noticed about Willesdon Junction, although its not actually on the west coast main line itself (well at least the fast / semi fast lines - Virgin / London Midland) so would that still count?
The junction is, the platforms are on the DC lines. So it's a good question; have you passed through it twice? It could be argued that the WCML does not pass through the station so I am inclined to say no. It perhaps does depend on the definition of passing through a station. The York avoider goes pretty close to York station but is not considered passing through it. But places like Doncaster and Crewe, have fast lines, but you are certainly passing through the stations. So I think that it's OK and within the rules.
For maximum mileage (and probably maximum stations) the route would need to start at Inverness, IMO. As starting anywhere else would forbid you from venturing as far north as Kirkcaldy/Stirling or beyond. The optimum route would depend on whether the object was mileage or stations passed through.
I won't post in here again (I've removed the post)
