Merry go Round

[Andrew Nelson]

With the alterations to the Circle line in London, do we see an end to Standard gauge continuous run railway lines, with no obvious beginning or end, take the cathcart circle in Glasgow, trains start at a terminus and end at same, but have to change direction to start again, are there any tail chasers left anyware in the UK?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The Glasgow subway is standard guage track isn't it?



Sorry... can't resist this:

Round and round the circle,
Goes the titchy train,
One stop,
Two stops,
Rattly all round there!

 

[ainsworth74]

The Glasgow subway is standard guage track isn't it?

Wiki suggests that it is 4ft dead or 1,219mm (standard gauge being 1,435mm).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Is it? Sorry.

I'll check my copy of "Circles under the Clyde" tonight.

 

[CarterUSM]

Wiki suggests that it is 4ft dead or 1,219mm (standard gauge being 1,435mm).

Yep, for once wiki is spot on! Toytown railway!

 

[me123]

It really does feel more like a toy; it's actually quite claustrophobic when you're on it!

I think the OP is right though. I can't think of any other line that goes round and round in circles, rather than the likes of Glasgow-Glasgow via Cathcart, or Waterloo-Waterloo via Kingston which reverse between duties.

Apparently there are timetabling issues with such trains (although I've never known it to cause major issues on the Glasgow Subway; but of course it doesn't share its track with anything else whatsoever), so having the reversing point is good to allow some recovery time. That could be one of the reasons why having circular rail services has fallen out of fashion.

On another note, I'm surprised they still call the LU Circle Line by its name, given that it's no longer a circle.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes, I agree - the Glasgow subway is indeed 4ft guage, so there are indeed no longer any continuous circular standard guage operations in the UK. All we have are the few loop services as a near equivalent.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

Yes, I agree - the Glasgow subway is indeed 4ft guage, so there are indeed no longer any continuous circular standard guage operations in the UK. All we have are the few loop services as a near equivalent.

Damn, Didn't manage to catch anyone out with the Standard GAUGE requisite.

 

[CarterUSM]

Damn, Didn't manage to catch anyone out with the Standard GAUGE requisite.

Nice try though! You did catch peter out initially all the same!