Railway General Knowledge.

[theageofthetra]

Local hoodlums throwing things at the windows?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Local hoodlums throwing things at the windows?

Far from it - try again

 

[krus_aragon]

Thank you

Deltic drivers used to have an expression of "If you can get past Finsbury Park, you have a good journey" - what was the origin of this expression?

Pathing conflicts with local services at (or until) Finsbury Park?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Was it related to their habit of "putting a leg out of bed" early on in a journey or not at all? The engines being highly stressed specialist power units designed for continuous running and most likely to fail right at the start of a journey?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Thank you

Deltic drivers used to have an expression of "If you can get past Finsbury Park, you have a good journey" - what was the origin of this expression?

Was it due to the fact that Deltics were notoriously poor when it came to starting their trains and it required great skill from the driver to successfully negotiate Gasworks Tunnel and ofcourse Holloway Bank especially in poor rail conditions, therefore If you have reached Finbury Park then you're safely past these.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Was it related to their habit of "putting a leg out of bed" early on in a journey or not at all? The engines being highly stressed specialist power units designed for continuous running and most likely to fail right at the start of a journey?

Correct - Deltics had a bit of a habit of putting one out of bed before passing Finsbury Park... Including one spectacular time when one of them punched it through the loco body! It became so much of an issue that Deltic drivers used to quote the phrase to newbies

The platform is yours

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A relatively easy one - or is it?

If you could arrange a special charter and it could run literally non-stop from London to London by the longest route possible, what would your route be?




For the purposes of this question, please ignore any constraints of driver hour limits, route knowledge, route availability or train fuel capacity. Please assume a journey wholly within the UK, no passing through the Chunnel to describe an extreme continental loop journey.

 

[backontrack]

London Victoria - Ramsgate - Dover Priory - Ashford International - Hastings - Tonbridge - Strood - London Bridge - Lewes - Brighton - Three Bridges - Barnham - Havant - Guildford - Reading - Clapham Junction - Basingstoke - Southampton - Weymouth - Castle Cary - Taunton - Bristol - Bath - Trowbridge - Chippenham - Swindon - Gloucester - Bromsgrove - Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Stafford - Rugeley Trent Valley - Aston - Lichfield Trent Valley - Tamworth - Derby - Chesterfield - Nottingham - Syston - Oakham - Market Harborough - Bedford - Bletchley - Milton Keynes - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Birmingham Moor Street - Kidderminster - Hereford - Newport - Cardiff Central - Grangetown - Bridgend - Swansea - Llanelli - Shrewsbury - Wrexham Central - Bidston - Moorfields - Liverpool South Parkway - Liverpool Lime Street - Huyton - Wigan North Western - Earlestown - Warrington Bank Quay - Ellesmere Port - Hooton - Chester - Stockport - Kidsgrove - Crewe - Wilmslow - Styal - Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Sheffield - Doncaster - Wakefield Westgate - Outwood - Leeds - Bradford Interchange - Halifax - Brighouse - Sowerby Bridge - Burnley Manchester Road - Todmorden - Manchester Victoria - Wigan Wallgate - Southport - Sandhills - Ormskirk - Preston - Bolton - Blackburn - Clitheroe - Hellifield - Carnforth - Barrow - Carlisle - Dumfries - Kilmarnock - Ayr - Glasgow Central - Langside - Cathcart - Mount Florida - Newton - Motherwell - Greenfaulds - Springburn - Glasgow Queen Street (Low Level) - Anniesland - Maryhill - Glasgow Queen Street (High Level) - Falkirk High - Polmont - Stirling - Perth - Inverness - Aberdeen - Dundee - Markinch - Cowdenbeath - Inverkeithing - Edinburgh Waverley - Newcastle Central - Sunderland - Hartlepool - Thirsk - York - Seamer - Hull - Selby - Sherburn-in-Elmet - Pontefract Baghill - Rotherham Central - Meadowhall - Barnsley - Huddersfield - Wakefield Kirkgate - Normanton - Castleford - Pontefract Monkhill - Goole - Hatfield & Stainforth - Barnetby - Lincoln Central - Sleaford - Grantham - Peterborough - Ely - Norwich - Ipswich - Great Yarmouth - Reedham - Lowestoft - Ipswich - Mistley - Manningtree - Colchester - Shenfield - Romford - Upminster - Pitsea - Grays - Purfleet - Barking - Stratford - Bishop's Stortford - Cambridge - Royston - Hitchin - London King's Cross.

It's a shame that I couldn't work the Cotswolds Line into it somewhere, but there you go.

 

[dcsprior]

How do you go Perth-Inverness-Aberdeen without stopping?

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I think Falkirk High-Polmont-Stirling would also require a reversal, and therefore a stop.

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[backontrack]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_to_Inverness_Line

 

[FQ]

How would you do Wolverhampton to Rugeley Trent Valley via Stafford without reversing? And Aston to Tamworth via Lichfield?! Also, going into my home turf, Coventry to Leamington to Moor Street would most certainly require a reversal. As would Liverpool South Parkway-Liverpool Lime Street-Huyton! And there are several more!

 

[backontrack]

He never said that you couldn't reverse.

 

[FQ]

But you have to stop to reverse and Peter specified a fully non stop run.

 

[backontrack]

There's no need to get so uppity about it.

 

[Welshman]

Not being able to reverse means a good part of Wales and Scotland has to be omitted.

So how about:-
,
London Charing Cross, classic route to Ashford, Rye, Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hove, Chichester, Southampton, Salisbury, Westbury, Bath Spa, Bristol avoiding curve, Newport avoiding curve, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Wrexham Gen, Chester, Warrington BQ, Carnforth, Cumbrian loop to Carlisle, Edinburgh, Berwick, Newcastle, Durham Coast to Northallerton, Doncaster, Gainsborough Lea Rd, Lincoln, Sleaford, Spalding, Peterborough, Ely, Bury St Edmonds, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Colchester & London Liverpool St?

 

[backontrack]

Not being able to reverse means a good part of Wales and Scotland has to be omitted.

So how about:-
,
London Charing Cross, classic route to Ashford, Rye, Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hove, Chichester, Southampton, Salisbury, Westbury, Bath Spa, Bristol avoiding curve, Newport avoiding curve, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Wrexham Gen, Chester, Warrington BQ, Carnforth, Cumbrian loop to Carlisle, Edinburgh, Berwick, Newcastle, Durham Coast to Northallerton, Doncaster, Gainsborough Lea Rd, Lincoln, Sleaford, Spalding, Peterborough, Ely, Bury St Edmonds, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Colchester & London Liverpool St?

You can fit in Carlisle - Motherwell - Whifflet - Falkirk Grahamston - Edinburgh. And, if we count Longannet, then you can do Carlisle - Motherwell - Whifflet - Falkirk - Stirling - Alloa - Dunfermline - Glenrothes - Kirkcaldy - Edinburgh.

 

[Phil.]

You can fit in Carlisle - Motherwell - Whifflet - Falkirk Grahamston - Edinburgh. And, if we count Longannet, then you can do Carlisle - Motherwell - Whifflet - Falkirk - Stirling - Alloa - Dunfermline - Glenrothes - Kirkcaldy - Edinburgh.

Ashford - Hastings - Eastbourne - Lewes cannot be done without a reversal at Eastbourne.

 

[backontrack]

Ashford - Hastings - Eastbourne - Lewes cannot be done without a reversal at Eastbourne.

In that case, then you can just go straight through from Pevensey & Westham to Polegate.

 

[Phil.]

In that case, then you can just go straight through from Pevensey & Westham to Polegate.

Bit of a problem there. There's no direct line - unless the closed bit has been re-instated which might be a problem as the A22 by-pass goes right across it.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

But you have to stop to reverse and Peter specified a fully non stop run.

Indeed I did...

Now, Welshman is closest so far apart from that Eastbourne issue - but there is also a longer way of getting from Salisbury to Bristol without stopping as well.


So we're not there yet...

 

[theageofthetra]

I thought Welshmans was a top effort but what about an HS1 'rounder' first St Pancras Intl- Ebbsfleet HS1 then classic lines via Gravesend, Gillingham Margate Dover etc to Ashford first?

 

[Welshman]

I thought Welshmans was a top effort but what about an HS1 'rounder' first St Pancras Intl- Ebbsfleet HS1 then classic lines via Gravesend, Gillingham Margate Dover etc to Ashford first?

I wondered about that, but then don't you have to reverse at Ashford?

 

[backontrack]

Indeed I did...

Oh. Apologies - I completely misunderstood the question.

Bit of a problem there. There's no direct line - unless the closed bit has been re-instated which might be a problem as the A22 by-pass goes right across it.

Oh, I didn't know that.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A hint rather than a clue:

It may help if people have one of the large format UK network maps to hand that used to be issued with the paper NRT and then check any details, such as looking for freight curves and other details that may verify if a reversal is necessary or not, with their rail atlas rather than to try to work the entire route out from their atlases alone...

 

[Cowley]

Would Salisbury to Bristol via Exeter st Davids make the route longer? No reversal needed.

 

[kevconnor]

Not being able to reverse means a good part of Wales and Scotland has to be omitted.

So how about:-
,
London Charing Cross, classic route to Ashford, Rye, Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hove, Chichester, Southampton, Salisbury, Westbury, Bath Spa, Bristol avoiding curve, Newport avoiding curve, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Wrexham Gen, Chester, Warrington BQ, Carnforth, Cumbrian loop to Carlisle, Edinburgh, Berwick, Newcastle, Durham Coast to Northallerton, Doncaster, Gainsborough Lea Rd, Lincoln, Sleaford, Spalding, Peterborough, Ely, Bury St Edmonds, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Colchester & London Liverpool St?

From Chester you can fit in Mid Cheshire line - Stockport - Denton - Philips Park Curve - Brewery Junction - Rochdale - Todmorden Curve - Blackburn - Preston

 

[Phil.]

From Chester you can fit in Mid Cheshire line - Stockport - Denton - Philips Park Curve - Brewery Junction - Rochdale - Todmorden Curve - Blackburn - Preston

Reversal required at Eastbourne. Reversal required at either Brighton or Preston Park.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Would Salisbury to Bristol via Exeter st Davids make the route longer? No reversal needed.

It would.



But nobody has the route yet. perhaps I should offer a hint about avoiding the Eastbourne issue. Has nobody heard of Chislehurst Junctions???

 

[theageofthetra]

Ok this should max out the SE-

Waterloo - Linford St Jct- Peckham Rye-Lewisham -New Beckenham - Beckenham Jct- Bickley-Swanley-Otford- Sevenoaks- Paddock Wood- Maidstone West- Strood- Dartford- Crayford- Lee Spur- Chislehurst- Maidstone East- Ashford- Dover- Margate- Strood- Dartford - Crayford- Lee Spur- Chislehurst- Sevenoaks- Hastings- Ashford- Tonbridge - Orpington - Bromley South- Beckenham Jct- Wandsworth Rd- Balham- Selhurst - East Croydon - Hove-* then as others have suggested!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I can think of a way of adding a couple of extra miles to get to the Kent Coast - but your roundabout route might just pip that... let me check and get back to this later.

( If anyone who is registered with RailMiles can verify that this is the longest way round Kent that would be appreciated.... Said RailMiler please PM me if you need to know what I was thinking to check if it's longer or not... )