Railway General Knowledge.

[EbbwJunction1]

(No. 2) -- has got to be Dylan Thomas.

Yes, it was the creator of "Under Milk Wood".

1. Kalashnikov

That's right ... Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47, but where the connection with railways (as described in the quote) is, I don't know.

Anyone know who is proud of her corsets?

 

[Calthrop]

That's right ... Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47, but where the connection with railways (as described in the quote) is, I don't know.

Anyone know who is proud of her corsets?

Google addict confesses: I've engaged in the unsporting practice, re both -- so it wouldn't be "on", for me to name the corset lady. Nothing which I found about Kalashnikov, suggests his ever having had anything to do with railways: he had a civilian engineering-related job for a while as a very young man -- but that seems to have been with farm tractors.

 

[DaleCooper]

Google addict confesses: I've engaged in the unsporting practice, re both -- so it wouldn't be "on", for me to name the corset lady. Nothing which I found about Kalashnikov, suggests his ever having had anything to do with railways: he had a civilian engineering-related job for a while as a very young man -- but that seems to have been with farm tractors.

I'm a bit dubious about the Kalashnikov quote, it appears all over the place but as you say he doesn't seem to be connected with railways. This leads me to think it's either a misquote, a mistranslation, a literal translation of a Russian idiom, Kalashnikov's joke or somebody (like that DaleCooper bloke) has made it up.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Yes, I do share your concerns about the accuracy of the "Kalashnikov" quote, also having found that there's no mention of any railway work in his Wiki entry.

This is a link to the web site where I found it: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/railway.html, so I suppose that it's a question of making your own mind up about it.

as well as "The Railway Children", the "corset lady" had a long career, with TRC towards the end of it. The films in which she played parts either side of TRC were
Genevieve (1953) - Wendy McKim
The Mirror Crack'd (1980) - Lady Amanda Ridgeley ('Murder at Midnight').

She also co-starred with long-standing friend and colleague Tony Britton and Nigel Havers in the British sitcom, Don't Wait Up (1983–90, BBC TV).

So, who was she? I'll come back tomorrow to tell you if you haven't got it by then!

 

[Calthrop]

I'm a bit dubious about the Kalashnikov quote, it appears all over the place but as you say he doesn't seem to be connected with railways. This leads me to think it's either a misquote, a mistranslation, a literal translation of a Russian idiom, Kalashnikov's joke or somebody (like that DaleCooper bloke) has made it up.

Yes, I do share your concerns about the accuracy of the "Kalashnikov" quote, also having found that there's no mention of any railway work in his Wiki entry.

Just musing -- as DaleCooper speculates -- Kalashnikov's joke? ; or, M.K. had a very long life (died aged 94): could the quote be, maybe, of something that he said very late in his life, when mental clarity had faded: mis-remembering his pre-Army tractor job, as having been on the railways? Or -- a thorough flight of fancy -- perhaps he was a closet railway enthusiast, making a sly reference here, to what he'd have liked to work with? (As we know, our hobby was not a very wise one for Soviet citizens to pursue -- especially under Stalin.)

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Well, the Corsets lady has proved elusive ... so I'll tell you that it was a quote from Dinah Sheridan who, as I said earlier, pleased the Mother, Mrs Waterbury.

I'm not sure whom to award the floor to, as Mvann, Caltrop and DaleCooper all got one each. Calthrop was reluctant to say the fourth answer as he'd looked it up, so I'm not sure whether that counts.

So ..... unless anyone objects, I will declare an open floor.

 

[Calthrop]

24 hours gone by, all seemingly happy with "open floor" -- I'll venture to set one accordingly.

What line advertised itself to tourists as “The crookedest railroad* in the world”? (*narrowing-down here, as regards geographical whereabouts !) Answers as precise as possible, please.

 

[Calthrop]

Hint: on North America's Pacific coast -- a very tortuous-and-sinuous adhesion line from sea-level to the top of a mountain. It closed a very long time ago.

 

[Calthrop]

Further geographical narrowing-down: it was near San Francisco.

 

[martinsh]

I Googled this - very obscure

 

[theageofthetra]

It must be the one in Marin County up Mt Tamplain but have no idea what it was called. I am sure one of their Shays was at Roaring Camp Railroad or there was some mention of it there.

 

[Calthrop]

It must be the one in Marin County up Mt Tamplain but have no idea what it was called. I am sure one of their Shays was at Roaring Camp Railroad or there was some mention of it there.

That's the one -- Mount Tamalpais to be pedantic. The Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods RailWAY (official title -- not "Railroad"), 1896 -- 1930.

theageofthetra, martinsh: this one was a bit naughty on my part -- apologies -- was rather "scraping the barrel". I heard of the line via an American book on it encountered by chance, long ago.

Short 1926 film of this outfit -- hoping that the link works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8KlsOxpzAM


theageofthetra, your floor.

 

[theageofthetra]

Which useful device was first fitted to a locomotive for the first time in around 1860 & for what very specific purpose was it fitted.

 

[Cowley]

Which useful device was first fitted to a locomotive for the first time in around 1860 & for what very specific purpose was it fitted.

Was it a full cab? Perhaps because it had to pass under something dangerous (not weather)?

 

[krus_aragon]

Which useful device was first fitted to a locomotive for the first time in around 1860 & for what very specific purpose was it fitted.

Are you thinking of a water scoop, for the Irish Mail to collect water on the go from water troughs at Mochdre?

 

[theageofthetra]

Are you thinking of a water scoop, for the Irish Mail to collect water on the go from water troughs at Mochdre?

It's connected to that.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Was it an indicator glass, so that the crew could see how much water they had taken aboard?

 

[theageofthetra]

Was it an indicator glass, so that the crew could see how much water they had taken aboard?

It was another instrument connected with the water troughs.

 

[Cowley]

It was another instrument connected with the water troughs.

Was it some kinda kind of vent/overflow to stop pressure build up and allow water to be taken on more quickly?

 

[TheEdge]

Was it some device to automatically raise the scoop before hitting the end of the troughs?

 

[theageofthetra]

Nothing specifically to do with the water pick up mechanism but the pick up made this device necessary.

 

[Cowley]

Nothing specifically to do with the water pick up mechanism but the pick up made this device necessary.

This is probably so wrong, but it's not the injector is it?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Nothing specifically to do with the water pick up mechanism but the pick up made this device necessary.

Tender overflow valve?

 

[theageofthetra]

Nothing to do with the water pick up itself. What would be useful to know when arriving at the troughs?

 

[TheEdge]

A sign at the start of the trough?

 

[Cowley]

Ah! A headlight?

 

[theageofthetra]

None of those. What was important to ensure the water was collected.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Was it a device which told the train crew that there was actually water in the trough?

 

[theageofthetra]

Its nothing to do with the water or pick up.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Complete guess here, but working on the assumption that there was an optimum speed for collecting the water from the troughs efficiently and safely- not too fast but not too slow... could it be some sort of early speed indication device?