Railway General Knowledge.

[Johnuk123]

As the Night Ferry use to run through my home town of Tonbridge I was interested in the answer. With 19 vehicles at Victoria (Eastern) that would stretched from the buffer stops to way beyond the starting signal and well onto the gradient of 1 in 62 of Grosvenor Bank.
Dover Marine could not accomodate 19 vehicles but the train would have been split somewhere to get them on to the ship.
In its last few years of operation the formation was much reduced.

Apparently it ususually left from platform 2 at Victoria.
Yes it was split up at Dover and the coaches would be put on port and starboard alternately for obvious reasons.

 

[steamybrian]

Apparently it ususually left from platform 2 at Victoria.
Yes it was split up at Dover and the coaches would be put on port and starboard alternately for obvious reasons.

At Victoria platform 2 holds 13 coaches (12 CEP +MLV) therefore 19 coaches would affectively had blocked the signals and approaches to the station .Passengers would have to access the front 6 coaches via the coaches still on the platform!!
The train usually departed 2200 hrs from Victoria although on certain dates I believe it departed at 2100 due to the hour difference between GMT and European Time.
Can you recheck your answer.!

 

[Johnuk123]

At Victoria platform 2 holds 13 coaches (12 CEP +MLV) therefore 19 coaches would affectively had blocked the signals and approaches to the station .Passengers would have to access the front 6 coaches via the coaches still on the platform!!
The train usually departed 2200 hrs from Victoria although on certain dates I believe it departed at 2100 due to the hour difference between GMT and European Time.
Can you recheck your answer.!

If you read my original post I never said it was 19 coaches but vehicles as some were vans.
It was 1964 when it was so big and heavy it changed regularly it probably wasn't that big for long.
How it was accommodated I really don't know but it certainly left from platform 2 normally.

It normally stabled in Grosvenor Carriage shed on the down side of the
approach to Victoria.


From Modern Railways No 184 (January, 1964)

The heaviest express passenger train regularly operated by B.R., the Victoria - Dover "Night Ferry", has become even more weighty - to the extent that it is now one of the most massive in Europe. From December 2, two more Wagons-Lits sleepers were added to the formation, making 10 in all of these coaches, and bringing the rostered load to 19 vehicles of all kinds, including refreshment cars and mail vans. A single 2,500 h.p. electric locomotive provides the power for the 850-ton train.

This subject is now clogging up the thread if you disagree with Modern Railways why not do some research and try and prove them wrong.

 

[steamybrian]

If you read my original post I never said it was 19 coaches but vehicles as some were vans.
It was 1964 when it was so big and heavy it changed regularly it probably wasn't that big for long.
How it was accommodated I really don't know but it certainly left from platform 2 normally.

It normally stabled in Grosvenor Carriage shed on the down side of the
approach to Victoria.


From Modern Railways No 184 (January, 1964)

The heaviest express passenger train regularly operated by B.R., the Victoria - Dover "Night Ferry", has become even more weighty - to the extent that it is now one of the most massive in Europe. From December 2, two more Wagons-Lits sleepers were added to the formation, making 10 in all of these coaches, and bringing the rostered load to 19 vehicles of all kinds, including refreshment cars and mail vans. A single 2,500 h.p. electric locomotive provides the power for the 850-ton train.

This subject is now clogging up the thread if you disagree with Modern Railways why not do some research and try and prove them wrong.

I have solved it-
If as I suspect they used the short luggage vans of 21feet length and 3 of them equals 63 feet or one coach length therefore 9 luggage vans equals the length of 3 coaches.
Add the 10 passenger coaches and there is the maximum length equivalent length of 13 coaches.
Sorted........Thanks

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Wow. Guessing somerimes works!

Anyway, moving on:
Which GWR 4-6-0 was named after a country residence of a type different to all other residences which appeared on GWR 4-6-0 nameplates?

 

[Johnuk123]

Deleted

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hogwarts Castle...this is most definiely different to other residences..
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In reality, this is 5972 Olton Hall

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Not 5972 under either of its names - there were plenty of other "Castles" and "Halls" running about.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

5053 went under the name of Bishop's Castle...which is the name of a settlement in Shropshire rather than the name of an actual "castle" as such, which others in the same numerical sequence all carried.

Just an interesting observation....not an answer as such, as you are looking for a country residence.

 

[D6975]

Wasn't there a 'Blenheim'?

If there was, it's probably the only palace.

 

[steamybrian]

4983.....Albert Hall
The concert hall in London

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Albert Hall is still a "Hall" (and Campion Hall and St Peters Hall were named after colleges.)

I like the thinking behind "Blenheim" as an answer, but its not the one I'm after.

The loco concerned was not originally named after a building, but was renamed during its career.
*****
Clue time - it was a Star Class loco.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Your clue has indeed narrowed down the field of contenders...


4007 Swallowfield Park was originally named Rising Star

4066 Sir Robert Horne was originally named Malvern Abbey

 

[D841 Roebuck]

There were plenty of "Abbeys". However "Swallowfield Park" was named after a country house and is the answer I was looking for.

Over to you, Paul.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What was significant about the SANTA FE railway in America in the early years of the 20th century ?

 

[Whistler40145]

The Santa Fe Railroad mainline didn't actually serve Santa Fe, it was served by a branch line from Lamy.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

An interesting observation, but not quite what I had in mind, which is more to do with the some of the locomotives that they used in the period that I stated.

 

[Whistler40145]

Sorry Paul.

 

[deltic1989]

Were they one of the first railways in the US to use diesel traction?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not so.

 

[steamybrian]

Dining cars on trains..?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Again not so. Look at one of my earlier posting replies, in which I stated that it was more to do with some of their locomotives that they operated in that period.

 

[Johnuk123]

Some of the steam engines were articulated.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not so.

 

[clagmonster]

Was it the use of Garratt style locomotives?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not so....look at the specific working parts of the locomotive, for that is where the answer will lie

 

[clagmonster]

The idea of using pacifics on Great Britain was brought over from America I believe. Therefore, I will propose that they were the first railway to use pacifics.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Still not on the right track...Another clue:-

What steam locomotive item is it that converts the power stored in steam into motion ?

Look into that, but then develop an answer which will meet the very specific point in the original question.

 

[deltic1989]

Something to do with steam turbines?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not those locomotive parts....

I will reveal the answer, as this is not going the quick way that I hoped it would.....which is six cylinders.......The Santa Fe were the leading American railroad to employ six-cylinder compound locomotives using 2 high pressure and 4 low pressure cylinders in total conjunction in the early years of the 20th century.

I now say ....OPEN FLOOR.