Railway General Knowledge.

[deltic1989]

Correct-well done.

It is the first feature film shot on the Spa Valley Railway and was actually filmed on the evening of 2nd January 2012. I was at Tunbridge Wells West shed (75F) when it was being filmed but do not appear in the film. Several members of the Spa Valley Railway appear in it particularly the loco driver of Jinty no. 47493
The plot is around a East London gangland story line.

I shall declare an open floor as I have a busy week ahead.

 

[Welshman]

Where can you find one of Hector's cabs?

 

[ole man]

Manchester museum of science I think, is it class 76?

 

[Welshman]

Manchester museum of science I think, is it class 76?

Yes, it is!
One of the cabs of 76039 [ex 26048 - Hector] is on display at MOSI.
Well done.

 

[ole man]

Open floor peeps

 

[Eagle]

What was unusual about Dorchester South station prior to its electrification under NSE?

 

[Buttsy]

The station buildings were at an odd angle to teh platforms as teh station had originally been built as a terminus. Up until the building of through platforms, trains in at least one direction had to reverse into the platform to serve teh station (this I think was in early BR days as I remember that before electrification, there were 2 through platforms having travelled that way to Weymouth on a couple of occassions).

 

[Eagle]

Correct. It was the up platform that trains had to back into.

Originally conceived as a temporary terminus of a proposed LSWR line towards Exeter, the station was a little too far west to be accommodated on the LSWR-GWR curve towards Weymouth. Initially both platforms were on a spur (meaning that down trains had to back out of the platform into the path of oncoming traffic) but after a rather nasty accident the down platform was moved onto the curve.

And you're right, I've just checked, the up platform was moved in 1970—it was the station buildings that were moved at electrification.


The site of the old platforms is now occupied by the taxi rank and bus circle.

 

[Buttsy]

There are 2 triangular stations open in Britain, which ones are they and when did one of them become triangular (as it wasn't always so [the other one has always been although trains may not have stopped on one side for a period])?

 

[Eagle]

Earlestown (Newton Junction as it was originally) and Shipley. The former has always been a triangle, so I'm going to take a guess as Shipley gaining platforms on the third side when it was electrified in the early 1990s?

 

[Buttsy]

Earlestown (Newton Junction as it was originally) and Shipley. The former has always been a triangle, so I'm going to take a guess as Shipley gaining platforms on the third side when it was electrified in the early 1990s?

You have the correct stations, however, the 3rd side at Shipley got a platform earlier than electrification, with a second added a few years later.

 

[steamybrian]

I agree with the above as stations with all platforms still in use..
I will mention Ambergate but of the original six platforms set in a triangle only one is now in use.

 

[Buttsy]

I agree with the above as stations with all platforms still in use..
I will mention Ambergate but of the original six platforms set in a triangle only one is now in use.

Thanks for pointing that out, I'd forgotten Ambergate was once triangular, though I was looking for stations where at least one of the platforms on each side of the triangle is currently in use.

 

[steamybrian]

In the absence of any further questions for a few days may I take the floor with this question.-

What unusual connection with railways has the "Wetherspoons" (Moon under Water,44 High Street) in Watford.?

 

[Eagle]

There are two pubs owned by Wetherspoon in Watford; which one do you mean?

 

[steamybrian]

Moon Under Water, 44 High Street, Watford

 

[Trainfan344]

There are two pubs owned by Wetherspoon in Watford; which one do you mean?

Unless it has been edited between your posting and me reading it, the post did contain the name of the pub in brackets.

 

[steamybrian]

My original post was edited at the same time that Eagle submitted his enquiry.

 

[Trainfan344]

Ahh ok then.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It was opened on the same day as the first underwater tube tunnel?

 

[steamybrian]

Ahh ok then.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It was opened on the same day as the first underwater tube tunnel?

It was not the answer I was looking for...!
The date has no relevance to the answer.

 

[Wikipedia]

Was it intended to be the Metropolitan Railways Terminus??

 

[steamybrian]

Was it intended to be the Metropolitan Railways Terminus??

Correct- well done

It was originally built by the Metropolitan Railway as a station on a planned line which was subsequently built only as far as Watford (Met). It later became a furniture store but still retained some railway features including the traditional entrance canopy until taken over by Wetherspoons.
See Wikipedia article on Watford (Metropolitan Line) station which mentions this.

 

[Wikipedia]

On jointed track, Why are either wider sleepers, closer spacing of sleepers or both used in the vicinity of a fishplate??

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is it anything to do with countering the pressures exerted in that area by heat expansion in very hot weather ?

 

[Wikipedia]

Is it anything to do with countering the pressures exerted in that area by heat expansion in very hot weather ?

Not the reason I am looking for.
(If it helps it is related to the actual trains that run over the line)

 

[Buttsy]

To avoid the fishplate or bolts breaking under the strain?

 

[Wikipedia]

To avoid the fishplate or bolts breaking under the strain?

Much closer.
(Before the break??)

 

[BestWestern]

Presumably to better spread and thus reduce the force placed on the fishplates and bolts by the weight of the train being transferred through the rails?

 

[Wikipedia]

Presumably to better spread and thus reduce the force placed on the fishplates and bolts by the weight of the train being transferred through the rails?

Close enough. To help prevent joints from dropping as quickly!

 

[Mvann]

As bestwestern hasn't posted a new question, I will put one forward.
Which branch in South Africa provided the first batch of track for the welsh highland railway?