Something mentally clicked all of a sudden -- Clachnaharry?
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Something mentally clicked all of a sudden -- Clachnaharry?
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backontrack
Established Member
It is indeed Clachnaharry!
The station was opened by the Highland Railway in 1869, but closed in 1913. It was near to the Clachnaharry Swing Bridge.
Your floor, good Sir.
Was helped here by something coming into mind from the mists of long ago: a verse offering -- first encountered by me at school at age of eleven or so which mentions this particular Highland Railway station by name.
Said piece At Euston, by one who is not going, by one A.M. Harbord puts in verse form, the imagined thoughts of a chap who is enviously observing another chap obviously about to set off for a field-sports holiday in Skye. Aged eleven, I thought the thing moving and rather beautiful; it now strikes me as an embarrassingly awful bit of overdone doggerel bogus-poetic sentimental goo and glurge. At all events, one line of the poem is an apparently random list of sonorously-named stations west of Inverness: Clachnaharry, followed by three on the Kyle line itself.
Department of getting out a bit more, is recommended / how sad can you get?: for a while, I considered that the author had dropped a clanger by including a long-closed station in the aforementioned list. However (a typical sample of the verses quality) the two immediately preceding lines run:
You will pass my golden roadway of the days of long ago;
Will you realise the magic of the names I used to know?
Theres evidence that A.M. Harbord was composing his poetic gems, in the era between the two World Wars: so what with the above couplet, I suppose one can take it that in this one hes musing on having himself done the Skye-safari number in his bygone youth, some time pre-1913 thus he can be reckoned to be off the hook, anachronism-wise.
Anyway Ive no worthwhile question to set at present open floor, please.
Said piece At Euston, by one who is not going, by one A.M. Harbord puts in verse form, the imagined thoughts of a chap who is enviously observing another chap obviously about to set off for a field-sports holiday in Skye. Aged eleven, I thought the thing moving and rather beautiful; it now strikes me as an embarrassingly awful bit of overdone doggerel bogus-poetic sentimental goo and glurge. At all events, one line of the poem is an apparently random list of sonorously-named stations west of Inverness: Clachnaharry, followed by three on the Kyle line itself.
Department of getting out a bit more, is recommended / how sad can you get?: for a while, I considered that the author had dropped a clanger by including a long-closed station in the aforementioned list. However (a typical sample of the verses quality) the two immediately preceding lines run:
You will pass my golden roadway of the days of long ago;
Will you realise the magic of the names I used to know?
Theres evidence that A.M. Harbord was composing his poetic gems, in the era between the two World Wars: so what with the above couplet, I suppose one can take it that in this one hes musing on having himself done the Skye-safari number in his bygone youth, some time pre-1913 thus he can be reckoned to be off the hook, anachronism-wise.
Anyway Ive no worthwhile question to set at present open floor, please.
backontrack
Established Member
This was nearly two days ago - so I'll take the floor again.
What comes next in the sequence?
TPSCJF
XIBVQJMM
LJSLJOOFS
What comes next in the sequence?
TPSCJF
XIBVQJMM
LJSLJOOFS
krus_aragon
Established Member
Hm... interesting. Are you expecting a fourth row of characters, or just the next character?
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Xjhupxo
backontrack
Established Member
Correct!
I was using a sort of cipher. They are closed station names; you replace each letter with the one after it in the alphabet.
TPSCJF
XIBVQJMM
LJSLJOOFS
=
SORBIE
WHAUPHILL
KIRKINNER
So the next term in the sequence must correspond to the next station on the line: Wigtown.
XJHUPXO = WIGTOWN
hexagon789 has the floor
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Can't think of a suitable question at the moment, so open floor
Concerning the long-lasting dream in British Empire days, of a Cape-to-Cairo rail route.
If realising this undertaking at the present day, were looked at -- then assuming all existent sections of the route which were ever opened, to be functioning today; and there being sufficient harmony between and within nations, for all sections to be in regular service, and for trains to connect with each other -- what / where are the gaps which would need to be filled in by new building of lines, to complete C-to-C? (Gauge differences are deemed not to matter.)
If realising this undertaking at the present day, were looked at -- then assuming all existent sections of the route which were ever opened, to be functioning today; and there being sufficient harmony between and within nations, for all sections to be in regular service, and for trains to connect with each other -- what / where are the gaps which would need to be filled in by new building of lines, to complete C-to-C? (Gauge differences are deemed not to matter.)
Hint: the gaps (there are more than one) involve different parts of what was until a few years ago, one and the same country -- but which has become two neighbouring countries.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Is it Sudan?
That was split into North and South only a few years ago wasn't it?
That was split into North and South only a few years ago wasn't it?
martinsh
Established Member
2 gaps
1) ??, Uganda to Wau, South Sudan
2) Wadi Halfa, Sudan to Aswan, Egypt
Open floor if correct
1) ??, Uganda to Wau, South Sudan
2) Wadi Halfa, Sudan to Aswan, Egypt
Open floor if correct
The two Sudans are indeed the "common factor". martinsh, you basically have the rights of it: the location in Uganda is Gulu, northernmost point on the country's rail system.
Open floor, as requested.
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Here's a question in two parts:
1. Name the three oldest societies for railway enthusiasts in the world, their names and the date of their formation.
2. One of these is defunct - which one?
1. Name the three oldest societies for railway enthusiasts in the world, their names and the date of their formation.
2. One of these is defunct - which one?
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Okay, 24 hours plus without a guess, so I'll give you a clue. The initials in age order are: TRC; SLS; & CURC.
steamybrian
Established Member
The Railway Club- now defunct
Stephenson Locomotive Society
Cambridge University Railway Club
Stephenson Locomotive Society
Cambridge University Railway Club
Last edited:
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
steamybrian
Established Member
...open floor....
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Okay, I'll take it back, then.
These are six books which are autobiographies or biographies of railway people or people who have been involved with railways during part of their lives.
Who are the subjects of each one, please.
"I Tried to run a Railway"
"Life in a Railway Factory"
"The Railway Man"
"The Landscape Trilogy" *
"The Railway King" **
"An Inspector Recalls: Memories of a Railway Detective" ***
* This isn't just about railways ... canals and cars feature here as well!
** This is the biography of a very (in)famous railway personality of the 19th Century
*** There's a topic on this ... I'll trust you not to look it up!
Best of luck!
These are six books which are autobiographies or biographies of railway people or people who have been involved with railways during part of their lives.
Who are the subjects of each one, please.
"I Tried to run a Railway"
"Life in a Railway Factory"
"The Railway Man"
"The Landscape Trilogy" *
"The Railway King" **
"An Inspector Recalls: Memories of a Railway Detective" ***
* This isn't just about railways ... canals and cars feature here as well!
** This is the biography of a very (in)famous railway personality of the 19th Century
*** There's a topic on this ... I'll trust you not to look it up!
Best of luck!
steamybrian
Established Member
"I tried to run a railway" Autobiography of Gerald Fiennes (latterly GM of BR (Eastern) -- I have a copy of his book.
"The railway king" was about George Hudson
"The Landscape trilogy" possibly L.T.C.Rolt...??
"The railway king" was about George Hudson
"The Landscape trilogy" possibly L.T.C.Rolt...??
A Challenge
Established Member
- Joined
- 24 Sep 2016
- Messages
- 2,837
I'm guessing the infamous person referenced in the footnote to the fifth is Beeching?
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
All correct, well done.
No, it was George Hudson.
One out of two .... "The Railway Man" is about Eric Lomax, but Dick Hardy didn't write "Life in a Railway Factory".
Steamybrian is leading so far .... with two to go!
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Yes, that's right, well done.
I haven't read it, but I've heard that it's quite good - anyone know, please?
One to go ..... !
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Okay, thanks; I've seen it around in The Works and other places, but never bought it ... I'll have to have another look next time!
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Let's call a halt to this one, as no-one seems to be able to get the final answer.
"An Inspector Recalls: Memories of a Railway Detective" was written by Graham Satchwell, and a good read it is as well.
As he got three out of the five, I'm awarding the bookshelf to Steamybrian ... well done!
"An Inspector Recalls: Memories of a Railway Detective" was written by Graham Satchwell, and a good read it is as well.
As he got three out of the five, I'm awarding the bookshelf to Steamybrian ... well done!
steamybrian
Established Member
EbbwJunction1
Established Member
Which Chief Mechanical Engineer has a football ground named after him in the town of his birth?