Railway General Knowledge.

[GRALISTAIR]

Southport

 

[Ashley Hill]

Pwhelli ?

Dangerously close!

 

[xotGD]

Porthmadog?

 

[John Hunt]

Ayr ?

 

[Romsey]

Penychain?

 

[341o2]

Llandudno - only a guess based upon clues already given

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Aberystwyth

 

[Ashley Hill]

Penychain?

Quite correct Romsey. Unique blue totems with yellow lettering and borders for the station that served the Pwhelli Butlins holiday camp. The chalet is yours!

 

[341o2]

As this quiz seems to have stalled, may I revive it with the following question.

When the Merchant Navy class was introduced, the emphasis was on weight reduction, but after the first couple of locomotives went into service, there was a small increase in weight regarding one feature.

What was it?

 

[xotGD]

As this quiz seems to have stalled, may I revive it with the following question.

When the Merchant Navy class was introduced, the emphasis was on weight reduction, but after the first couple of locomotives went into service, there was a small increase in weight regarding one feature.

What was it?

Nameplates?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Larger chimney?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Was it the balancing masses on the wheels to act against hammerblow?

 

[341o2]

Nameplates?

very close

 

[xotGD]

Cast numbers?

 

[341o2]

It was indeed a plate, but neither a number or a nameplate

I'm going to add that this was also a feature of the light pacifics, and apparently removed on nationalisation with the renumbering of the locomotives from the 21C series to 34xxx and 35xxx

 

[Romsey]

It was the inverted horseshoe cast plate around the smoke box door handles with SOUTHERN cast into the surface. As a points downwards horseshoe is considered to be unlucky by some folks, they were quickly replaced with circular castings, still bearing the word Southern. Only a few were cast in the original form, most were circular.
All these plates were removed after nationalisation.

Sorry for not checking back about Penychain, no excuse except I would rather forget the place!

 

[341o2]

Yes, that is the correct answer. The place and date of construction was added to the bottom segment.

Images from Google - model of 21C1 when new(right), the Bournemouth Belle with modified plate (left)

The floor is yours

 

[Romsey]

What would the initials A, CA or WA signify on signal number plates?

 

[Romsey]

Just to keep things moving, the initials cover two elements of the function of each signal.

After a bit of research, only few CA initial signals still exist. Most others, A, CA or WA, have been renumbered to show the supervising box or signalling centre. As another clue only the Southern Railway/Region used this system.

 

[John Hunt]

Automatic signals -
A for Eastern Section
CA for Central
WA for Western

 

[Romsey]

Automatic signals -
A for Eastern Section
CA for Central
WA for Western

Well done that's the answer. Over to you to set the road to another query.

The last remaining CA signals are CA184 & 186 on the down line between Boxhill and Dorking and CA82 between Littlehampton Jn and Littlehampton. The final Eastern section "A" signals were replaced under the East Kent resignalling. The last Western ones were replated under the Basingstoke resignalling.

 

[John Hunt]

Thank you.
Open Floor

 

[Calthrop]

I am very fond, railway-wise, of things Irish: hope people may indulge me, in a historical / geographical question about same.

The Great Northern Railway of Ireland was so located, that it was hit hard by the partitioning of Ireland which was implemented in the early 1920s: with lines of its system intersecting the border at many spots -- meaning much bureaucratic impediment and inconvenience (though the circumstance did result in the G.N.R [I.]'s keeping its independence and identity for a good many years).

What was the total number of points at which G.N.R. (I.) lines, and the border, crossed each other? -- (am asking just "how many" -- not for names / locations !)

There were rail undertakings operated but not owned by the G.N.R. (I.) / G.N. a joint partner in running-of; which featured border crossings at a small handful of places. I'll say: please include those in the count, or not, as preferred -- either option will be reckoned correct.

 

[xotGD]

'Many spots' suggests more than a dozen, so I'll guess 17.

 

[Calthrop]

'Many spots' suggests more than a dozen, so I'll guess 17.

I'm afraid that's just slightly over; even allowing for inclusion of the "grey areas" mentioned in my question's last paragraph.

 

[DerekC]

Well, I admit to using a map and counting and I make it 14, but I am not sure about the lines operated but not owned by the GNR(I).

 

[Calthrop]

Well, I admit to using a map and counting and I make it 14, but I am not sure about the lines operated but not owned by the GNR(I).

I'm reckoning that you've basically hit the target (I see no point in "absolutist" insistence that people must have the info already in their heads, nothing less !); but I made it 13 pure GN, three "other". Pure GN: on Belfast -- Dublin main line north of Dundalk; between Keady and Castleblayney; near Glaslough, on Portadown -- Clones line; just outside Clones, on line from there to Omagh; and toward the Londonderry end of the Portadown -- Londonderry line, two crossings -- just north of Strabane, and near Carrigans. That makes six. Then, two lines which criss-crossed the border a lot: on the Bundoran branch, three crossings; on the route south from Clones to Cavan / Belturbet, no less than four. Thirteen all told.

The "neither fish, flesh, nor..." ones: County Donegal 3ft. gauge (joint property of GN, and Midland / LMS Northern Counties Committee and its successor) -- two, one on each of system's routes out of Strabane into Co. Donegal. And, one border crossing by the Dundalk, Newry & Greenore Ry. (worked from 1933 on, but not owned, by the GN).

"Thinks" -- if you're right about there being 14 "pure GNR" crossings: that, plus the three "odd 'uns" as above, would make @xotGD 's guess of 17 (post #9,234) correct... potentially calling for "diplomatic resolution". Could I ask how your count, and mine, differ by one? Maybe there's a crossing which I missed...

 

[martinsh]

"Thinks" -- if you're right about there being 14 "pure GNR" crossings: that, plus the three "odd 'uns" as above, would make @xotGD 's guess of 17 (post #9,234) correct... potentially calling for "diplomatic resolution". Could I ask how your count, and mine, differ by one? Maybe there's a crossing which I missed...

Perhaps he counted the SL & NC as well ?

 

[xotGD]

I definitely don't deserve the floor for my random guess! So if I have the floor - Open Floor!

 

[Calthrop]

I definitely don't deserve the floor for my random guess! So if I have the floor - Open Floor!

@xotGD: thanks -- not open floor (see below).

@DerekC -- with xotGD thus, very ethically standing down; you have a correct answer: even if -- possibly -- a little "by default" (with the "grey area" crossings -- one on the DN&GR, and / or two on the Donegal -- per my reckonings as above, any number between 13 and 16 inclusive, is "figurable" as correct). DerekC: your floor.