Railway General Knowledge.

[DerekC]

Sorry - I have been busy yesterday and away most of the day today.

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...

I think that in fact we were both wrong. I counted them again and I agree with your list apart from the route from Clones to Cavan & Belturbet, which a detailed map showed to cross the border no less than six times! (I thought it was five which can't be right because it starts in the Republic and ends back there!

On which basis and because I haven't got a question ready anyway - open floor!

 

[Calthrop]

Sorry - I have been busy yesterday and away most of the day today.

I think that in fact we were both wrong. I counted them again and I agree with your list apart from the route from Clones to Cavan & Belturbet, which a detailed map showed to cross the border no less than six times! (I thought it was five which can't be right because it starts in the Republic and ends back there!

On which basis and because I haven't got a question ready anyway - open floor!

So -- total fifteen "true-G.N.R.(I.)" border-crossings, plus "2 + 1 odds". I admit that my close checking with old maps, was long ago: had had it in mind from then, that the line south-west from Clones, toward Cavan and Belturbet, crossed the border four times -- as opposed to your six; it has to be an even number, anyhow, because as you say, the route went Republic-to-Republic. A function, as I understand, of the line keeping company with a very wiggly stretch of boundary between Counties Monaghan and Fermanagh. Whilst the passions aroused by the overall issue, led to some pretty bonkers stuff -- respective Customs posts at each side, per crossing, etc.; I would imagine that as regards this route just south-west of Clones, enough sanity prevailed for it to be treated as a "corridor" situation -- trains simply running straight through that stretch, without stopping...

And so -- per your direction -- open floor.

 

[xotGD]

Which locomotive carried the unofficial name 'Fell Runner'?

 

[xotGD]

Time for a clue: It was an electric locomotive.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

Time for a clue: It was an electric locomotive.

I’m sure I’ve seen someone add a Fell Runner nameplate to a OO gauge model but can’t for the life of me remember which! Class 86?

 

[341o2]

Would it be a member of class EM1, later class 76. Eleven were officially named

 

[SteveyBee131]

I seem to remember reading of some centre-cab electric locomotives that operated in the North East. It was a long time ago that I read it though so can't remember the specific details! Was it one of those?

 

[xotGD]

It is none of the classes mentioned above.

Rather than the loco number, just identify the class.

 

[CW2]

It is none of the classes mentioned above.

Rather than the loco number, just identify the class.

I think it was an 85. 85040 maybe?

 

[Ashley Hill]

85030 perhaps?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

85001 - working over Shap and Beattock etc?

 

[xotGD]

OK, so three of you got the right class, but full marks to Ashley Hill for getting the correct loco.

The front droplight behind a screaming Roarer is all yours...

 

[Ashley Hill]

I'm afraid I've no question so I'll let someone else have the open window.

 

[DerekC]

OK - where was/is the Hot Metal Bridge, why is it called that and (for a bonus point) which river does it cross?

 

[xotGD]

I'm thinking that it must be next to a steel works, hence the name. So I'll guess Port Talbot for the location.

 

[John Hunt]

Going from memory (1970s) there were two British Steel Corp plants in UK which used rail-mounted torpedo ladles.
One was Redcar (with its own workshops for re-lining them), t'other was Scunthorpe (I only dealt with the bricklayers for South Iron Works).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Ravenscraig Steelworks

 

[DerekC]

Ok - well, you have all got the right industry and the right idea, in that the bridge carried ladle cars between different parts of a steelworks. But you have the wrong continent.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

since there is so much iron ore in Australia I am going to guess the continent is Australia

 

[DerekC]

Much nearer to you, @GRALISTAIR

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Good lord not in the state of Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh by any remote chance. Hell even the football team are called The Steelers?

 

[DerekC]

That's the one. I could see said bridge out of the office window when working at Union Switch, quite few years ago now. It is actually a double bridge - two sets of spans on one set of piers. The upstream span carried a branch of the Monongahela Connecting Railroad. The downstream span carried ladle cars between the blast furnaces of the J&L steel mill on one side and the open hearth furnaces on the other. (The river is the Monongahela).

Your hearth (up to you whether to make it open!)

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I will pass the ladle thanks as I can’t think of a good question and suggest open forum.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'll take it if I may.

On this day in 1988, what was put into place at London Waterloo Station, and what was their significance?
Note: You're looking for a physical item!

 

[SteveyBee131]

Complete guess, automatic ticket gates. Perhaps first in the UK?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Complete guess, automatic ticket gates. Perhaps first in the UK?

It's not ticket gates, but what was installed were the first in the UK. I'll give you a clue - the railway connection is that this particular thing is at the station, although it's not a railway item.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Cashpoint?
Just read the above,these were definitely not the first

 

[John Hunt]

I remember something about the cinema but that means a blank space 'cos it was demolished.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I remember something about the cinema but that means a blank space 'cos it was demolished.

Cashpoint?

Neither of these, but it's a physical thing. I'm not sure these particular ones are still there, although a variant is.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Phonecard pay phone?