Railway General Knowledge.

[LSWR Cavalier]

1. Tank locomotive
2. OHLE
3. OHLE inspection car
4. Tender locomotive
5. Rack (and pinion) railway
5. Signalbox
7. Heusinger valve gear
8. ...............................

Nearly all right, but number 7 is usually known by another name in English... .

 

[Calthrop]

Nearly all right, but number 7 is usually known by another name in English... .

? or Flemish ? -- Walschaerts

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

? or Flemish ? -- Walschaerts

Correct, the ubiquitous Walschaerts valve gear. You can get a bonus point if you can briefly explain how it works :%)

@Spamcan81 got the most right answers (Tenderlok = tank engine!) and may set the next question/s.

 

[Calthrop]

Correct, the ubiquitous Walschaerts valve gear. You can get a bonus point if you can briefly explain how it works :%)

To be honest, I'm rather like Bryan Morgan: who doubted whether said mechanism "held any really mind-cracking secrets; but couldn't be bothered even to learn how to spell it " .

 

[Calthrop]

(seemingly can't edit my last post) -- as above, "Tenderlok = tank engine" -- and if I'm right, in French a tank engine is "locomotive tender": maybe it's us who are the strange ones here?

 

[Spamcan81]

Correct, the ubiquitous Walschaerts valve gear. You can get a bonus point if you can briefly explain how it works :%)

@Spamcan81 got the most right answers (Tenderlok = tank engine!) and may set the next question/s.

Thanks.
What connects Abraham Lincoln, Ann Rutledge, Carl Sandburg, Henry Hudson, James Whitcomb Riley and Phoebe Snow?

 

[Neo9320]

Did they all nail ‘golden spikes’ in to America’s railroads?

 

[Spamcan81]

Did they all nail ‘golden spikes’ in to America’s railroads?

Not that I'm aware of.

 

[xotGD]

All have stations named after them.

 

[Spamcan81]

All have stations named after them.

No.

 

[Gloster]

All had their own coach.

 

[Spamcan81]

All had their own coach.

No.

 

[Calthrop]

Had express trains on North American railroads, named after them?

 

[xotGD]

All had locomotives named after them.

 

[Spamcan81]

Had express trains on North American railroads, named after them?

Correct. Interestingly one was named after a fictional character invented by the railway concerned. The throttle is yours.

 

[Calthrop]

Correct. Interestingly one was named after a fictional character invented by the railway concerned. The throttle is yours.

Open floor, please: find self completely played-out as regards railway general knowledge questions.

(Could I ask, which was the fictional one? By my perception, all those you list were real people.)

 

[DerekC]

Time for a narrow gauge question, I think. In the following list, what are they and which is the odd one out?

Moelwyn
Pant Mawr
Wrysgan
Cwmorthin
Rhosydd
Conclog
Nidd-y-Gigfran
Rhiwbrifdir
Llechwedd
Rhiwbach

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

They are quarries or mines around Blaenau Ffestiniog, I guess Conclog is the odd one out, seems unfamiliar.

 

[341o2]

Are you referring to either of the two Moelwyn tunnels (one disused since the section of line flooded) on the Ffestiniog, or the quarry?

 

[DerekC]

They are quarries or mines around Blaenau Ffestiniog,

That's exactly right

I guess Conclog is the odd one out, seems unfamiliar.

But not Conglog (sorry, I spelt it wrong). Conglog was in a remote location to the north west of Tanygrisiau and connected to the FR via the Cwmorthin branch. You are very close to the answer.

 

[DerekC]

Are you referring to either of the two Moelwyn tunnels (one disused since the section of line flooded) on the Ffestiniog, or the quarry?

Quarries/mines, not tunnels.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Is it to do with the meanings of the Welsh names? Is Wrysgan not named after a landscape feature? Guessing again, I consulted the 1" map, hope that is not cheating.

 

[DerekC]

Is it to do with the meanings of the Welsh names? Is Wrysgan not named after a landscape feature? Guessing again, I consulted the 1" map, hope that is not cheating.

Not that, no. (There is a Craig yr Wrysgan on my 1:25000 map). It's a railway-related difference.

 

[341o2]

Llechwedd is still open for commercial slate production (on a limited scale and open cast), also introduced hydro electric power

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Was one of them accessed by cable car, not by rail? Or by rail without an incline?

Do we need a clue?

 

[DerekC]

Llechwedd is still open for commercial slate production (on a limited scale and open cast), also introduced hydro electric power

Was one of them accessed by cable car, not by rail? Or by rail without an incline?

Do we need a clue?

None of those. All were connected and shipped their output on the 2ft gauge. Looking at a map will give you the right answer - but it needs to be a pre-1940(ish) map. @LSWR Cavalier - you were very close to the answer with Conglog. Start from there.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Did the slate have be transshipped and be taken part of the way on standard gauge?

 

[DerekC]

Did the slate have be transshipped and be taken part of the way on standard gauge?

Well, I suppose if it was going to Liverpool or Manchester by train it would from any of them. To help a bit, all these quarries could send slate to the same port by 2ft gauge all the way, but not necessarily by the same route.

 

[Calthrop]

Well, I suppose if it was going to Liverpool or Manchester by train it would from any of them. To help a bit, all these quarries could send slate to the same port by 2ft gauge all the way, but not necessarily by the same route.

Conglog connected with the Croesor Tramway, the others with the Ffestiniog Railway? (Should this be right: open floor, please -- effectively, others will have done all the work.)

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Or did the slate do part of the journey on a boat before being loaded on the tramway?