Railway General Knowledge.

[DerekC]

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.)

You have the right two railways and exactly the right idea but the wrong "odd one out" quarry. The quarry in question was very close to Conglog - their tramways come within a couple of hundred metres of each other on the map, but there was also a couple of hundred metres difference in height! The story is that they didn't want to pay Ffestiniog rates for transport to Portmadoc so they built a huge incline down the other side of the mountain instead.

 

[DerekC]

I think it's time to put this one out of its misery. Here is a map showing Conglog Quarry to the east, with its connection via the Cwmorthin Valley to the Ffestiniog Railway at Tanygrisiau disappearing off to the right. In the centre is the Rhosydd Quarry, the only one on my list not connected to the Ffestiniog, with its tramway winding away west to the head of the incline down into the Croesor Valley.

Honours pretty even on this one - but since @Calthrop doesn't want it, I think @LSWR Cavalier should have the dressing floor for effort! (and Conglog was very close geographically).

 

[Calthrop]

In the centre is the Rhosydd Quarry, the only one on my list not connected to the Ffestiniog, with its tramway winding away west to the head of the incline down into the
Croesor Valley.






View attachment 101548

I realise that I have actually descended that incline, "under my own steam"; but that was 57 years ago, and I had long forgotten the appropriate names and which-was-where.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

@DerekC
Diolch yn fawr iawn

One of my favourite railway travel books is The Kingdom by The Sea, by Paul Theroux.

Several chapters are headed 'the XX.YY to Zzz'. I want to know where he joined the train to Zzz in each case.

1. The 1601 to Southport
2. The 0951 to Leuchars Junction
3. The 1032 to Criccieth
4. The 1628 to Tenby
5. The 1133 to Margate
6. The 2020 to Llandudno Junction.
7. The 1440 to Aberdeen.

 

[Gloster]

6 Blaenau Ffestiniog?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

6 Blaenau Ffestiniog?

Correct.

A clue: 5. The 1133 to Margate was the first journey, first chapter.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

3. Shrewsbury ... or Aberystwyth?
4. Swansea?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

3. Shrewsbury ... or Aberystwyth?
4. Swansea?

3. No, he joined the train at a request stop after Harlech, because he was fascinated by the 'x' in the timetable.

4. Not Abertawe, he joined at Llan...

 

[EbbwJunction1]

4. Llanelli .... ?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

4. Llanelli .... ?

Correct

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thank you.

3. Talsarnau.

I've read the book as well, but a long time ago, so my memory of it isn't great!

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Thank you.

3. Talsarnau.

I've read the book as well, but a long time ago, so my memory of it isn't great!

Good try, but the station (halt) is smaller than Talsarnau, and is not to be confused with the residence of the PotUS.

 

[Calthrop]

Good try, but the station (halt) is smaller than Talsarnau, and is not to be confused with the residence of the PotUS.

Can't resist airing my "command" of Welsh: station concerned, must be the formerly designated as "halt", on the Cambrian Coast line: Ty Gwyn = "White House".

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Can't resist airing my "command" of Welsh: station concerned, must be the formerly designated as "halt", on the Cambrian Coast line: Ty Gwyn = "White House".

Correct, the 10x32.

Theroux lived in London, so where did he catch the train to Margate?

He circled our Isle in a vaguely clockwise direction, so the station where he caught the 1440 to Aberdeen should be easy to guess.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

London Bridge for the former and Inverness for the latter?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

London Bridge for the former and Inverness for the latter?

Inverness is right, but not Llundain Bridge for Margate.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

@DerekC
Diolch yn fawr iawn

One of my favourite railway travel books is The Kingdom by The Sea, by Paul Theroux.

Several chapters are headed 'the XX.YY to Zzz'. I want to know where he joined the train to Zzz in each case.

1. The 1601 to Southport
2. The 0951 to Leuchars Junction
3. The 1032 to Criccieth
4. The 1628 to Tenby
5. The 1133 to Margate
6. The 2020 to Llandudno Junction.
7. The 1440 to Aberdeen.

Clues
1 a football team from this town won the FA cup and got relegated in the same season.

2 the nearest big town/station

5 departure station is not in Belgium, despite the name

 

[xotGD]

1. Wigan
5. Waterloo

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I think that I got No. 2 - Inverness - in post No. 11,355?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I think that I got No. 2 - Inverness - in post No. 11,355?

No, you got number 7. Leuchars Junction is near the silvery Tay estuary, he caught the train in the nearest big town, which is known for 'j+j+j'.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

No, you got number 7. Leuchars Junction is near the silvery Tay estuary, he caught the train in the nearest big town, which is known for 'j+j+j'.

Ah, my mistake ... in that case, it's Dundee.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

1. Wigan
5. Waterloo

Waterloo East actually.

@EbbwJunction1 got three right and may set the next question/s.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thank you.

Here are the titles of six books where railways play a significant part in the story. Can you give me the name of the author in each case, please?

1. "4.50 from Paddington"

2. "The Necropolis Railway"

3. "The Lost Special"

4. "Troublesome Engines"

5. "Strangers on a Train"

6. "The Thirty Nine Steps"

Best of luck.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

1. Agatha Christie (did she actually mean the 16:50?)

 

[Calthrop]

2. Edward Marston?

3. Arthur Conan Doyle

4. Rev. W. Awdry

5. Know it as a film -- with there being a corresponding book: total guess -- Raymond Chandler??

6. John Buchan

 

[EbbwJunction1]

1. Agatha Christie (did she actually mean the 16:50?)

Correct ... I don't think so!

2. Edward Marston?

3. Arthur Conan Doyle

4. Rev. W. Awdry

5. Know it as a film -- with there being a corresponding book: total guess -- Raymond Chandler??

6. John Buchan

You've got three out of five right, nos. 3, 4 & 6.

 

[Calthrop]

Then no.2 must be the other geezer -- Andrew Martin.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Then no.2 must be the other geezer -- Andrew Martin.

I'm not sure whether he'd be flattered by the description, but yes, that's him.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

It seems wrong to delay this one too long, so I'll give you a clue for the outstanding answer and, if no-one answers soon, I'll give you the answer.

The author I'm looking for also wrote a series of books known as "The Ripliad", featuring the same main character.

 

[Calthrop]

It seems wrong to delay this one too long, so I'll give you a clue for the outstanding answer and, if no-one answers soon, I'll give you the answer.

The author I'm looking for also wrote a series of books known as "The Ripliad", featuring the same main character.

Faint recall: a "master criminal" called Ripley -- a horrific psychopath, but a charming one (or maybe not that last); the author, female -- but, drat it, if I once knew her name, I don't any longer.