Railway General Knowledge.

[DerekC]

The question is a bit more complicated than it looks! It took me quite a while to research. Remember that:

1) Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Man aren't part of the United Kingdom, they are Crown Dependencies.

2) Not all things called the "Isle of" are actually islands - so Purbeck is definitely out, as is the Isle of Dogs (and Ely and Axholme if anyone had mentioned them)

3) Piel island didn't have a railway (the station called Piel wasn't on it - so which island was it on?)

We are left with (of the ones mentioned so far):

• Wight
• Mull
• Anglesey
• Holy Island
• Portsea
• Sheppey (with Sheerness on it)
• Hayling
• Grain (a bit arguable)
• Portland (ditto)
• Bute
• Moncrieff (a bonus point for that one)
• Sanda (ditto because I hadn't heard of it)

I have three more - one of which should be easy (if arguable), one of which has almost been named above, and the last had a tram (but so did Bute)

 

[Gloster]

There is also the main island of England, Scotland and Wales.
Inchgarvie.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Sodor

 

[Peterthegreat]

The question is a bit more complicated than it looks! It took me quite a while to research. Remember that:

1) Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Man aren't part of the United Kingdom, they are Crown Dependencies.

2) Not all things called the "Isle of" are actually islands - so Purbeck is definitely out, as is the Isle of Dogs (and Ely and Axholme if anyone had mentioned them)

3) Piel island didn't have a railway (the station called Piel wasn't on it - so which island was it on?)

We are left with (of the ones mentioned so far):

• Wight
• Mull
• Anglesey
• Holy Island
• Portsea
• Sheppey (with Sheerness on it)
• Hayling
• Grain (a bit arguable)
• Portland (ditto)
• Bute
• Moncrieff (a bonus point for that one)
• Sanda (ditto because I hadn't heard of it)

I have three more - one of which should be easy (if arguable), one of which has almost been named above, and the last had a tram (but so did Bute)

I think Piel Island Railway was actually on Roa Island

 

[Peter Mugridge]

As the River Wantsum and River Stour connect to each other and go all the way across from one coast to another without a break ( excluding bridges ), is Thanet one of the missing ones...?

 

[martinsh]

Barry Island ?

 

[Calthrop]

Lothingland; containing Gorleston-on-Sea and Lowestoft and their hinterland: between the North Sea, and the Rivers Yare and Waveney and Oulton Broad and its channel to the Waveney?

 

[DerekC]

OK - well, I obviously should have started with a definition of what an island is, and what the criteria for inclusion are. I am going to exclude the Island of Britain on the basis that it would make it a trick question. And Northern Ireland is part of the Island of Ireland, so that's out too.

I have tried to ask myself the question - was it an island when the railways arrived? Having consulted historical maps, on that basis Roa Island, Barry Island and Grain are in (because the railway built a causeway across the water in each case). I should have said that there had to be a station on the island but I didn't and allowed Moncrieff, so on that basis Inchgarvie is in as well! I wobbled about Thanet, but the history books say that Thanet ceased to be an island in the 16th Century, so who am I to argue? Portland is a strange case - you have theoretically been able to walk there since Chesil Beach was formed - apparently in the "Flandrian Interglacial" about 10,000 years ago, but it's a very long and hard walk and there was a ferry from Weymouth until the railway arrived, so executive decision - that's in. Oh, and Lothingland - another one I hadn't thought of - looks like an island to me!

As to results:

@34102 - 6
@Calthrop - 4
@Peterthegreat - 3
@Gloster - 2
@6130 - 1
@martinsh - 1

PS - and of course thanks to @SteveM70 for mentioning much the most famous - but i couldn't find it on the 1880 map!

PPS - sorry, I forgot - you only missed one from my original list - a branch of the Barrow in Furness corporation tramway ran onto Walney Island.

So @34102 - your island to build a railway on!

 

[DaleCooper]

OK - well, I obviously should have started with a definition of what an island is, and what the criteria for inclusion are. I am going to exclude the Island of Britain on the basis that it would make it a trick question. And Northern Ireland is part of the Island of Ireland, so that's out too.

I have tried to ask myself the question - was it an island when the railways arrived? Having consulted historical maps, on that basis Roa Island, Barry Island and Grain are in (because the railway built a causeway across the water in each case). I should have said that there had to be a station on the island but I didn't and allowed Moncrieff, so on that basis Inchgarvie is in as well! I wobbled about Thanet, but the history books say that Thanet ceased to be an island in the 16th Century, so who am I to argue? Portland is a strange case - you have theoretically been able to walk there since Chesil Beach was formed - apparently in the "Flandrian Interglacial" about 10,000 years ago, but it's a very long and hard walk and there was a ferry from Weymouth until the railway arrived, so executive decision - that's in. Oh, and Lothingland - another one I hadn't thought of - looks like an island to me!

As to results:

@34102 - 6
@Calthrop - 4
@Peterthegreat - 3
@Gloster - 2
@6130 - 1
@martinsh - 1

PS - and of course thanks to @SteveM70 for mentioning much the most famous - but i couldn't find it on the 1880 map!

PPS - sorry, I forgot - you only missed one from my original list - a branch of the Barrow in Furness corporation tramway ran onto Walney Island.

So @34102 - your island to build a railway on!

The Nene Washes are crossed by the Peterborough-Ely line, they are delineated by the Nene and Moreton's Leam.

 

[DerekC]

The Nene Washes are crossed by the Peterborough-Ely line, they are delineated by the Nene and Moreton's Leam.

So they are - for about 1/2 mile very close to Peterborough! I guess that there might be quite a few like that dotted around.

I took a look at a couple of sections of line across the fens and almost every section of land the railway crosses has drains all round. So where do you draw the line? The dictionary definitions include the word "isolated" so I think fields with a drainage ditch don't count. The New Washes seem a bit arguable on that basis.

Anyway let's draw the line on this question here.

@341o2 - over to you!!

 

[341o2]

Where was the Moors Valley Railway, Ringwood Hampshire, located before moving to its current location?

 

[DerekC]

A shot in the dark (I really ought to know) - Bursledon? Is that where the Hampshire NG Trust's stock went?

 

[341o2]

Much nearer to the present site at Ringwood, it was the first of its kind in the UK, but closed in the mid 80's and is now a housing estate

 

[Gloster]

Were they at Hurn? Or is that where they are now and is seen as part of Ringwood?

 

[Snow1964]

I think it came from the little railway that ran around a car park by Pontins Wick Ferry, Christchurch. The current car park is called Mayors Mead but is no longer circular. Think it stopped around end of 1970s

 

[341o2]

Closer and closer, Hurn about 4 miles out, Christchurch almost there,
However, the Christchurch miniature railway was of 10 1/4 inch gauge, and its principal attraction was a replica of the streamlined Coronation pacifics of the LMS. This loco is now at Eastlieigh Lakeside Railway.

Moors Valley is 7 1/4, and the locos are "freelance narrow gauge", meaning a much larger and more powerful loco than a scale model.

So, it was originally based at a location very near to Christchurch, think of a bridge.....

 

[Snow1964]

Closer and closer, Hurn about 4 miles out, Christchurch almost there,
However, the Christchurch miniature railway was of 10 1/4 inch gauge, and its principal attraction was a replica of the streamlined Coronation pacifics of the LMS. This loco is now at Eastlieigh Lakeside Railway.

Moors Valley is 7 1/4, and the locos are "freelance narrow gauge", meaning a much larger and more powerful loco than a scale model.

So, it was originally based at a location very near to Christchurch, think of a bridge.....

I am guessing the mini theme park by Tuckton Bridge called Tucktonia. Went to a few school friends birthday parties there in late 1970s but don't remember a railway, just giant slides and mini rides.

 

[341o2]

Is the right answer. The railway opened in 1980, but by that time, Tucktonia was in decline and closed in 1986.

your floor

 

[Snow1964]

Following on from idea of Ringwood and Hurn, a question about the line via Hurn.

The line originally had 2 other stations, (one was private), where were they.

When was the line extended and to where

 

[Calthrop]

The stations -- first south of Ringwood: Avon Lodge (private); next southward: Hurn.

Re the rest, I'm guessing; save for knowing that line's ultimate southerly end was Christchurch -- however -- route between Poole and Brockenhurst via Ringwood (ultimately on to Southampton) antedated the superseding-as-main-line section Bournemouth / Poole -- Christchurch -- Brockenhurst. The former opened, I believe, circa 1850; the latter --1880s?? Branch south from Ringwood to Hurn, opened more or less coevally with through route serving Ringwood; extended from Hurn to Christchurch, a little after, maybe, opening of new main line via Christchurch?

 

[Snow1964]

Avon Lodge is correct, just need the original terminus location (it is not where current Christchurch station is. That was opened in 1886 as part of the direct line from Brockenhurst)

 

[Gloster]

Was it where Bournemouth East (Upper) Goods yard was? Just east of the Holdenhurst Road Bridge.

 

[Snow1964]

Was it where Bournemouth East (Upper) Goods yard was? Just east of the Holdenhurst Road Bridge.

That was the terminus of the 1870 extension, and yes later became a goods station when a line at lower level was extended under Holdenhurst Road to the current station

I was after the original terminus from 1862

 

[Calthrop]

Avon Lodge is correct, just need the original terminus location (it is not where current Christchurch station is. That was opened in 1886 as part of the direct line from Brockenhurst)

Having no idea re the above: I've looked it up, and thus put self out of the running.

 

[DerekC]

If the southern end was originally Christchurch then a likely candidate is the goods shed which used to exist in the angle between the main line to Sway and the Fairmile Road bridge, aligned with the line from Ringwood. If the terminus was designed with a view to extending to Bournemouth that might have been a good place to put it.

 

[Snow1964]

If the southern end was originally Christchurch then a likely candidate is the goods shed which used to exist in the angle between the main line to Sway and the Fairmile Road bridge, aligned with the line from Ringwood. If the terminus was designed with a view to extending to Bournemouth that might have been a good place to put it.

Yes, it was Christchurch, but other side of Bargates (road), the sharp curve was only added later.

And in accordance with then L&SWR policy when Christchurch-Bournemouth section was doubled, all the level crossings on the new mainline were eliminated.

So have a tie between @Calthrop and @DerekC
Whoever gets in first with new question seems the way forward

 

[Calthrop]

I'll very shortly be off the scene for a week; so, @DerekC, it's all yours.

 

[DerekC]

I'm all out of questions so open floor - I will keep thinking, though!

 

[htafc]

Which railway manager wrote the classic autobiography I Tried to Run a Railway (first published in 1967), causing him to be sacked by British Railways?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Gerard Fiennes