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Misc steam railway, traction, station and rail-related news

ION, according to RTT [ i think] the Tyne Valley line is being used for diversions off the east coast mainline this weekend.
For some of the time on Saturday the timetable averages one train every 10-12 minutes.
Somewhat busier than the usual one per hour is each direction that is the more normal style !

Think the camera and I are going to do some gricing ...
 
If you're on Facebook, this fella who seems to work for Nigerian railways is good for updates and videos of the exported HSTs. Was just looking earlier today at a photo I took last year of 43184 near the M5 at Exminster. Now it's working out of Oyingbo. Mad.

 
Caught this series on last night - Abandoned Railways from Above which yesterdays episode was the once 'Varsity Line', and which parts are now being restored at great cost and complexity as East West Rail. It seems so incredibly short-sighted (as so much infrastructure building has been in this country) that this line was ever lost - connecting two University cities, multiple mainlines, towns across four counties.

Also binged some older episodes of Secrets of the London Underground again - I love this programme :cool:

Easy weekend viewing :)
 
Last edited:
editor said:
It was lovely to see that Cuxton's 145 year old listed signal box is still in use, but I can't quite work out why. The level crossing is barely used by traffic and there seems to be no sidings or loops to be seen.

Anyone know more?
Click to expand...

there's a page on kent rail here, and a brief thread on rail forums here.

it would appear still to be a proper signal box, albeit with colour light rather than proper signals.
 
Puddy_Tat said:
there's a page on kent rail here, and a brief thread on rail forums here.

it would appear still to be a proper signal box, albeit with colour light rather than proper signals.
Click to expand...
I did see those but it still seems strange why this box still survives. I'm glad it does but it really does seem anachronistic!

 
There are still a few lines around the place that are signalled in sections from boxes along the route (instead of from a more centralised control centre that might cover a wide area).
They gradually diminish in number as time goes by. It is probably largely determined by how long ago the signalling was renewed - perhaps the Medway line had equipment renewed towards the end of the era before everything was being shifted to control centres.

That line went from semaphores to colour light not that long ago, I think. But it seems that this sometimes is done independently of changing the underlying signalling system (which will consist of a very complicated network of track circuits and interlocking and so on).
 
The cost of converting / adding into a power box may not be justified, even if the line carries enough passengers ...

Still have local boxes [cabins] on the Tyne Valley Line for similar reasons.
 
teuchter said:
There are still a few lines around the place that are signalled in sections from boxes along the route (instead of from a more centralised control centre that might cover a wide area).
They gradually diminish in number as time goes by. It is probably largely determined by how long ago the signalling was renewed - perhaps the Medway line had equipment renewed towards the end of the era before everything was being shifted to control centres.

That line went from semaphores to colour light not that long ago, I think. But it seems that this sometimes is done independently of changing the underlying signalling system (which will consist of a very complicated network of track circuits and interlocking and so on).
Click to expand...
I was really supprised to find out the London to Portsmouth line south of Guildford was still on boxed signals until last year. (I discovered mainly through the closures to do the conversions.)
 
StoneRoad said:
The cost of converting / adding into a power box may not be justified, even if the line carries enough passengers ...

Still have local boxes [cabins] on the Tyne Valley Line for similar reasons.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Crediton (tokens for Eggesford or Okehampton and a level crossing) around my way is basically not cost-effective to replace.

I do like the way Shrewsbury's large boxes have been filed in the 'too difficult' pile. It's like a working railway museum.
 
Love this painting of Weekday Cross Junction, Nottingham by Rob Rowland.

1727866915836.png

And here's a photo from June 1967of the same scene

1727867054088.png

The artist seemed to like this junction...

1727867129472.png

Archive pic from reverse angle:

1727867174440.png

And another

1727867188360.png

www.nottinghampost.com

Weekday Cross in the days when steam trains thundered through city

Today the area is home to the Nottingham Contemporary, the Broadmarsh and Nottingham College
www.nottinghampost.com www.nottinghampost.com

And close to the end (it's all gone now)

1727867276972.png

Pic by 70023venus2009
 
StoneRoad said:
Nasty incident near Talerddig {much closer to Talerddig than Llanbrynmair but the latter is much easier to pronounce}

www.bbc.co.uk

Train crash Wales: Man dies, 15 in hospital, after collision

The crash happened near the village of Llanbrynmair, in Powys, at around 19:30 BST on Monday.
www.bbc.co.uk

shit, that daylight image is ...
I know a driver on that line !
Click to expand...
Looks like it's very likely another one due to the train being unable to stop on account of leaves on the line.
 
teuchter said:
Looks like it's very likely another one due to the train being unable to stop on account of leaves on the line.
Click to expand...
yeah, that's my thought / suspicion as well. We'll see what RAIB have to say in due course.

Storm Ashley will not have helped ... although RHTT had been along there, I think on Sunday ...
 
I might have seen reference to RAIB's very preliminary findings ...
loss of adhesion due to rail head conditions.

I sort of know that area, and I arrived at that conclusion without a site inspection - Storm Ashley will not have helped at all - I'll be interested to read the reports to see if there are any mitigating factors, and RAIB's recommendations [mine would be to run more RHTTs and fit adequate sanders to lightweight rolling stock - there's not much the railways can do about lineside vegetation growing outside their boundary].
 
StoneRoad said:
I might have seen reference to RAIB's very preliminary findings ...
loss of adhesion due to rail head conditions.

I sort of know that area, and I arrived at that conclusion without a site inspection - Storm Ashley will not have helped at all - I'll be interested to read the reports to see if there are any mitigating factors, and RAIB's recommendations [mine would be to run more RHTTs and fit adequate sanders to lightweight rolling stock - there's not much the railways can do about lineside vegetation growing outside their boundary].
Click to expand...
RAIB press release

www.gov.uk

Collision of two passenger trains at Talerddig, Powys, Wales

The following press statement is issued by the RAIB about its investigation into the collision of two passenger trains at Talerddig, Powys, Wales
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
 
hash tag said:
I blame Putin. Even so, I wouldn't imagine the service is that frequent.

www.bbc.co.uk

Caernarfon: Train smoke is making us sick, say residents

Families living above a tourist railway believe thick acrid smoke from trains is making them ill.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...
Definitely Putin's fault, but in conjunction with some environmentalists.

Welsh Steam Coal is the bee's knees for certain locomotives and the amount the UK Heritage Railways need each year is an absolutely tiny amount, as is the carbon footprint ... until you start importing the dirty stuff from half-way around the world ...

Making smoke in the amounts discussed is actually frowned on, it's a good idea not to load up the firebox in stations for that very reason [as there's not enough air coming thorough the fire, and over the top of it to ensure full combustion, even with "the blower" on full pelt].
 
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