Help with railway mileage.

[Cundy66]

Can anyone help me understand the Miles/Chains I have got a track atlas and it has confused me when trying to understand it, would like some help to understand it more.

Thanks Tom

 

[MK Tom]

Basically there are 22 yards in a chain, and 220 yards in a furlong, so a furlong is 10 chains. There are 8 furlongs in a mile so a chain is an eighteith of a mile.

Hope that helps!

 

[swt_passenger]

Do you really mean how long is a chain?

1 mile = 1760 yards.

1 chain = 22 yards

1 mile = 80 chains

So on a track map it is normally shown as miles.chains to two figures. For example ten and three quarters of a mile would be shown as 10.60

 

[Cliveblackpool]

A cricket pitch is one chain between the wickets.
An acre is 1 chain by 1 furlong.
4 Rods or poles (5.5 yds) to a Chain (still used for allotments plot measure - normally 3 to 25 rods)
Good old Imperial measurements!

 

[lincolnshire]

Also to get an idea of length, if my memory serves me right a cricket pitch run is 1 chain long or 22yards.

 

[Tin Rocket]

28ish sleepers to a chain in plain line

 

[DaveNewcastle]

See how easy it is?
So you've probably already worked out in your head that there's a nice round 49.7097 chains in a kilometer.

(actually, this is close to the genuinely 'round' 50 chains to a km.)

 

[pendolino]

If you're wondering why they're called chains, it's because surveyors used to actually use metal chains, with equal length links, and a tag every 10 links with the measurement on. I learnt how to use one at college - mostly out of historical interest - before we went on to the high-tec modern surveying equipment such as dumpy levels (ok, not that modern and high-tec), theodolites and total stations.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunter's_chain

 

[Yew]

Where can you get milages from. Ive racked up a nie amount so far this year, and imthinking I might record it?

 

[Eagle]

Where can you get milages from. Ive racked up a nie amount so far this year, and imthinking I might record it?

If you want results accurate to the chain (and if you've used unusual lines whose mileages don't appear in the NRTT), then the online version of the RailMiles engine should be good enough.

Blah blah blah apology for using another Cairns product :P

 

[Ploughman]

28ish sleepers to a chain in plain line

Chain is 2 yards longer than a standard track panel of 60ft
Otherwise varies dependant on type of track and history.
Older BH generally 24 / 60ft
FB 1970s - 90s was 26 / 60ft
Now 28 - 30 is more likely to be found on relaid track

 

[Cundy66]

Where is the mileage measured from as sheffield signal box is 158m 29ch for example

so would sheffield signal box be 158 and 1/4 miles from that point?

main interested lines are Doncaster - Sheffield - London, Sheffield - Lincoln, Doncaster - London

Tom

 

[Eagle]

Where is the mileage measured from as sheffield signal box is 158m 29ch for example

so would sheffield signal box be 158 and 1/4 miles from that point?

Most likely from St Pancras in this case.

 

[142094]

Where is the mileage measured from as sheffield signal box is 158m 29ch for example

so would sheffield signal box be 158 and 1/4 miles from that point?

main interested lines are Doncaster - Sheffield - London, Sheffield - Lincoln, Doncaster - London

Tom

Depends on where the datum point is. Most are measured from a major terminus from pre-grouping railway companies (for example York has a datum point for I think 8 different former lines).

 

[Cundy66]

Am I correct in the Miles/Chains to how it would be roughly in miles?

Tom

 

[OxtedL]

29 chains is closer to 3/8 of a mile.

 

[Eagle]

Am I correct in the Miles/Chains to how it would be roughly in miles?

Tom

29 chains is 29/80 of a mile, of course, which to the nearest quarter is indeed ¼ mi.

(Mileposts are every quarter, and the NRTT timetable uses distances rounded to the nearest quarter.)

 

[Welshman]

Where is the mileage measured from as sheffield signal box is 158m 29ch for example

so would sheffield signal box be 158 and 1/4 miles from that point?

main interested lines are Doncaster - Sheffield - London, Sheffield - Lincoln, Doncaster - London

Tom

The mileage used to be measured from the headquarters of the old Railway Company.
So in most cases, it would be London, but in the case of the old North-Eastern Railway lines, it would be York.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

If you're wondering why they're called chains, it's because surveyors used to actually use metal chains, with equal length links, and a tag every 10 links with the measurement on. I learnt how to use one at college - mostly out of historical interest - before we went on to the high-tec modern surveying equipment such as dumpy levels (ok, not that modern and high-tec), theodolites and total stations.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunter's_chain

I think I am right in saying that the entire USA-Canada border (excluding Alaska) was marked out by men walking around with chains and sticks. Its about 2000 miles when you take away the great lakes. That must have been a fun job.

 

[Railsigns]

The mileage used to be measured from the headquarters of the old Railway Company.
So in most cases, it would be London, but in the case of the old North-Eastern Railway lines, it would be York.

Not true, I'm afraid. Below is a picture of a North Eastern Railway milepost with the mileage measured in this case from Staddlethorpe Junction (now called Gilberdyke). Nor is it true for other companies. For example, the Caledonian Railway had its headquarters in Glasgow but much of its railway system was measured from Carlisle. Many branch lines around the country had their zero mileage point at the junction with the main line.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Where is the mileage measured from as sheffield signal box is 158m 29ch for example

so would sheffield signal box be 158 and 1/4 miles from that point?

main interested lines are Doncaster - Sheffield - London, Sheffield - Lincoln, Doncaster - London

Tom

Sheffield and 158.29 etc is measured from St Pancras via Leicester and Toton.

Sheffield-Doncaster - As above to Aldwarke Jns, then from Penistone Barnsley Jn via former Wath Central. The final few chains at Doncaster are measured from King's Cross.

Doncaster-London - Measured from King's Cross fully.

Sheffield-Lincoln - As Sheffield etc to Nunnery Jn, then from Manchester London Rd via Woodhead to Gainsborough Trent (East Jn), and from there to Lincoln is measured from Huntingdon South Jn via March.

 

[Cundy66]

Starting to sink in my mind now thanks for everyones help.

Tom

 

[Old Timer]

I think I am right in saying that the entire USA-Canada border (excluding Alaska) was marked out by men walking around with chains and sticks. Its about 2000 miles when you take away the great lakes. That must have been a fun job.

New build Railways today are still built along similar methods !

 

[Crossover]

Am I correct in the Miles/Chains to how it would be roughly in miles?

Tom

If it helps, when I do my mileages in Excel, I keep the miles and chains separate and then decimalise it

I.e. Mileage = miles + ((chains/80) * 100)

Hope this makes sense

 

[ChrisD]

Just to add another question.

Does anyone have the distance from Cheriton to Cocquelles?

Tried googling it with no joy.

Can be in miles & chains, kms or whatever (as I have converter software).

Prefer answer not in inches!!

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Some information here.
http://kentrail.org.uk/Cheriton.htm

 

[themiller]

You must be aware that the mileages generally marked on the railway system are from when each line was built. This means that if a line was diverted there will be a mismatch. You will need to consult a rail atlas to discover where the mileage changes are and what the continuation mileage is. Currently I use the TRACKatlas of Mainland Britain published by TRACKmaps but others are available. Of note is that the GBTT used to give the mileages against the first table for each line but this only covered passenger lines.

 

[Eagle]

Of note is that the GBTT used to give the mileages against the first table for each line but this only covered passenger lines.

It still does (although there was one edition a while back, think it was the May 10 issue, that didn't for some reason).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If you're wondering why they're called chains, it's because surveyors used to actually use metal chains, with equal length links, and a tag every 10 links with the measurement on. I learnt how to use one at college - mostly out of historical interest - before we went on to the high-tec modern surveying equipment such as dumpy levels (ok, not that modern and high-tec), theodolites and total stations.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunter's_chain

I was amused to see on the HS2 official maps (Arup) that while the route is clearly identified in metric (km, shown to .001 ie a metre), that the actual distance measure was called "Chainage"....

 

[142094]

"Chainage"....

Chainage normally refers to design alignments (vertical and horizontal), such as where there is a curve in the track etc. Same phrase is used in road contruction.