Railway General Knowledge.

[LSWR Cavalier]

Is there a Milepost Zero at each junction?

 

[Gloster]

Is there a Milepost Zero at each junction?

Rather the opposite.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Opposite of zero? 100?

 

[Gloster]

Opposite of zero? 100?

You count up from zero to XYZ and you count down from XYZ to... Look at the locations again.

 

[xotGD]

So the junctions are where the mileposts counting from two different directions meet. So as you pass through the junction the numbers stop increasing and start decreasing.

 

[Gloster]

So the junctions are where the mileposts counting from two different directions meet. So as you pass through the junction the numbers stop increasing and start decreasing.

Effectively you have the answer, so you can start preparing the next question. However, there remains one detail which explains why, as far as I know, the ten listed locations are the only ones that exactly fit the bill on Network Rail. (I thought that Maidstone West might be the one that gave it away.)

 

[Gloster]

At each of these locations and no other, as far as I can check, the distances change from ascending from a zero point to descending towards that same zero point. At Stourbridge North Junction it changes from ascending from Paddington via Birmingham Snow Hill (141m 06ch) to descending to Paddington via Worcester (142m 51ch). Maidstone East is the oddity as it is not, nor ever has been, a junction: it is 42m 41ch from Charing Cross via the Dartford Loop and 44m 56ch via Chelsfield.

xotGD now has the baton.

 

[xotGD]

Which Class 47 is a "Record Breaker"?

 

[Trackman]

Which Class 47 is a "Record Breaker"?

47786?

 

[xotGD]

47786?

Correct! Named "Roy Castle OBE" - long-time presenter of Record Breakers on the BBC, and holder of a record or two himself - tap dancing iirc.

The floor is yours...

 

[Trackman]

Can’t think of anything so open floor

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

If I may..
Walschaerts was not the only famous Belgian railway engineer born in the 19th century. The person I am thinking of is known for one thing in particular, but he devised at least two other things, deceptively simple perhaps..

 

[Calthrop]

Would it be Alfred Belpaire? I know about his firebox, but have no knowledge of his additional 2+? creations.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Would it be Alfred Belpaire? I know about his firebox, but have no knowledge of his additional 2+? creations.

Correct, Walschaerts and Belpaire were both born in 1820, Belpaire became President of the Belgian Railway. His firebox was a big advance, it permitted use of cheap coal
But what else did he create, devise, invent? One of the things was a system, not an object or component. Another was a certain design of a very familiar part found on almost all steam engines (sometimes it is hidden), on some diesels and electrics too

 

[Calthrop]

Apologies if this post is a non-event: but, from a position of total non-knowledge about old Alfred's system or his other thingummy -- I can submit nothing which might further matters here; without looking the stuff up, and thus disqualifying myself !

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

One of the creations foresaw what BR did with steam engines in the 1950s
The other concerns moving parts which are not visible on the Sterling Single, for example

 

[Spamcan81]

Something to do with coupling rods?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Something to do with coupling rods?

Yes, they come in various cross-sections..

 

[DerekC]

Did M.Belpaire invent a system of standard locomotive design? And as to coupling rods - maybe fluted ones? (In effect they are I-section beams)

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Did M.Belpaire invent a system of standard locomotive design? And as to coupling rods - maybe fluted ones? (In effect they are I-section beams)

Very good, those are the answers I was looking for
In this typeface the coupling rods would be H-section, stronger and/or using less material I guess, must have a look at photos of coupling rods, maybe one of those simple+brilliant ideas
Over to you

 

[DerekC]

I wouldn't have got that without the heavy hints and a lead from @Spamcan81. However:

Which London Underground station was the first to be fitted with escalators, and in which year?

And for a bonus point, how did the railway encourage passengers to use the initial installation and dispel doubts as to its safety?

 

[SteveM70]

No idea on the main part of the question, but the bonus bit - unless I’ve been duped by an urban myth - they employed a man with a wooden leg to ride on the escalator to prove it was safe

 

[DerekC]

@SteveM70 - you have answered the bonus! According to no less an authority than the Institution of Mechanical Engineers his name was "Bumper Harris" and he rode up and down all day!

Now for the main part of the question?

 

[Metrolink]

I wouldn't have got that without the heavy hints and a lead from @Spamcan81. However:

Which London Underground station was the first to be fitted with escalators, and in which year?

And for a bonus point, how did the railway encourage passengers to use the initial installation and dispel doubts as to its safety?

Earls Court, maybe 1910?

 

[DerekC]

@Metrolink - you have it. Correct station - the escalators were from the District to the Piccadilly line platforms. And one year out (it was actually 1911) is good enough for me. Your moving staircase. (not forgetting that @SteveM70 has the bonus points)

 

[Metrolink]

Open Floor.

 

[Spamcan81]

What connects Chinese SY1772, DB 23 105 and Russian LV-0522?

 

[Calthrop]

Last steam locos built in their respective countries?

 

[DerekC]

Last steam locos built in their respective countries

We seem to have lost @Spamcan81. @Calthrop, having consulted Mr Pedia I am sure you are right so you should have the floor!

 

[Calthrop]

@DerekC -- thank you for this -- however, I am sadly short of inspiration re questions these days. Those which I can think of, I'd rather reserve for occasions when I totally / indisputably / acknowledgedly-by-all, hit the ball right out of the park. Thus, would ask for "open floor".