Tangy's Rail Brainbenders VII

[tangy]

Here are the actaul answers from the quizmaster:

1. Eight DB 67s are equipped with the necassary equipment to work in push/pull mode with W&S/Chiltern loco hauled sets. These being 67001 (the most recent conversion)/010/12-15/18/29. Although any 67 can physically propel the train, only these eight can do so with the 67 unmanned when the train is driven from the DVT.

2. October 1976. Although the IC125 sets were introduced on the Western Region in August 1976 it wasn't until the new timetable came into effect in October 1976 that 125mph operation was implemented on routes from London-Bristol/S. Wales.

3. 365526- The Potters Bar rail crash victim. After the investigation work had taken place it was transported to Crewe Works (and recently moved to Wolverton) where it has been sat ever since, still in its NSE livery.

4. Georgemas Junction (GGJ). A train from Wick to Inverness calls at GGJ before branching off to Thurso where the unit reverses and comes back down to GGJ. A further reversal at GGJ occurs before continuing to INV.

5. Apart from sections of route shared wiith West Coast, Voyager tilt operation can be activated between Oxford and Banbury. Although this section of line is still authorised for tilt operation, XC have removed the tilting mechanism from all thier Voyagers (West Coast allocated units still retain tilt function). The tilt mechanism is a constant cause of complaint with theses units, as when the tilt mechanism was disabled/removed from the XC 221s, they became so much more reliable!

6. Stallingborough (at 15 letters). This is located on the Cleethorpes line.

7. Rail tickets with Marlborough as a origin/destination can be used via Bedwyn (route 20) or via Swindon (routes 70, 95, 96).

8. Letter N will be displayed in the theatre box. N being the first stop along the City Line- Ninian Park. A couple of FGW HSTs do use this route through Ninian Park to rejoin the main line via the Leckwith Loop.

9. A class 91 is too power hungry for the AC wires to cope with (which were only designed to cope with EMUs). The 91 draws so much power that other electric trains lose thier supply. Recently an additional electrical substation has been added in the Bingley area to combat this problem. A class 91 set has been on trial up and down the line to test the upgraded power supply.

0. Eight platforms at BHM can be used to acesss the West Suburban Line these being platforms 5- 12. However due to the large amount of train movements through the station, generally only the higher numbered platforms are used for the particular movement to reduce the amount of conflicts with other trains.

Scoring and overall scores to follow.

[tubeguru]

8. Letter N will be displayed in the theatre box. N being the first stop along the City Line- Ninian Park. A couple of FGW HSTs do use this route through Ninian Park to rejoin the main line via the Leckwith Loop.

This question was ambiguous. The City Line goes in both directions from Cardiff Central (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_City_Line), and BOTH ends of the departure platforms have theatre boxes which give routes for the City Line. As you didn't specify which direction the train was going in, both N and L are correct answers.

I don't know why I'm bothering arguing this to be honest. I never get anywhere ...

[al]

(I'm just wading into this argument for the hell of it...)

I believe locally the line via Ninian Park is known as the City Line, and local publicity refers to it as such. The route via Queen Street and Cathays is considered to be the 'main' line as far as the Valleys go.

[tubeguru]

Well, as you've brought up the subject of NR classification of lines, the following is the official naming of the lines through Cardiff Central on the "City line":

Leckwith Loop North Junction to Cardiff Central - Up/Down Treforest and Up/Down Leckwith Loop
Cardiff Central to Queen Street - Up/Down Barry (which is also the classification of lines from Cardiff Central along the Vale of Glamorgan line.
Queen Street to Radyr - Up/Down Llandaf, and then Up/Down Main to Pontypridd
Queen Street to Heath Junction - Up/Down Caerphilly
Heath Junction to Coryton - Up/Down Single
Heath Junction to Bargoed - Up/Down Main
Bargoed to Rhymney - Up/Down Single

Confusing huh? My answer to the question has the train departing on the Up Barry from Cardiff Central towards Queen Street, which is what most people would consider the City Line proper, as the short bit in the other direction towards Leckwith is only a fiddly bit of single line which runs through the mass of lines that run around Canton depot.

Go on, give us a point ...

[tangy]

I have always known the City Line to be from CDF to RDR via Ninian Park. Train blinds and the next train screens describe such trains calling at Ninian Park (and the other stations to RDR) as "Radyr via City Line"

Indeed Quail, page 23 shows not only the line designation as "Up/Down Treforest" but also has the line name of City Line. In the other direction (towards Cathays) the line name is given as Valley Lines which then go out to Merthyr, Rhymney etc.

Trains may well run through from Radyr to Coryton via CDF, giving the impression that the whole route is known as the City Line but I believe the designation of City Line only applies to the route west of CDF via Ninian Park.

EDIT: Found this Network Rail PDF document which mentions the City line as being Ninian Park- Radyr via Fairwater. It can be found here: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20d ... alleys.pdf (look at pages 4, 12 or 15)

[tubeguru]

So without having looked at it, that NR document makes my answer correct? You do receive an L for the route towards Queen Street.

[tubeguru]

Any news on my point and the scores?

[tangy]

The scores are as follows. For question eight, from all the sources I have located they all refer to the City Line as westwards from CDF via Ninian Park but as the wording of the question gave some confusion anyone who gave the answer "Letter L" will get 1/2 point.

Tubeguru: 4.5 points. (Q2, 6, 9, 0 and half for Q8)
starkey: 0.5 point (Q9- half)
jamesthegill: 1.5 points (Q2 and half for Q8)
greatkingrat: 6 points (2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 0)
rhubarb: 3 points (Q2, 5 and 9)
scrxisi: 7 points (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 0)
barrykas: 4.5 points (1, 7, 9, 0 and half for Q5)

Any comments, suggestions or complaints? Hopefully not...

[Sam]

I OBJECT!!!!

[tubeguru]

Now all we need are the new overall scores.

[jamesthegill]

Are Oxford and Banbury not between Thurso and Penzance then?

[greatkingrat]

Well if I was going from Thurso to Penzance I wouldn't pass through Banbury.

[tangy]

The leaderboard is after round 7 is as follows:

1. tubeguru: (55 points) [7 rounds entered]
2. greatkingrat: (40.25) [6]
3. barrykas: (38.5) [5]
4. scrxisi: (36.75) [5]
5. Sam: (31.5) [4]
6. rhubarbrhubarb: (28.5) [4]
7. jamesthegill: (13) [5]
8. starkey: (9.5) [6]
9. uefacup81: (8) [2]
10. garion24wales: (7) [1]
11. Andi: (0) [1]
=. Edgemaster: (0) [1]
=. steeevooo: (0) [1]

Nearly everyone stays where they were, except for barrykas and scrxisi who have moved up the leaderboard. Is very close, points wise, between 2nd and 4th!

[Steeevooo]

Nearly everyone stays where they were, except for barrykas and scrxisi who have moved up the leaderboard.

It's not possible for everyone to stay in the same position except for two people who move up the rankings.

[Starkey7]

Wow, I got a score for saying that an engine would blow the overheads up?