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  1. Dr Hoo

    Article on WCML electrification

    The ‘second report’ was about the Development of Major Trunk Routes, not closures. A detailed study of freight flows and potential in particular by the BR Board’s member for planning - former Scottish Region GM, James Ness, had failed to identify sufficient traffic to justify Trunk Route status...
  2. Dr Hoo

    Locomotive haulage vs. multiple units

    Apart from the general issue of the ‘costs’ seen by Roger Ford being out of date many things have moved on. Other considerations such as emissions and noise now really have to be part of the equation. Then there are secondary costs such as training, need for ground/shunting staff, need for a...
  3. Dr Hoo

    Derby Telegraph "Plans to convert Monsal Trail back into railway takes 'significant step forward'"

    Plenty of road damage occurs because of ground movement, flooding, poorly executed/reinstated street works and so on. In my part of Derbyshire there are lots of minor and secondary roads that see virtually no HGVs but are still in an appalling state.
  4. Dr Hoo

    Townhead railway station

    There are various references in both The Origins of the Scottish Railway System 1722-1844 by C j A Robertson and Wishaw's Railways of Great Britain & Ireland. These are not particularly clear but the RailScot site seems to make a reasonable fist of summarising available information. 'St...
  5. Dr Hoo

    Viaducts built as four-track from the start?

    Between Denham West Junction and Denham Station there were Up and Down Passenger Loops besides the two running lines. There is a structure over (just) the River Colne labelled 'Viaduct' on the 25" Ordnance Survey map after the construction period. It lies between wooded areas named Altcar...
  6. Dr Hoo

    "Hazardous Material" Alert at Inverness Station - 14th May 2024

    There have been previous threads discussing the movement of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in tank containers to supply ‘isolated’ former ‘town gas’ networks in towns such as Wick. This is a long-standing flow from Daventry to Inverness, albeit in modest quantities alongside supermarket goods.
  7. Dr Hoo

    Fuel spill in the past at Colwyn Bay?

    Presumably the maintenance practices didn’t include the use of filler caps. Good old BR!
  8. Dr Hoo

    Large electrification projects (e.g. ECML) - how much disruption?

    Living in Scotland but with relatives near Peterborough over the 1986-1991 era I can assure everybody that there were huge numbers of weekend diversions. I think that via the Joint Line, Turners Lane (Wakefield), the Stillington Line and Carstairs on one train was the record. There were some...
  9. Dr Hoo

    Derby Telegraph "Plans to convert Monsal Trail back into railway takes 'significant step forward'"

    Given the inevitable geographic compromises in a hill town I'd agree that Buxton isn't too bad but it's still not as handy as the range of bus stops. Quite a lot of this thread has seemed to favour a new/replacement 'through' station for services via Whaley Bridge and towards Chinley and/or...
  10. Dr Hoo

    Are Hope Valley semi fast services practical?

    The original proposal implies an interchange role for Chinley, which would also become more of a railhead by virtue of having the widest range of services. However, as an unstaffed station with no level access at all and a tiny oversubscribed car park it is not well suited to the roles without...
  11. Dr Hoo

    St Rollox (Glasgow) to reopen by Gibson's Engineering

    If this is essentially a wholly new operation I am unclear how it will be able to demonstrate competence at building (presumably) new EMUs, bi-modes and a distinct ‘intercity’ product.
  12. Dr Hoo

    Derby Telegraph "Plans to convert Monsal Trail back into railway takes 'significant step forward'"

    Google Maps suggests over 10 mins to popular locations in Buxton such as the Pavillion Gardens and Market. Neither Buxton nor Bakewell (nor Matlock) are the sort of places where one can stride briskly about given that there are roads and/or bridges to cross, with narrow pavements amid many...
  13. Dr Hoo

    Locomotive haulage vs. multiple units

    Don’t smaller engines have the benefit of usually being more mass produced for automotive, marine, mobile plant, etc.? This tends to lead to easier spares availability, wider fitter skills, earlier de-bugging and so on.
  14. Dr Hoo

    London - Edinburgh

    If you’re able to drive have you thought about hiring a car? You could break up the journey a bit with meal stops in towns/ cities of your taste.
  15. Dr Hoo

    Rail nationalisation: ideas, suggestions, predictions etc

    Unfortunately having lots to say cannot always be equated with being the most helpful to listen to. (Probably true in many fields.)
  16. Dr Hoo

    Bi-directional working Didcot to Oxford

    Probably not what many would consider to be full bi-directionality but it did happen between nearby boxes for freight. This was specified in the Sectional Appendix. For example there was some ‘movement in wrong direction’ permitted between Ellesmere Port 2, Ellesmere Port 4, Ellesmere Port 5 and...
  17. Dr Hoo

    Fuel spill in the past at Colwyn Bay?

    Do train fuel tanks not have filler caps?
  18. Dr Hoo

    Derby Telegraph "Plans to convert Monsal Trail back into railway takes 'significant step forward'"

    Exactly, the bus goes close to the shops in both Buxton and Bakewell whereas the station sites are a hilly walk in each. Plus the bus goes through the middle of Taddington and Ashford-in-the-Water, the material intermediate villages. Whereas the rail route basically avoids everywhere and the...
  19. Dr Hoo

    Derby Telegraph "Plans to convert Monsal Trail back into railway takes 'significant step forward'"

    [Sigh] If only we could see this 'plan'. For those unfamiliar with the Monsal Trail (which I visit quite often for walks and cycle rides) it enjoys a broadly steady gradient of around 1:100, rising from Bakewell, only by virtue of significant engineering works. These include six tunnels and...

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