Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 01:15 06 May 2024
* Eurotunnel says no queues with new travel system
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 18/05/24 - BRTA Westbury
22/05/24 - WWRUG / TransWilts update
02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber

On this day
6th May (1968)
Trains between Exeter and Plymouth via Okehampton withdrawn

Train RunningCancelled
06/05/24 04:57 Plymouth to Gunnislake
06/05/24 05:00 Reading to Redhill
06/05/24 05:14 Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 05:42 Gunnislake to Plymouth
06/05/24 05:55 Plymouth to London Paddington
06/05/24 06:43 Redhill to Reading
06/05/24 06:48 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
06/05/24 07:03 Bristol Temple Meads to Taunton
06/05/24 08:12 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth
06/05/24 08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
06/05/24 11:32 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
06/05/24 12:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
06/05/24 13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern
06/05/24 13:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
06/05/24 14:01 Severn Beach to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 14:19 Westbury to Swindon
06/05/24 15:04 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
06/05/24 15:14 Swindon to Westbury
06/05/24 15:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
06/05/24 15:51 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington
06/05/24 19:33 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
06/05/24 19:47 Bristol Temple Meads to Frome
06/05/24 20:58 Frome to Westbury
06/05/24 21:28 Weymouth to Westbury
06/05/24 21:33 Westbury to Salisbury
06/05/24 21:35 Maidenhead to Marlow
06/05/24 22:02 Marlow to Maidenhead
06/05/24 22:28 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 22:35 Maidenhead to Marlow
06/05/24 23:03 Marlow to Maidenhead
06/05/24 23:33 Reading to Gatwick Airport
06/05/24 23:50 Maidenhead to Marlow
07/05/24 00:17 Marlow to Maidenhead
07/05/24 04:45 Redhill to Gatwick Airport
07/05/24 05:11 Gatwick Airport to Reading
Short Run
06/05/24 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central
06/05/24 07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
06/05/24 08:19 Taunton to Cardiff Central
06/05/24 08:23 Southampton Central to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 08:46 Avonmouth to Weston-Super-Mare
06/05/24 09:59 Cardiff Central to Taunton
06/05/24 11:52 London Paddington to Hereford
06/05/24 12:10 Weston-Super-Mare to Severn Beach
06/05/24 13:11 Taunton to Cardiff Central
06/05/24 13:32 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
06/05/24 15:18 Hereford to London Paddington
06/05/24 15:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill
06/05/24 15:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
06/05/24 16:58 London Paddington to Great Malvern
06/05/24 17:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
06/05/24 17:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street
06/05/24 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury
06/05/24 17:50 Penzance to London Paddington
06/05/24 17:55 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 18:29 Warminster to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 18:53 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 19:45 Great Malvern to London Paddington
06/05/24 19:50 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa
06/05/24 21:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill
06/05/24 21:31 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
06/05/24 21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill
06/05/24 22:11 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
06/05/24 23:42 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa
etc
PollsThere are no open or recent polls
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
May 06, 2024, 01:17:10 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[142] Server load - 5th May 2024
[53] Problems with the Night Riviera sleeper - December 2014 onward...
[51] Walking between stations
[48] Something different !
[47] Champion to Westbury
[46] Visiting the pub on the way home.
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Old April fool, or actual proposal?  (Read 5712 times)
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5416



View Profile
« on: July 10, 2019, 15:21:49 »

I recall reading, many years ago about an alleged plan to convey sea going ships across a narrow Isthmus by rail, rather than by building a canal.

It was proposed that a number of standard gauge railway lines be built, parallel to each other, and that the ship be placed upon a number of multi wheeled bogies running on these tracks.
Then hauled at low speed by a number of large steam locomotives, at least one per track and possibly more.

This seems rather improbable, but not actually impossible.
Lifting an ocean going ship complete with cargo sounds problematic, but not actually impossible. Ships were a lot smaller in those days.
Ensuring that the multiple locomotives all pulled equally might be challenge also.

I therefore suspect ye olde April fools day joke.
On the other hand some pretty improbable sounding ideas were actually serious proposals back in the day.

Does anyone recall this idea ? was it an April fool as seems likely, or was it a serious proposal that never saw the light of day.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
bradshaw
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1459



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2019, 15:47:54 »

There are a couple of canal versions in Europe
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/02/the-inclined-boat-lifts-of-elblag-canal.html

http://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/content/ronquieres-inclined-plane-fascinating-site

However, I suspect nothing of an ocean going scale
Logged
caliwag
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 342


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2019, 16:16:36 »

Superb, and beautiful illustrations...Thanks for posting that Smiley
Logged
Robin Summerhill
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1145


View Profile Email
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2019, 16:35:52 »

Not quite the same thing, but we've also got boat lifts in the UK (United Kingdom) - at Anderton in Cheshire and Falkirk Midlothian

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/anderton-boat-lift-visitor-centre?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt_LYktaq4wIVCrvtCh0f_gpuEAAYASAAEgJb0_D_BwE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel

Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7173


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2019, 16:48:26 »


Those are if you like the "wet" and "dry" versions of the boat lift. There's another "dry" variety, on the Severn-Trent Waterway, without even a cradle, so the boats have to be happy sitting on the flat bottom of a "ber roulant". That's at Big Chute, in Canada (Ontario).

I suspect some pretty wild technical doodles of much bigger ones have been done, but nothing built - but you never know, do you?
Logged
bradshaw
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1459



View Profile
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2019, 20:57:17 »

Then there is the Hay incline at Blists Hill, where the boats went up sideways on cradles.
Finally the caisson locks of the Grand Western Canal and Somerset Coal Canal(Combe Hay)
Logged
Merthyr Imp
Full Member
***
Posts: 82


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2019, 22:20:56 »

It was known as the Interoceanic Ship Railway and was proposed for construction across Mexico in the days before the Panama Canal was built.

https://www.maritimeheritage.org/ports/Mexico-Interoceanic-Ship-Railway.html

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/pcsa1.Html

There was an article about the proposal in the Railway Magazine for May 2008.
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5416



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2019, 22:50:10 »

It was known as the Interoceanic Ship Railway and was proposed for construction across Mexico in the days before the Panama Canal was built.

https://www.maritimeheritage.org/ports/Mexico-Interoceanic-Ship-Railway.html

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/pcsa1.Html

There was an article about the proposal in the Railway Magazine for May 2008.

That is the proposed scheme of which I was thinking. I read of this long before 2008, but of course it could have been published more than once.
Thanks for the information.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
onthecushions
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 977


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2019, 13:24:45 »


"Several rulers of antiquity dreamed of digging a cutting through the Isthmus (of Corinth). The first to propose such an undertaking was the tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC. The project was abandoned and Periander instead constructed a simpler and less costly overland portage road, named the Diolkos or stone carriageway, along which ships could be towed from one side of the isthmus to the other. Periander's change of heart is attributed variously to the great expense of the project, a lack of labour or a fear that a canal would have robbed Corinth of its dominant role as an entrepĂ´t for goods. Remnants of the Diolkos still exist next to the modern canal."

..wiki, Corinth Canal

OTC
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page