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Author Topic: Looe Branch Line - cancellations, engineering work, closures and incidents (merged topic)  (Read 64325 times)
Red Squirrel
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« Reply #75 on: June 04, 2014, 21:38:04 »

Am I alone in thinking that a green and grassy permanent way on a picturesque branch line actually adds to the scene rather than detracts from it?
No you are not alone in thinking that as I was looking at those pictures thinking the very same thing.
I'll third that. What's the downside to the weeds? I suppose it's not so good in the autumn when they start getting ground into the track...
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« Reply #76 on: June 04, 2014, 21:59:45 »

What's the downside to the weeds?
The ballast is en engineering structure that further spreads the load from the sleepers to the sub-grade (the natural soil) below.  The spreading of the load reduces the stress on the sub-grade to a level that is less than the strength of the soil.  The open texture of the ballast also keeps the sub-grade dry.  With the weeds comes soil that fills the voids and stops the drainage.

With most soils the wet strength of the soil is less than the dry strength. The extent of this varies with the soil (clay soils are particularly bad in this respect). As a result the soil that forms the sub-grade fails and the track starts to subside. If it gets too bad the train will derail. Not so pretty!
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« Reply #77 on: June 04, 2014, 22:08:46 »

Thank-you for that excellent answer ellendune.

Engineering over aesthetic. Makes perfect sense. I'll now reverse my opinion and add to the calls for the Network Rail weedkilling train to make a visit to the Looe Branch. Perhaps they can get a gang to cut back the lineside vegetation while they're at it.
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« Reply #78 on: February 20, 2015, 09:05:04 »

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Trains-replaced-taxis-flooding-affects-route-Looe/story-26057032-detail/story.html

Presumably this is from an exceptionally high tide - On the upside, the Liskeard to Looe line is now double track............
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Pb_devon
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« Reply #79 on: February 20, 2015, 09:35:22 »

I dispair with the Herald, and registered my displeasure some years ago by cancelling my daily order.  Doesn't seem to have had much effect though!!

Interesting that they are still running trains to Sandplace.  Makes the taxi cost much less, I guess.

PS: high tide is 0629 today and very high (5.8m)
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stuving
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« Reply #80 on: February 20, 2015, 09:41:01 »

Presumably this is from an exceptionally high tide - On the upside, the Liskeard to Looe line is now double track............

There has been quite a bit about high tides in France - with the predicted tidal coefficients making the national news. This months springs are unusually high (116/118 today at Roscoff) and next month's even higher (118/119).

We seem to have lost our national consciousness of tides - though no doubt the locals still read tide tables. For Looe, for example, it was "115 very high" yesterday, and "116 very high"next month (20th). Those come from the almanac on http://www.tides4fishing.com . I think that coefficient is based on purely astronomical effects, and the tide forecast for the next few days adds the effects of weather (wind, atmospheric pressure) on top.
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Palfers
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« Reply #81 on: February 20, 2015, 22:51:44 »

Yes the line can flood well especially at terras bridge (think that's how it's spelt) I've seen the streets in looe that flooded that you could row a boat up them it might be easer than wading up them
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LiskeardRich
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« Reply #82 on: February 20, 2015, 23:22:44 »

Although not entirely on topic connected so will post here - mods may want to move as they see fit.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11808372.Have_you_spotted_today_s__super_tides__in_Cornwall__PICTURES/

Quote

While the flood risk is from the high tides expected today and through the weekend comnbining with large storm surf, the flip side of the coin is very low tides revealing parts of Cornwall's coast not often seen. Here are a few shots of the very low tide today.

So what are so-called ^super tides^ which are due from today through to Monday, well this is whet the Met Office says.





A super low tide today at Mylor Yacht Harbour

Tides are governed by the gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the sun. Because the sun and moon go through different alignment, this affects the size of the tides.

When the gravitational pull of the sun and moon combine, we see larger than average tides ^ known as spring tides. When the gravitational pulls offset each other, we get smaller tides known as neap tides. We see two periods of spring and neap tides roughly every month.

However there is a longer cycle at work too, associated with the gravitational pull of the planets in the solar system. This means we can see additional, albeit relatively small, increases and decreases in the size of spring and neap tides over long periods of time.


We are currently at the height of those increases, so the astronomical tide is at an 18-year peak ^ although this is only a few centimetres bigger than a more average spring tide.

What is the role of the weather in sea levels?

It^s important to realise that just because we are expecting big astronomical tides over the next few days, these won^t cause the highest sea levels we^ve seen ^ even in the last few years. That^s because the weather can have a much bigger impact on sea level than the 18-year tidal cycle.

Strong winds can pile up water on coastlines, and low pressure systems can also cause a localised rise in sea level. Typically the difference in water level caused by the weather can be between 20 and 30cm, but it can be much bigger.




On the 5th December 2013, for example, the weather created a storm surge that increased the water level by up to 2 metres. Although an estimated 2,800 properties flooded, more than 800,000 properties were protected from flooding thanks to more than 2,800 kilometres of flood schemes. The Environment Agency also provided 160,000 warnings to homes and businesses to give people vital time to prepare.

This highlights the importance of the Met Office and the Environment Agency working together to look at the combined impact of astronomical tides, wind, low pressure and waves on flood schemes to assess the potential impacts for communities around our coast.

Will we see coastal flooding this weekend?

Given the height of the tides there may be some localised flooding. Weather isn^t playing a large part in water levels over the next few days, although strong winds on Monday are likely to generate some large waves and push up sea levels slightly. This is nothing unusual for winter. You can see more about what weather to expect with the Met Office^s forecasts and severe weather warnings.

The Environment Agency and the Met Office are working together to closely monitor the situation, and the Environment Agency will issue flood alerts and warnings as required.
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« Reply #83 on: February 20, 2015, 23:40:01 »

Exceptionally high tides Saturday morning (21st Feb), 11m tide on the Severn Estuary, roads closed as a precaution in Newgale, Pembrokeshire and at Tintern, Monmothshire:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-31547339
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« Reply #84 on: February 20, 2015, 23:54:40 »

French news again - at lunchtime they (F2) had a piece on the "tide of the century", next month. Given the amount of century yet to come, and the scope for sea level rises due to global warming, you may feel that is a little premature.
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LiskeardRich
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« Reply #85 on: February 21, 2015, 00:21:34 »

French news again - at lunchtime they (F2) had a piece on the "tide of the century", next month. Given the amount of century yet to come, and the scope for sea level rises due to global warming, you may feel that is a little premature.

"Tide of the century" so far? I assume it was meant to mean.
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chrisr_75
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« Reply #86 on: February 21, 2015, 00:37:56 »

French news again - at lunchtime they (F2) had a piece on the "tide of the century", next month. Given the amount of century yet to come, and the scope for sea level rises due to global warming, you may feel that is a little premature.

"Tide of the century" so far? I assume it was meant to mean.

I would imagine it's more likely a 100 year tide, ie an event of a magnitude that is statistically probable to occur once in any given 100 year period
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« Reply #87 on: May 09, 2015, 22:24:46 »

Whilst out for a stroll today I noticed that the line just up from coombe junction towards liskeard has had all the trees cut back to stumps on the banks maybe a few different camera angles to try out if anyone interested just thought ill let you all know!
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SandTEngineer
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« Reply #88 on: May 10, 2015, 10:19:16 »

Oh well that will be another 10 years until is done again (last done in 2003)
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Palfers
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« Reply #89 on: May 10, 2015, 10:34:52 »

 Well those houses above the bank are close to the edge they must of had some noisy nights or even Sundays when trains don't run through the winter. I wonder if the occupants of the houses were offerd any logs? I know I would!
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