A Christmas quiz - twelve days of Christmas

[whole diary]

[grahame]

7. is an MGR coal wagon, "HHA" if i remember correctly. Presumably it's between Trowbridge and Bristol as the Westbury Cement Works - Somewhere in Wales still uses these, my guess is therefore Bradford On Avon.

I'll take your word for the wagon type.  You didn't have a chance on this picture to give me a "where"; it is Wiltshire, but not between Westbury and Bath / Bristol.  There is the prceeding picture on my film:



which is still not an easy location to get, I don't think.

[grahame]

(2) Is on Hampton Marshall Level Crossing
( Is a locomotive bogie on the Blue Ridge Scenit Railroad in Georgia

All the rest ... you clever folks got!

[grahame]

It is said that men do much better than women ... with keeping to their new year's resolutions; women only manage to keep to theirs, on average for five days.  There *are* ways, ladies, of improving your persistance - making the targets attainable ones is a good start, and having something like a serious health issue behind a more major change is a darned good way of encouraging you to stay with the change; sorry - that's not lighter side, but personal experience of making a life change..  Oh - you're probably wondering how long a man lasts on average (with his new year resolutions!).  It's six days

7. What railway related new year's resolutions will you / should you be making for 2010?  If you're a commuter, will you be saying a cheery "good morning" to your fellow travellers each morning?  If you're ... no - I'm going to let you make the suggestions!

I am posting this in spite of Chris's "New Year Resolution" thread as his relates to the Coffee Shop specifically

[grahame]

Happy New Year, everyone!

8. Can you answer these?

a) If a train starts from Swearword & Ethanol, does it end at Methanol Theta? Explain!
b) Where would you find Eel Story, Hog Statue, Burst Racoon and Owl News South?
c) How about Cow Danced, Cock Ness and Setter Stew?
d) What colour gets you from Apt Nodding to Written Mess?

[Brucey]

a) If a train starts from Swearword & Ethanol, does it end at Methanol Theta? Explain!

Harrow & Wealdstone to Tottenham Hale?  Answer is no as there are no direct trains on either LU or NR^» (Network Rail - home page).

b) Where would you find Eel Story, Hog Statue, Burst Racoon and Owl News South?

Burnley Manchester Road, Milton Keynes Central, Paisley Gilmour Street, Walton (Merseyside) and Waterloo (Merseyside)
New Southgate
Ardrossan South Beach or Gainsborough Central
Walthamstow Queen's Road

I'll leave the rest for someone else 

[grahame]

a) If a train starts from Swearword & Ethanol, does it end at Methanol Theta? Explain!

Harrow & Wealdstone to Tottenham Hale?  Answer is no as there are no direct trains on either LU or NR^» (Network Rail - home page).

Yes, that's correct ... I was actually looking at the underground names there.

b) Where would you find Eel Story, Hog Statue, Burst Racoon and Owl News South?

Burnley Manchester Road, Milton Keynes Central, Paisley Gilmour Street, Walton (Merseyside) and Waterloo (Merseyside)
New Southgate
Ardrossan South Beach or Gainsborough Central
Walthamstow Queen's Road

Well, yes, you could but I had something in mind where you might find them much closer together than that.  I don't suppose the service from Walthamstow Queen's Road to Gainsborough Central is going to be particularly brilliant ...

[plymothian]

Eel Story : Osterley
Hog Statue : Southgate
Burst Racoon : Barons Court
Owl News South : Houndslow Wes


Apt Nodding to Written Mess direct would be Yellow

(Paddington - Westminster via the Circle line)

[grahame]

Eel Story : Osterley
Hog Statue : Southgate
Burst Racoon : Barons Court
Owl News South : Houndslow Wes

Apt Nodding to Written Mess direct would be Yellow

(Paddington - Westminster via the Circle line)

Yes ... that's Piccadilly line and Circle line.    I wondered if there was a political joke / comment in the fact that Westminster is an anagram of "Written Mess".

Leaves just (c) unanswered ...

[JayMac]

Eel Story : Osterley
Hog Statue : Southgate
Burst Racoon : Barons Court
Owl News South : Houndslow Wes

Apt Nodding to Written Mess direct would be Yellow

(Paddington - Westminster via the Circle line)

Yes ... that's Piccadilly line and Circle line.    I wondered if there was a political joke / comment in the fact that Westminster is an anagram of "Written Mess".

Methinks you picked up the LU station anagrams from this map.

[grahame]

Methinks you picked up the LU station anagrams from this map.

So ... where are Cow Danced, Cock Ness and Setter Stew?

[JayMac]

They be on the Clockwork Orange (SPT^▸ (Signal Post Telephone) Subway, Glasgow). Although there be more than one dancing cow!

Cows Danced - Cowcaddens
Cock Ness - Cessnock
Setter Stew - West Street

[grahame]

Cows Danced - Cowcaddens

Oops - sorry about that.  How about "each platform is a Cowcadden ... add them up and you get two Cowcaddens".  OK - it was my mistake ... special "well done" for getting it anyway.

[grahame]

If I get the first train from "A" to "B", stop there for at least an hour, then get the first train back, how long am I away from "A" and how long do I ACTUALLY spend in "B"?  We'll call this time "B" the minimum layover

9. For a journey that starts on the first available train after 05:00 on Monday, 11th January 2010, what is the longest minimum layover time you can find (lines with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services)?  I'm going to allow you one change of train along the route as you return, and a maximum outward journey time of 90 minutes, as this is really a commuter question!


Background and example

I was surprised last year to be told that timetabling studies take little account of the layover times at destination, and instead concentrate on the flows or projected flows at peak time, with scant consideration to the effect on the other flow. But it can be critical ... a 10 hours 58 minute minimum layover (as we have from Melksham to Swindon) is 60 to 90 minutes too long, and restricts traffic. Just yesterday I was hearing of yet another person who commutes by car to Swindon and would love a practical alternative ...

See http://www.wellho.net/mouth/2457_Railway-Arithmetic.html where I have delved even deeper into this

Yes, I already know of cases that are worse that the one I have quoted ... can YOU find them?

[grahame]

Christmas is feeling a long time ago now, in spite of us still being in the "12 days". Or perhaps my question was obscure or too boringly (for some readers!) TransWilts based.  Actually we only come in "Third worst" although our lousy commute is between 2 towns, 6 miles apart, with populations of over 20,000 each.  The others are smaller places and / or a special case just for January.

3. Melksham (4th largest town in Wiltshire) to Trowbridge (the county town) ... travel by train, and you'll arrive in Trowbridge at 06:50, and not be able to leave again until 19:37 for a 19:47 arrival back in your home town.

2. Pilning to Severn Tunnel Junction.  You can't leave until 15:41 on Saturday, 16th January ... and you then spend just a few hours short of a week at Severn Tunnel Junction ... the return train gets you in at 08:32 on Saturday, 23rd January

1. Menheniot to Liskeard.  Surprisingly, the first train westbound doesn't call until 08:44 (08:51 at Liskeard) and the return train(s) ... are not calling at all until 1st February. So you'll get back (with my 'rules') at 07:34 on 1st February, having set out on 11th January. 

The footbridge at Menheniot is being replaced ... only westbound services calling from this week until 31st January - http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=4547 . As I researched this, I was a bit surprised to find just how sparse the westbound service is - 08:44, 16:25, 17:34 and 18:45 - has it always been this low a service?

The advise on the web page quoted is for passengers from the West to Menheniot this month to travel one stop beyond - to St Gernams - and get a train or bus back.  No advise is offered online for people who wish to join trains such as the 07:34 to get them to Plymouth by 08:05; is there any advise posted at the station?

[grahame]

An much easier one for today ...

10. What is the oldest train (piece of rolling stock) that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) operate, and what is the newest?   When were they built? Do they operate anything (not a train) which is older, and if so, what?