The story of a thriving local railway and how it got more trains running

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Thanks, before my commuting days started in the late 70s.....never knew.

It brings back memories for me ... so you commuted from Sevenoaks?   I commuted inbound (against the flow) from about 1965 to 1974 and learned a lot about commuting from watching in the comfort of near-empty trains.

Recalling this, I can add another use for double sides platforms ...  when 12 car (3 x 4 CEP or 2 x Hastings Diesels) dropped off they passengers in the down main (platform 4 island),  the Holborn Viaduct train parked up in platforms 5/6 was an excellent way across to the station exit on platform 6 - why bother with the footbridges (note the extra bridge provided in the old photo) when you could open doors on both sides of a train and simply pass through it!

I seem to have led to the comprehensive derailment of this thread. That wasn't my intention!

  no problem - topics can be split. 

[eightf48544]

I think this kind of single platform with passing loop design is common in New Zealand. Not sure, but someone on here will know for sure!

Having travelled extensively in New Zealand by rail I cannot recall any station of this design.

Have to disagree most stations in New Zealand are of this design.  Christchurch, Dunedin, National Park and several others on the Main Trunk spring to mind. If I could work out how to attach pictures I have lots of photos of single track  NZ stations.

I first came across the Penryn style station in East Germany on the Rostock to Bad Dobran line over 10 years ago. I even have some video from the front of a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) approaching the train already stopped  in other end of the platform, stropping and then pulling away and taking the facing point for the loop and passing the other train still in the platform. Penryn is different because the trains pass before reaching the platform and don't approach nose to nose. DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) must have more faith in it's AWS^▸ (Automatic Warning System - an arrangement of permanent magnets and electro-magnets that convey information about the associated signal to the train driver) (Indusi)

Thinking about it what about  Cambridge style solution for Melksham? Long loop, long platform and a scissor crossover half way along? With suitable signalling and length of loop and platform  you could have trains in the same direction passing with a train coming the other way.
Edited for typos:

[Adelante_CCT]

.. approaching the train already stopped  in other end of the platform, stropping and then pulling away ...

Don't you just hate it when trains act like children!