Jump to content
 

Hobby

Members
  • Posts

    2,400
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Hobby

  1. 7 hours ago, melmerby said:

    Back to Level Crossings:

     

    Probably as well, Melmerby, though in answer to your question, No, that does not make them the same system, just as the pre 1923 railways in Birmingham and the Black Country, though all interconnected and having some trains than ran "through" were not part of the same system. Each company had it's own network and that's what is taken into account when looking at the largest, or smallest, come to that.

    • Like 1
    • Informative/Useful 1
  2. 2 hours ago, melmerby said:

    Does not anyone read what I posted?

    Since when has Birmingham Corporation been Birmingham & Black Country? They were all connected.

    Add Dudley & Stourbridge, Wolverhampton and Walsall, that's another 50 miles all part of one system.

     

     

    But it wasn't part of ONE system, though, it was several separate systems which were interconnected. That's how it's measured, on individual systems, for instance, Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton all being separate entities. All the railways in that area were all connected as well but that doesn't make them the same network, just interconnected. Many places in Europe are the same.

     

    Can you show me your evidence is for your claim, please.

    • Like 1
    • Interesting/Thought-provoking 1
  3. To try to put the tram debate to some sort of conclusion I've been trying to find out lengths/gauges but it's proved rather difficult. There's a list of all current tram systems and their lengths and gauges on Wiki but the closed list is not as helpful, lacking that information, nor do they give much history.

     

    The Birmingham Corporation Network was just over 80 miles (129.6km) and Wiki lists it as the 4th longest network in the UK and the largest NG tramway network in the UK (they haven't said the World or even Europe).

     

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

     

    The Stuttgart network is currently 131km and SG but was converted from metre gauge around 40 years ago so that at least would seem to have been longer in NG form (it might well have had additional lines now closed, but I can't find out). It also has many similarities to the BCN in that it serves several towns in the area as well as the main city and it's suburbs.

     

    Of the closed ones I picked one at random, knowing the city quite well, Aachen, and found that it was metre gauge and it's route length was 181km and was the fourth largest in Germany, so that's probably put it to bed simply with that statistic!

     

    Talking of Polish networks the current longest NG network (metre gauge) is in Lodz at 124km, but again I can't find out if that was the limit of the network or if they've closed some lines over the years which would have made it longer.

     

    Put it this way, our current UK networks are peanuts compared with the rest of Europe!

     

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

  4. On 08/11/2021 at 19:03, Titan said:

    on a gauge near as makes no difference the same as the Talyllyn...

     

    Those extra 3 inches make a heck of a difference in what you can transport on the railways. 2ft 6ins / 760mm /750mm gauges are believed to be the narrowest gauge where you can safely transport SG vehicles on transporter wagons or bogies so there is a big difference between the Polish 750mm railways and the Talyllyn!

    • Like 1
  5. 15 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

    To return that phrase to context, the wording was "BTW Birmingham & Black Country trams are/were 3' 6" gauge (IIRC the largest 'NG' network in the world!)" - so trams were definitely in his mind .... though maybe he left it open to misinterpretation !!?!:stop:

     

    I agree, Wickham, I read it as relating just to trams, as he'd have surely known that there are some massive NG railway networks out there... However i also said in a later post that I suspected many of the Continental metre gauge tram networks would have been bigger than the Black Country network in their heyday, so perhaps just the largest NG tram network in the UK is the safest bet!

     

     

     

    • Agree 1
  6. It's a long time since I had one of the 1099s so TBH I don't know, I tend to avoid Peco's 9" curves anyhow, Roco's 10.5" are my minimum.

     

    According to the spiel the double Fairlie will indeed go round 9"... I suppose it's appropriate as that's what they were designed for... ;)

    • Thanks 1
  7. Heljan certainly are 12" but Roco will go round sharper, even the 0-8-0 Engerths (I have two!). I think you might be thinking of the Bemo whitemetal collection of steam locos, Bemo specify a minimum radius of 300mm.

     

    It's the usual advice to any beginner, us the largest radii you can, and also avoid dead frog (insulfrog) points if possible!

    • Agree 1
  8. TBH it's not a question of what you buy but what you want to use as a minimum radius that will decide your choice. The Crazy Track 12" radius RH and LH and 18" radius Y points and the Mainline 15" radius points are ALL electrofrog. The set track 9" radius points are BOTH dead frog (insulfrog).

     

    So if you want sharp radii points you have no choice but to use insulfrog unless you make your own!

  9. I think  that the longest single network is probably in Russia or one of it's minions, they can go for hundreds of miles sometimes! I'd have thought that there were some over China and the Far East that would also be rather long networks! I suspect some European metre gauge tram networks could give it a run for it's money as well!

     

    Suffice to say that the Black Country tram network was certainly the longest NG tram network in the UK (by a considerable distance!) which is what I'm sure Melmerby intended to say!

    • Like 2
  10. 1 hour ago, melmerby said:

    From Brierley Hill to Wednesbury is currently being rebuilt as part of West Midlands Metro apart from through Dudley Tunnel (the trams will go through the town centre)

    All old track is removed.

     

    Is it being rebuilt as a single line with the option of lay "heavy rail" alongside? I thought that was the intention, so they could re-instate the section across via Dudley Port to Walsall so SBJ to Walsall service could be re-introduced?

    • Like 1
  11. 1 hour ago, beast66606 said:

    It's the EDP, those of us who live in the area are well used to their reports :boast:

    2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

    Just sloppy reporting

     

    Actually I think they've just quoted from something they've seen internally, that phrase is used all the time by our Control and I suspect it's taken from stuff NR sends out to them. Hence I said it was "railway speak". 

  12. I recon the argument back would be that they are also flimsy enough for a vehicle to push them to one side, albeit (hopefully) with some damage... Though I doubt they'd get very far with their argument because the highway code is VERY clear (291):

     

    "Never drive onto a crossing until the road is clear on the other side and do not get too close to the car in front. Never stop or park on, or near, a crossing."

     

    So unless they break down (that's covered in 299 and advice is to get out and leave the vehicle where it is) there is no time when that should happen if the vehicle is being driven legally.

    • Like 1
    • Agree 2
  13. I think that summarizes the general feeling in all the places I've seen reports from in the press. But I suspect that also virtually guarantees the things will become legal (with the inevitable "extra safeguards" to try to appease those who feel like us!). I'm just glad than in less than two years i won't need to visit the centre of Brum ever again! Motorists are the least of my worries, the pavements and road junctions are so much more dangerous, especially if the cyclist/moped rider/scooter rider has one of those "Just Eat" or "Deliveroo" boxes on their back!

    • Like 1
    • Friendly/supportive 1
×
×
  • Create New...