Fat Controller Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 15 hours ago, Foulounoux said: Which of of course they do on the French side as whilst the loops on the uk side are clock wise on the Calais side they are anti-clockwise presumably this is to accommodate the road layout either side and slightly unfair to question if boris understands about the gauge issue given the proposal is a road bridge The clockwise (UK) and anti-clockwise (Fr) orientation of the loops on the Channel Tunnel, are for two reasons:- Equalisation of tyre/ wheel wear on locos and stock It ensures that the road vehicles being loaded/ unloaded are facing the correct way. 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 10, 2020 Didn't the late Cyril Fry have a model of an Irish International Railway? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted February 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 10, 2020 Many of us modellers in Ireland have both Ireland and GB prototype models running on the same layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 15 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: Didn't the late Cyril Fry have a model of an Irish International Railway? Yes - it should be reopening this spring ( http://www.enjoymalahide.com/home/all-about-malahide/casino-model-railway-museum/ ) ......... hopefully before I'm over for the 'International' Railtour in May. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS2968 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 54 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said: Many of us modellers in Ireland have both Ireland and GB prototype models running on the same layout. That possibly works as a model, but the advice is that at twelve inches to the foot scale, don't try 4' 8.5" vehicles on 5' 3" track and vice versa! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) Thank you, to all the contributors, both positive and negative. I see the BBC has been updating their bulletins on the project which is being officially invetigated by No. 10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51443191 and more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-49661019 As far as I can see the proposal for a fixed link ticks a lot of boxes. There are no technical obstructions to construction, only the cost. As to environmental factors, large chunks of the UK infrastructure has been struggling with the high winds and rain so nothing different for an Irish connection. Cost benefit models can produce any outcome you want. Most of the UK rail network probably never made a cash profit. I have not checked my facts but I dare say the Humber Bridge runs at a loss. But then how do you put a cost on employment benefits and people's well being? I was trained as a Civil Egineer and had the privilege to work on major projects such as Drax and the New Selby Coalfield. Most recently I undertook some of the intial studies for the WPR otherwise known as the Aberdeen Western ByPass. It would be useful to have some more big projects to look up to. Cheers Ray Edited February 10, 2020 by Silver Sidelines 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
YK 50A Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 1 hour ago, Wickham Green said: Well ...... IF a rail bridge/tunnel DID ever materialise, Irish Rail are ready to inter-operate with Europe as they've already adorned everything with UIC numbering ! ( We Brits aren't quite there yet ! ) Other than classes 195 and 331, along with some of classes 66 and 92... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-Miles Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 According to Wikipedia, the sea between Larne and Stranraer is around 160m deep. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bimble Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 1 hour ago, Silver Sidelines said: There are no technical obstructions to construction, only the cost. I very much doubt that is the case... unless you're just suggesting that if you're willing to throw enough money at it anything can be done... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted February 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 10, 2020 Problems solved thanks to storm Ciera https://theulsterfry.com/featured/storm-doris-blows-isle-of-man-north-to-form-land-bridge-to-scotland/ 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS2968 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Anyone know where Sodor went? 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.snowdon Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 2 hours ago, bimble said: I very much doubt that is the case... unless you're just suggesting that if you're willing to throw enough money at it anything can be done... First rule of engineering - how much money have you got? Jim 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Watto1990 Posted February 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 10, 2020 Excellent stuff, by the time it’s finished a fixed link between a United Ireland and an Independent Scotland is going to be a huge boost for both! 10 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 29 minutes ago, Watto1990 said: Excellent stuff, by the time it’s finished a fixed link between a United Ireland and an Independent Scotland is going to be a huge boost for both! So long as we get Mexico to pay for it 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cornelius Posted February 10, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10, 2020 It'll be another great project to go on the heap along with his bus, airport, cable car, riot control water cannons and that other bridge. 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, Silver Sidelines said: I see the BBC has been updating their bulletins on the project which is being officially invetigated by No. 10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51443191 and more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-49661019 I like the comment against the Mull of Kintyre - Torr Head crossing on the map - " cheaper option, but poor transport links". That is what is known as an understatement! From Glasgow, about 150 miles driving, mostly on two-lane roads. Or you could always get the ferry from Ardrossan to Campbeltown and drive to the crossing from there. As they say, the chances of this happening would appear to be slim to none, and Slim just left town! Edited February 10, 2020 by pH 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Surely if you can manage a bridge from Kintyre to Torr Head, the other bridges needed to island hop across from Glasgow are easy ? As for a motorway around the Cumbrian coast and along the Solway, no thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 11, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2020 A bridge via Kintyre is fine for traffic from Ireland to/from Glasgow. But most traffic would surely be freight towards England and mainland Europe. And, not wishing to be political, is it not odd that Boris of all people should propose this? It would have to be financed by the UK whereas until recently it would have been eligible for a lot of EU money. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 8 minutes ago, Wheatley said: Surely if you can manage a bridge from Kintyre to Torr Head, the other bridges needed to island hop across from Glasgow are easy ? Instead of one big bridge it becomes about 5 smaller (but still really big) bridges. Larne is better connected to NI than Torr Head appears to be, though both routes would need substantial works on the mainlands if such a bridge is to be useful. If they put a railway on there too, then it wouldn't be utterly crazy in the context of a project of this size to convert the Larne line to standard gauge and have dual gauge from Bleach Green to Great Victoria Street. It would need a Freightliner terminal somewhere on the NI side, and probably a substantial upgrade of the Ayr to Stranraer line. Since Mexico is paying then let's electrify it all too 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 11, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2020 Comparisons have been made with the bridge between Denmark and Sweden. That has led to quite a swathe of Sweden becoming suburbs of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Airport expanding to deal with passengers to/from Sweden for whom it has now become their local airport. All good stuff and helps justify the construction of the link. But Stranraer is just not on the same scale. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted February 11, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2020 2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said: Comparisons have been made with the bridge between Denmark and Sweden. That has led to quite a swathe of Sweden becoming suburbs of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Airport expanding to deal with passengers to/from Sweden for whom it has now become their local airport. All good stuff and helps justify the construction of the link. But Stranraer is just not on the same scale. Why's that all good stuff? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 11, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2020 19 minutes ago, Reorte said: Why's that all good stuff? Most people think that economic growth and more job opportunities is a good thing. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted February 11, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2020 4 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said: Most people think that economic growth and more job opportunities is a good thing. We've had a constant pursuit of economic growth for decades that doesn't seem to have done much for most people, and a good chunk of the methods involved in getting it seem to involve trying to get rid of jobs - even where they don't look at what we've got now as a result of the pursuit of economic efficiency - job security is terrible for example. And when it brings a load of the sort of development that makes a place more unpleasant to actually be in, well, is it any wonder that I've completely lost faith in the mantra of economic growth? It all feels like a keeping up with the Jones's race rather than anything that's actually making life better these days. 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 16 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said: Problems solved thanks to storm Ciera https://theulsterfry.com/featured/storm-doris-blows-isle-of-man-north-to-form-land-bridge-to-scotland/ That, of course, poses a few problems for through rail communication - necessitating stock capable of running on standard gauge over here, 5'3'' over there an' 3' in between ! - not to mention motive power, generally diesel over here, generally diesel over there and electric, horse an' steam in between ......................... but I'm sure the Irish Department of International Overland Transport can sort things out. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted February 11, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2020 wrt the gauge arguments, always good to have prototypes for the modelling world! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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