Milepost 0

[AberdeenBill]

Hi all,

 

As we know, mileposts have to start from somewhere, and here is an interesting surviving example of a "zero milepost" at Waterloo Goods at Aberdeen, which was the original terminus for the GNSR.     Who can post some other interesting mileposts or gradient markers?

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

Think there's a zero (Midland) at Derby referring to the Birmingham direction, and isn't there also a multi-company zero milepost in the middle of York station?

[Vin]

Think there's a zero (Midland) at Derby referring to the Birmingham direction, and isn't there also a multi-company zero milepost in the middle of York station?

The multiple one at York is on the pillar at the bottom of the footbridge steps as you walk towards platform 9.

 

Vin

[Phil Bullock]

Am sure the Carry On team would make something of this one!

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_08_2013/post-7138-0-38252400-1376414435_thumb.jpg

 

Milepost soissant-neuf!

 

Phil

[EddieB]

Milepost 0.0 on the London Underground system was located at the entrance throat to Ongar station.  LUL mileages still take this datum as their reference point, there was no recalculation after the Ongar branch was severed from the "tube" network.  The historic milepost has been retained on the preserved railway and was rededicated by Mike Brown, MD of London Underground, at the recent "Underground" special event (story here: http://leondaniels.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/tube-train-returns-to-ongar-branch.html).

 

Here's a rather poor view from an overcast day in March 1977 showing milepost 0.0 at Ongar.

 

 

 

(Edited to correct date - getting my visits mixed up!).

[The Stationmaster]

The multiple one at York is on the pillar at the bottom of the footbridge steps as you walk towards platform 9.

 

Vin

The York one is of course a replica as the original, which stood elsewhere on the station, was removed at some time in the 1930sand seems to have been lost or destroyed in the bombing of the station in WWII.  It  read 'ZERO' and did not have a '0'.

[Oldddudders]

Am sure the Carry On team would make something of this one!

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_08_2013/post-7138-0-38252400-1376414435_thumb.jpg

 

 

Especially confusing as it's a 52!

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Aft'noon all,

 

There is a resurrected milepost somewhere on the former Buxton - Ashbourne line...now the Tissington trail...which was positioned on the opposite side to that intended, with the result that the gradient is opposite to that indicated.

 

I'll try to dig out a picture

 

Dave 

[Vin]

Hi all,

 

The one at York does read 'Zero' and not '0'. I wonder if this is rare or just a 1 off?

 

Here is some more info on the York post.

https://sites.google.com/site/northeasternrailwayassoc/research-information/ner-milepost-york-station

 

Vin

[Edwin_m]

Logically there should be a zero milepost next to the buffer stops at each London terminus (except Marylebone, miled from the north, and the several where the stops have been moved out).  But I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of them. 

[HillsideDepot]

Edwin_m, on 07 Oct 2014 - 13:06, said:Edwin_m, on 07 Oct 2014 - 13:06, said:

Logically there should be a zero milepost next to the buffer stops at each London terminus (except Marylebone, miled from the north, and the several where the stops have been moved out).  But I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of them. 

The GWR measured it's mileages from the boundary of its land at Paddington, so logically the zero milepost should be there - I don't know if there is or ever has been such a post. Whilst that might seem an odd place to measure from, the stop blocks at Paddington have, as suggested above, retreated westwards over the years, so any measurement from there would now be short.

 

 

[Phil Bullock]

Logically there should be a zero milepost next to the buffer stops at each London terminus (except Marylebone, miled from the north, and the several where the stops have been moved out).  But I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of them.

And St Pancras - mileage on the MR calculated from Derby IIRC

 

Kind regards

 

Phil

[Fat Controller]

I work on a railway where there is no '0' mileage/kilometrage post; the Channel Tunnel. The reason is quite simple; when the initial surveying for the current tunnel was carried out, it was intended that the UK Terminal would be at Westenhanger. Hence this served as a datum point for all subsequent chainage, even after the scheme was modified to have the terminal at Cheriton. Thus far, the lowest point I've found is 7.01 at the tunnel end of Dolland's Moor, whilst the Eurotunnel /NR boundary (for signalling purposes) is at 08.22/08.36 for the Down and Up directions.

[The Stationmaster]

The GWR measured it's mileages from the boundary of its land at Paddington, so logically the zero milepost should be there - I don't know if there is or ever has been such a post. Whilst that might seem an odd place to measure from, the stop blocks at Paddington have, as suggested above, retreated westwards over the years, so any measurement from there would now be short.

 

 

GWR (the greater GWR that is) milepost mileages start all over the place often going back to previous owning companies etc but I', fairly sure that the lowest indication I've seen ona  milepost is the single stroke of a Roman 1 for a quarter mile, with no mileage above it.  The nearest zero to Paddington is now at Acton but it was previously Old Oak Common East, neither are/were marked.

 

Edit typo

[Poor Old Bruce]

And St Pancras - mileage on the MR calculated from Derby IIRC

 

The MML mileage stars from St. Pancras (except that the MML trains have been evicted nowadays so that the trains St.Pancras war built for no longer use it - Grrrrrrrrrrrrr). The mileage goes via Leicester, the Erewash Valley, the 'Old Road' between Chesterfield and Rotherham, and the Leeds avoiding line from (Holbeck) Engine Shed Junction and Whitehall Junction, then on to Carlisle. Where diverging routes take the facing direction from St.P the mileages continue as at Glendon South Jct to Melton Mowbray, Nottingham and Trowell; IIRC Wigston South to Burton; Trent South Jct to Derby and Clay Cross or Manchester (measured via Chaddesden Sidings); Trent to Lenton. The 'West' Road from Derby to Bristol starts from '0' at Derby London Road Jct as mentioned in Post #2 with mileage counted via Whitacre and Camp Hill. Where Junctions occurred in the trailing direction from '0', a new '0' was started.

[Edwin_m]

Lots on Midland Railway mileposts here.  It appears they re-miled the whole network in the early 20th century. 

[Chameleon]

Edinburgh Waverley used to have a 0 milepost right in the middle of the station on both the north and south Walls. Latterly replaced by spray paint. Now there is no sign at all of them ever being there.

 

A couple of others that spring to mind are Kinaber junction north of Montrose. There, the milage changes from Edinburgh to Carlisle. The line is long gone and at least until fairly recently, the original milepost showing milage to both was still there.

 

On the ladybank to Hilton in line the milage suddenly changes from 14 to 44 where the old central Scotland line joined it near Abernethy.

I'm sure there are plenty of other historical anomalies around.

[leopardml2341]

Hi all,

 

As we know, mileposts have to start from somewhere, and here is an interesting surviving example of a "zero milepost" at Waterloo Goods at Aberdeen, which was the original terminus for the GNSR.     Who can post some other interesting mileposts or gradient markers?

 

Bill

Surely..... if that's MP 0 then one direction should be negative?

 

Sorry couldn't resist

 

I'll get mi coat...............

[Phil Bullock]

The MML mileage stars from St. Pancras (except that the MML trains have been evicted nowadays so that the trains St.Pancras war built for no longer use it - Grrrrrrrrrrrrr). The mileage goes via Leicester, the Erewash Valley, the 'Old Road' between Chesterfield and Rotherham, and the Leeds avoiding line from (Holbeck) Engine Shed Junction and Whitehall Junction, then on to Carlisle. Where diverging routes take the facing direction from St.P the mileages continue as at Glendon South Jct to Melton Mowbray, Nottingham and Trowell; IIRC Wigston South to Burton; Trent South Jct to Derby and Clay Cross or Manchester (measured via Chaddesden Sidings); Trent to Lenton. The 'West' Road from Derby to Bristol starts from '0' at Derby London Road Jct as mentioned in Post #2 with mileage counted via Whitacre and Camp Hill. Where Junctions occurred in the trailing direction from '0', a new '0' was started.

Thanks Bruce - I guess it was my SW routes that lead me to that (wrong) conclusion

 

Phil

[big jim]

the one that fascinates me is the run from marylebone to moor st, imagine below is travelling north 

 

marylebone is miles TO manchester (205 to 201 miles) 

 

neasden jn it changes to miles FROM south ruislip (6 1/4 to 0 miles)

 

at ruislip it counts up TO ashendon Jn (0 to 33 miles) 

 

ashendon jn it then counts up TO aynho Jn (0 to 18 miles)

 

aynho Jn to moor st counts up miles FROM paddington (81 to 128 miles)

 

 

then there is the run along the met to claydon jn, ive not got the map in front of me but its something like

 

marylebone to neasden as above, miles from manchester

 

neasden to quainton rd miles from baker st (london underground)

 

quaindon rd to calvert back to miles from manchester (the old GC)

 

calvert station to calvert jn has its own mileage (0 to 3/4 miles)

 

claydon jn into the loop is miles from Oxford via bicester

 

another fascinating one is the old cambrian mileposts before they were replaced by KM posts, miles from whitchurch, to see whitchurch now you find it hard to believe that used to be the datum point for the cambrian, i'd have thought oswestry would have been more appropriate 

[great central]

Think there's a zero (Midland) at Derby referring to the Birmingham direction, and isn't there also a multi-company zero milepost in the middle of York station?

There's also a zero one at the erstwhile London Road junction in Nottingham, opposite what is now Eastcroft depot. I think Nottingham-Lincoln mileage starts from there, in the down direction. If you then turn right at Netherfield junction you are then heading UP towards London with mileage reducing as that is the former GN route.

[The Stationmaster]

the one that fascinates me is the run from marylebone to moor st, imagine below is travelling north 

 

marylebone is miles TO manchester (205 to 201 miles) 

 

neasden jn it changes to miles FROM south ruislip (6 1/4 to 0 miles)

 

at ruislip it counts up TO ashendon Jn (0 to 33 miles) 

 

ashendon jn it then counts up TO aynho Jn (0 to 18 miles)

 

aynho Jn to moor st counts up miles FROM paddington (81 to 128 miles)

 

 

then there is the run along the met to claydon jn, ive not got the map in front of me but its something like

 

marylebone to neasden as above, miles from manchester

 

neasden to quainton rd miles from baker st (london underground)

 

quaindon rd to calvert back to miles from manchester (the old GC)

 

calvert station to calvert jn has its own mileage (0 to 3/4 miles)

 

claydon jn into the loop is miles from Oxford via bicester

 

another fascinating one is the old cambrian mileposts before they were replaced by KM posts, miles from whitchurch, to see whitchurch now you find it hard to believe that used to be the datum point for the cambrian, i'd have thought oswestry would have been more appropriate 

Some of it is even more interesting than that.  The mileage north from Aynho Jcn is that from Paddington via Didcot station (and thus Chester Line Jcn at Didcot, so giving the original Paddington - Birmingham mileage before  various cut-offs and avoiding lines were built, the mileage at Chirk is a continuation of that measurement even tho' the bit of railway between Smethwick and Oxley is no longer there! So when you're at Chirk you're 192miles 54ch from Paddington via Didcot; that mileage finishes at Saltney Jcn).  

 

Incidentally Chester is another place with a zero point (not marked I suspect, but someone might no different?)

 

All of it is down to history, thus Calvert Jcn (site of, just north of Calvert) to Calvert LNE Jcn on the Bletchley - Oxford line was an LNER connection so the mileage, or rather chainage in this case, is measured from the Calbvert Jcn end.

 

It sounds from what you say as if the Oxford - Bletchley line might have changed?  As an ex LNWR line it was measured from Bletchley station, via the original junction that is no longer there, and the change of mileage occurs at Oxford North Jcn where it joins the Paddington - Chester (i.e Saltney Jcn) mileage.  As with almost all mileages there is a lot of history to explain why they are measured the way they are - some fascinating stuff.

[big jim]

I may be wrong about the bletchley line, not got the sectional appendix in front of me to check at the moment, im about to head up there tonight so i'll have a look what the mileposts say at the oxford end!!

 

I forgot about the mileage continuing beyond moor st to saltney jn (212 miles from paddington) in fact the bridge numbers continue all the way along there too, one that stocks in mind is the overbridge in wrexham station is No 525, quite why i remember that i dont know

 

Other than the 'missing bit' round birmingham i sign all the way from chester to didcot on that route!!

[The Stationmaster]

I may be wrong about the bletchley line, not got the sectional appendix in front of me to check at the moment, im about to head up there tonight so i'll have a look what the mileposts say at the oxford end!!

 

I forgot about the mileage continuing beyond moor st to saltney jn (212 miles from paddington) in fact the bridge numbers continue all the way along there too, one that stocks in mind is the overbridge in wrexham station is No 525, quite why i remember that i dont know

 

Other than the 'missing bit' round birmingham i sign all the way from chester to didcot on that route!!

You'll be working into Acton on ballast trains before long I expect Jim (no I don't know anything but it would be nice get a complete set ).

[DerekEm8]

The 0 Milepost at Manchester Victoria was on the track in the middle of Platform 12 before Victoria was officialy vandalised. I dont know where it is now or if it still is UP in both directions to the station. It was  a left over from L&Y days when Victoria /Hunts Bank was the HQ of the L&Y.

I have a picture of it somewhere.