Christmas Quiz 2013

11) It was a Container.

4. Which Great Western Railway stations were never served by GWR trains?

Got to be something similar to Dartmouth like Rosslare, Guernsey and Jersey. Or even New York City.

11. What was unusual about Old Lea Station Signal Box?

Was it a portacabin?

13. What do the lines through London Blackfriars, Darwen and the Ladywell Loop have in common?

They involve a steep incline?

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7. What is the longest route on linked Simsig simulations (at 01-Dec-13) that could be set simultaneously for a single train?

Ivybridge - Barnt Green? (195m 28ch)

And then forwards on Saltley to Elford Loop?

Postal,

Correct, but you can't get over 300 miles in England until Derby or Birmingham New street are released as you can't do a "U" turn on Saltley to head back south.

Peter.

It's too late to start digging out the relevant distances, but how about Dyce - Aberdeen - Dundee - Perth - Ladybank - Kirkcaldy or Dunfermline depending which adds more miles - Forth Bridge - Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Suburban Lines - back over the Forth Bridge - Alloa - Stirling - Cumbernauld - Springburn - Greenhill - Stirling - Perth - Aberdeen - Dyce. There are various combinations and permutations within those locations but the overall mileage would be the same.

Postal,

You've got a large proportion of my route, but you can't use the Alloa line as Longannet isn't included in Edinburgh or cScot sims. Also Aberdeen-Dyce and Usan-Montrose are single track so can only be used once.

Peter.

Boxes might not be simulated but the connection is included at the correct length.

Peter

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Maybe:-
Dyce-Aberdeen-Dundee-Stirling-Greenhill Lower-Springburn-Cowlairs-Greenhill Upper-Polmont-Winchburb-The Bridge-Dunfermline-Thornton-The Bridge-Waverley-(via Millerhill if it counts as staying in sim)-Berwick on Tweed.

Andy,

A quick plot makes this 304 miles (excluding Millerhill). The longest one I've found using about 2/3 of the above route is 306 so I will have to get Quail out to check the official distances.

Peter.

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" said:

Maybe:-
Dyce-Aberdeen-Dundee-Stirling-Greenhill Lower-Springburn-Cowlairs-Greenhill Upper-Polmont-Winchburb-The Bridge-Dunfermline-Thornton-The Bridge-Waverley-(via Millerhill if it counts as staying in sim)-Berwick on Tweed.

Andy,

A quick plot makes this 304 miles (excluding Millerhill). The longest one I've found using about 2/3 of the above route is 306 so I will have to get Quail out to check the official distances.

Peter.

Andy,

I've checked the routes on Quail and you win with 309m 61ch. My route was 309m 02ch. I've attached the calculation for anybody who is interested.

Peter.

[attachment=2066]SimsigLongestRoute.pdf[/attachment]

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7. What is the longest route on linked Simsig simulations (at 01-Dec-13) that could be set simultaneously for a single train?

I'll throw out:

Stenson Junction - Trent - Lenton Junction - Trowell Junction - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Kiveton Park - Worksop - Retford - Gainsborough Trent Junction - Brigg - Barnetby - Immingham - Stallingborough - Barnetby - Market Rasen

You could also come back south from Worksop, going back via Creswell, Mansfield, and Pinxton to reach the Erewash Valley line again and take the same route southbound, but once you reach Trent you need to continue south to Loughborough. The South Humberside route feels longer to me. (Looking at a real-world map the Exeter-Westbury-Bristol-Gloucester-Saltley chain looks better still, though.)

Is a Marylebone-NLL-KX-Cambridge-Peterborough chain possible? Then you could go from Banbury to Grantham via London, Royston, Cambridge, and Ely. That doesn't feel like a winner to me either.

1. Dartmouth (Ferry)


2. ??

2. Where are the following stations:-
a. Austin & Chicago

Chicago Transit Authority: Blue Line from O'Hare to Forest Park.

5. Which single line terminus used to have signals onto the signal line worked by two different signal boxes.

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5. Which single line terminus used to have signals onto the signal line worked by two different signal boxes.

Was it Newquay? I think it got rationalised down to a single platform before the box was abolished but I'm not certain.

8. What is the shortest distance on national rail that a train can run between two terminal/bay platforms - Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town (62ch)

9. Where would you find a squirrel on a national rail station sign?

Maidenhead

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12. Which two national rail stations have the closest platforms?

As this question has already been answered, and so now just for interest’s sake (I know it’s not national rail and therefore doesn’t answer the question, but hey): would the nearest platforms between two consecutive stations on the same line be Canary Wharf and West India Quay on the DLR? I make it a shade over 62 metres between the platform ends… ;)

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8. What is the shortest distance on national rail that a train can run between two terminal/bay platforms - Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town (62ch)

As far as I can remember, the platform at Stourbridge Junction is a through platform with the other end as access to/from the shed. I wouldn't think of it as a bay platform.

NB: The shed where they store the Parry People Movers is where Quail maps show the (non-existence) buffer stops. See Google Maps Satellite Link (South-West edge of the station complex).

1. Dartmouth (Ferry)


2. ?? - The station was only served by LMS trains

1. Maidenhead


2. ?? - It is a red squirrel

1. Which national rail station has the highest scrabble score
This station has a 'Q' in its name

9. Grange-over-sands?

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1. Which national rail station has the highest scrabble score
This station has a 'Q' in its name

I believe you mentioned previously this had more than 10 letters, which is more than a single scrabble move (7 letters). And the only one-word station name with a 'Q' in it that is longer than 10 letters is Queenborough. Unless you are thinking of 2 or more word station names.

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" said:

1. Which national rail station has the highest scrabble score
This station has a 'Q' in its name

I believe you mentioned previously this had more than 10 letters, which is more than a single scrabble move (7 letters). And the only one-word station name with a 'Q' in it that is longer than 10 letters is Queenborough. Unless you are thinking of 2 or more word station names.

mfcooper,

Thanks for having a go. I am including multiple words, typing the full station name into Ryan's Scrabble Score Generator.
For single word names Fazakerley (29) just beats Queenborough (27).

Peter.