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Charing Cross to Higham 23/11/2023 at 18:30 #154412 | |
northroad
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Carrying on from my question on Smithfield Sidings in the 2004 era in the WTT covering the North Kent simulation I have noted there was a service from Charing Cross to Higham. I know the sim has not got an era that early however having a look at the Higham Layout on the sim and it shows exactly the same as the Quail maps for both 1994 and recent layouts and there is no turn back possible at Higham. Does anyone know if there ever was temp workings at this time that allowed this frequent service to run with only a 10 minute turnaround as shown in the relevant CWM I have looked at. Log in to reply |
Charing Cross to Higham 23/11/2023 at 19:20 #154416 | |
JamesN
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northroad in post 154412 said:Carrying on from my question on Smithfield Sidings in the 2004 era in the WTT covering the North Kent simulation I have noted there was a service from Charing Cross to Higham. I know the sim has not got an era that early however having a look at the Higham Layout on the sim and it shows exactly the same as the Quail maps for both 1994 and recent layouts and there is no turn back possible at Higham.Around then, I don’t recall exact dates, there were tunnel works near Strood with I believe Pilot working to/from point of obstruction. Log in to reply |
Charing Cross to Higham 23/11/2023 at 19:40 #154417 | |
northroad
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James, Thank you for that. It has led me to look at the net for Higham Tunnel and Strood tunnel and found out that both were closed on the 18th January 2004 both for a year while they carried out strengthening and drainage works. I will now think of a way round that which works. Goeoff Last edited: 23/11/2023 at 19:41 by northroad Reason: None given Log in to reply |
Charing Cross to Higham 23/11/2023 at 22:22 #154418 | |
JamesN
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Now I'm at my desk properly - they did some temporary re-signalling at Higham to allow all trains to reverse in platform 1. https://kentrail.org.uk/higham_2.htm Last edited: 23/11/2023 at 22:22 by JamesN Reason: None given Log in to reply The following user said thank you: northroad |
Charing Cross to Higham 29/11/2023 at 11:27 #154525 | |
Giantray
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Yes that is correct about the tunnel lining. Prior to that, Both Strood & Higham only at brick work at the Tunnel mouths and several yards into the tunnel. The rest was just carved out chalk. Originally the tunnels where one tunnel excavated by the Thames and Medway Canal Compnay long before the advent of railways.A major collapse occurred and that was how there are now two tunnels. There used to be "Tunnel Watchmen" who had to walk both tunnels several times a day to watch out for chalk falls. And they were very common. The tunnels were quite wide before the lining, and you could walk the cess in the tunnels with trains passing. In my Permanant Way days, I had many a job to do in these tunnels. Midway in Strood Tunnel it was like the inside of a huge cathedral formed from subsequent chalk falls. At the Strood end there used to be a dock which was were the original canal joined the River Medway. Developers came along and filled it in ready to build on it. What wasn't realised, the dock acted as a drain for the tunnels after they were filled to run the railway. Consquently both tunnels suffered from flooding. An array of diesel traction was used because the third rail was unuable at the time, to shuttle passengers through the tunnels until a solution was found.
Professionalism mean nothing around a bunch of Amatuer wannabees! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: northroad |
Charing Cross to Higham 29/11/2023 at 19:06 #154530 | |
DriverCurran
![]() 685 posts |
Indeed on the North Kent simulation, splash screens CP6 and CP7 show the traction in use on one of the flooding events Paul You have to get a red before you can get any other colour Log in to reply The following user said thank you: northroad |
Charing Cross to Higham 30/11/2023 at 16:15 #154550 | |
Andy174
![]() 94 posts |
Giantray in post 154525 said:Yes that is correct about the tunnel lining. Prior to that, Both Strood & Higham only at brick work at the Tunnel mouths and several yards into the tunnel. The rest was just carved out chalk. Originally the tunnels where one tunnel excavated by the Thames and Medway Canal Compnay long before the advent of railways.A major collapse occurred and that was how there are now two tunnels. There used to be "Tunnel Watchmen" who had to walk both tunnels several times a day to watch out for chalk falls. And they were very common. The tunnels were quite wide before the lining, and you could walk the cess in the tunnels with trains passing. In my Permanant Way days, I had many a job to do in these tunnels. Midway in Strood Tunnel it was like the inside of a huge cathedral formed from subsequent chalk falls. At the Strood end there used to be a dock which was were the original canal joined the River Medway. Developers came along and filled it in ready to build on it. What wasn't realised, the dock acted as a drain for the tunnels after they were filled to run the railway. Consquently both tunnels suffered from flooding. An array of diesel traction was used because the third rail was unuable at the time, to shuttle passengers through the tunnels until a solution was found. I was a secondman at Gillingham and remember the tunnels flooding in 1988 with a Crompton & 4TC unit being used as a shuttle service, going through on a freight you could see the pots glowing and steam rising! Log in to reply |
Charing Cross to Higham 30/11/2023 at 17:47 #154552 | |
northroad
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Not being familiar with the area I have found all the replies interesting. Thanks guys. Looking at the sim map the two tunnels amount to 2 1/2 miles of track and must have taken some time to monitor by foot patrols and fully understand why the tunnel repairs etc. took so long to perform. The 2004 timetable I was doing has been put on the back burner for now. Geoff Log in to reply |
Charing Cross to Higham 01/12/2023 at 08:51 #154558 | |
Giantray
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Yeah there was such an array of unusual stock. Crompton and 4TC as you say, but there were Western Region DMUs, and even a Hampshire DEMU. I was on the Pway at the time and they gave us wellington boots because the civil engineer didn't want any of his staff getting trench foot from working in the flooding. In those days staff bought their own footwear.
Professionalism mean nothing around a bunch of Amatuer wannabees! Log in to reply |