Found these in a file dated 2003 on my disc

I'd be intrested in filling in the gaps!
(As well as any other intresting extrems people want to add.)

(Not sure if this thread is worth a sticky but ...)


Longest Tunnel:
Box Tunnel, Bath, ~2miles
Severn Tunnel, 4.5 Miles

Channel Tunnel, ~31.5miles(17miles)
LU Northen Line- E.Finchley->Modern via Bank.~17.5miles?

Shortest Tunnel (as opposed to bridge) :


1.) Tanners Hill Tunnel - 87yds - (between New Cross / St Johns).
2.) Calderwood St Tunnel - 58yds - (between Woolwich Arsenal / Woolwich
Dockyard).


Lowest Tunnel (in height at portal) :
Highest Tunnel (in height at highest portal :


Highest Tunnel (at maximum height above sea level):
Deepest tunnel (at deepest point (below sea level):


Channel Tunnel
Thames Tunnel, CTRL
Severn Tunnel ~148ft



Deepest tunnel (at deepest point (beow ground level):
LUL Northen Line - Hampstead Station(221ft)
LUL Northen Line - (Bull and Bush Station) ?ft..

Steepest Gradient:
Lickey Incline 1/37 Mint Street Portal, DLR, London
Snowdon Mountain Railway (NB rack worked)
(NB There are cliff tramways where a 1:1 gradient may be encountered)

Sharpest Continuous Curve:
Caxton Street, LUL Central Line


Shortest Line:
Stourbridge Junction->Stourbridge Town.?

Longest Single Track Section:
Glenfinnan - Mallaig - 20 miles??
Aviemore - Inverness. 21miles
Battersby - Glaisdale, Esk valley Line ~14miles

Widest Gauge(all time):
Great Western Railway Broad Gauge; 7ft 0.25 inches (2.14m)

Widest Gauge(Current):

Narrowest Gauge (in regular commercial usage):
Mull Rail, Western Isles, 10.2"

Longest Single Rail Journey:
(without interchange) - 722 miles (?km) 0730 Aberdeen -> Penzance
(13 hours , 5 Crew changes)

Most Northerly Station(with onward connection)
Thurso
Most Northerly Station(any)
(NB This is a slisght trick as there's a minature
line in the Orkneys IIRC...)

Most Southerly Station:
Falmouth Docks(passnager)
Fowey Harbour?(Freight)

Most Westerly Station - Penzance?(If you limit
to UK Mainland.)
Londonderry(NI)
Most Easterly Station : Lowestoft?

Oldest alignment still in use by National Rail:
Oldest alignment still in commerical use:
Oldest alignment still in use:
Oldest alignmnet (any):

Newest alignment (passanger):
Newest alignment (freight):
(NB Above apply to actual lines as opossed to loops
or sidings. Can include private and preserved lines.)

Oldest Loco still in use:
Oldest Loco still in regualr use (National Rail):
Class 08

Oldest coaching stock still in use
Oldest Coaching stock still in use (National Rail)
(NB Passanger use and Departmental count
seperatly):

Oldest Train :
Class 483 - IoW Island Line.

Oldest Wagons still in use (private):
Oldest Wagons still in use (EWS/NR/DRS etc..):

Most Powerful locomotive (all-time):

Most Powerful locomotive (current):
Channel Tunnel Freight Shutle (Tri-Co(?)) -7000kw Continuous
(Main-line NR)- Class 92 - (6760hp or 5040kw Continuous on AC)

Most Powerful Unit (electric or desiel):
HST+Class 91 Hybrid (6020kw)
(By comparison Pendolino 5100kw)

Smallest loco :
Largest Loco (all-time):
Largest Loco (current):
Lighest loco:
Heaviest loco:


Longest Train (all-time):
Longest Train in regualr service (all-time):
Longest Train in regualr service (current):

Eurostar (Passnger)
Freightliner (Freight)

Shortest Train (as opposed to light engine movments):
Class 121 DMU or Class 153 DMU

Oldest continuous service:
Newest Service :Stockton on Tess <-> Darlington.

Oldest Station in regualr use:
Newst Station: Chandlers Ford (?)

Most Used station (in passangers):
Least Used Station: Kempston Hardwick-(on the Silverlink
Bedford/Beltchley service)
(LU) Chipping Ongar and realted stations (6 per day)

Busiest Station (in terms of services stopping or passing at it):
Clapham Junction (1 evrey 30 secs)

Quietest Station (in terms of stopping services):
Quietest Station (in terms of passing trains.):

Busisest section of line ( in terms of pathed trains):
Least used section of line (in terms of pathed trains):

Largest non-national network:
Largest private network:
Largest prviate network (contiguous entity):

Longest block section.
Shortest block section:
Reedham Junction -> Reedham Swing Bridge (Norwich/Lowestofrt)

Newest singal box/IEEC:
Slatley(?)

Oldest Signal box (still in use):
Oldest Signal box (all-time):

Largest Singal Box (IEEC):
Wimbeldon (?)
Edinburugh (?)

Largest Signal Box (Mechanical):
Largest lever frame (all-time):
Largest Lever frame (current):

Severn Bridge Junction, Shrewsbury, with 180 lever



Most complicated station/junction
(in terms of intersecting lines and loops):

Longest scheduled time between arrival/departure:
Shortest Scheduled time between arrival/departure:

Longest 'pull' - in respect of lever movments
(mechnical signals):

Longest 'pull' - in respect of phyiscal distance (mechnical signals):

First Section of route to be AWS fitted:
Last section of route to be AWS fitted:

First electrfication:
Most Recent Electrification:

Most recent Stock:

> Most Used station (in passangers):


London Bridge, with 39,694,456 entries and 41,079,297 exits.


> Least Used Station: Kempston Hardwick-(on the Silverlink
> Bedford/Beltchley service)


Recent SRA stats show the following in bottom: -

Shippea Hill - 11 entries 18 exits
Watford West (now closed) - 10 entries 16 exits
Golf St - 9 entries 9 exits
Gainsborough Central - 5 entries 3 exits (some doubt over the
credibility of this stat has been raised)
Barry Links - 3 entries 5 exits



> (LU) Chipping Ongar and realted stations (6 per day)


Now on a preserved line


> Quietest Station (in terms of stopping services):


Denton / Reddish South (1 train per week in one direction only)



> Largest non-national network:
> Largest private network:
> Largest prviate network (contiguous entity):


Not sure what you mean by this, but the West Somerset Railway is the
longest preserved line in the country (20 Miles)

"Farlie A"  wrote

>
> Widest Gauge(all time):
> Great Western Railway Broad Gauge; 7ft 0.25 inches (2.14m)
>

There used to be a railway with a gauge of 18 ft (and lifebelts)

>

 > First electrfication:

Volk's Electric Railway. (Magnus Volk was also involved in the railway with
the widest gauge).

Peter

Peter

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:16:39 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Masson"
 wrote:


>
>"David Hansen"  wrote
>>
>> >Steepest Gradient:
>> >Lickey Incline 1/37 Mint Street Portal, DLR, London
>>
>> The Dover Harbour Branch is/was slightly steeper than the Lickey.
>
>ITYM Folkestone Harbour..


In any case, isn't City Thameslink - Blackfriars steeper?  (See
earlier discussion here.)
-- 
Peter Lawrence

>> But I am not sure what the lowest lying surface station is.  Probably
>> one near the Thames and not on a bridge, like Gunnersbury (or
>> Hammersmith, but that's clearly in a cutting).  I suspect that the
>> tracks at Hampstead might be higher above sea level.
>
>The 100m contour runs near the station, so yes, by a considerable
>margin.



Ah yes, that's the map I haven't got.  Thanks for this and all the
other replies.

> Meanwhile, how far down is Cutty Sark DLR? The land there is about 20ft
> above sea level. Must be almost as low as Bank.




North of Cutty Sark station, the lines drop sharply towards the outer
edge of the meander, which might be quite deep.

At Bank, the Northern Line platforms are deeper than the reasonably
deep Central Line, and must be a similar distance from crossing the
Thames (although it may not be as deep at the edge there), while the
DLR station is fully underneath the Northern Line platforms*.  That's
what made me think that it might be deeper there.


*I think it may be the only case where tube lines cross in that way.
At most interchange stations, the running tunnels may cross, but the
platform ceilings usually overlap with the track level of the line
crossing above.

In message , at 
02:29:36 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, MIG  
remarked:

>> Meanwhile, how far down is Cutty Sark DLR? The land there is about 20ft
>> above sea level. Must be almost as low as Bank.
>
>North of Cutty Sark station, the lines drop sharply towards the outer
>edge of the meander, which might be quite deep.


The DLR at Bank is down three sets of escalators from street level (a 
long way down, but not nearly as far down as Hampstead), but the street 
level is quite high. So the tracks are at approx 38 ft below sea level. 
That's somewhat less deep than the 70ft for the Northern at Waterloo.

At the Cutty Sark station there's at least one escalator down from the 
street level, but I can't remember how far it is. But it's pretty 
certain to be below sea level (which is only 20ft below ground there).

The line then descends further, as it goes north under the river.

What we don't have figures for yet, is how far below the river. ie Is it 
as much as 70ft? I've spent a while doing web searches, and can't find 
any mention of the depth.

-- 
Roland Perry

>At the Cutty Sark station there's at least one escalator down from the
>street level, but I can't remember how far it is. But it's pretty
>certain to be below sea level (which is only 20ft below ground there).



It's two quite long escalators at Cutty Sark.  Surprises me every time
I go there, given how close it is to Greenwich (viaduct).

The Waterloo figure is a bit of a mystery to me.  The Northern is
approximately the same depth as the Bakerloo*, which we know from
historical accounts to be barely below the river bed.  Neither seems to
be all that deep at either Embankment or Waterloo.  Certainly not as
many long escalators as stations like Bank or Cutty Sark or London
Bridge or Westminster.

Also, isn't the Jubilee deeper at Waterloo anyway?  The figures just
don't match the evidence of the naked eye.


*At Embankment, the Bakerloo tracks are side by side and level with one
of the Northern tracks, the other Northern track being above.  At
Waterloo, the Northern Line tracks are side by side and level with one
of the Bakerloo tracks, the other of which is slightly above, if I
remember correctly.

In message , at 
03:34:20 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, MIG  
remarked:

>It's two quite long escalators at Cutty Sark.  Surprises me every time
>I go there, given how close it is to Greenwich (viaduct).


Perhaps we need to send someone round to count the number of steps?


>The Waterloo figure is a bit of a mystery to me.  The Northern is
>approximately the same depth as the Bakerloo*, which we know from
>historical accounts to be barely below the river bed.  Neither seems to
>be all that deep at either Embankment or Waterloo.  Certainly not as
>many long escalators as stations like Bank or Cutty Sark or London
>Bridge or Westminster.


Bank (as we have seen earlier) starts off on quite high ground.

The Jubilee at Westminster would seem to be about 100 ft below ground 
level (see Clive's site, url below), with a street level of approx 35 
ft, meaning it's pretty close to the required 70ft below to get the 
record.


>Also, isn't the Jubilee deeper at Waterloo anyway?  The figures just
>don't match the evidence of the naked eye.


Clive's site implies that the Northern/Bakerloo is 55ft down, and the 
Jubilee 90ft (either from the lift drop, or adding two sets of 
escalators). If that's true, then the Jubilee is the lowest. However, 
that's starting from street level [remembering that the Waterloo booking 
hall is under the concourse, but that is itself well above street 
level], which is also approx 35 ft above sea level. So the Jubilee 
platform is perhaps 55ft below sea level (and the Bakerloo/Northern 
platforms just 20ft below [and hence the skimming the river bed]). 
Remember we are looking for 70ft below to take the "record".

I can only assume that the Northern drops steeply away from Waterloo 
towards the south for some reason (the lowest point isn't claimed to be 
*in* the station).

http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/vdetails.html
-- 
Roland Perry

Farlie A wrote:

> Found these in a file dated 2003 on my disc
>
> I'd be intrested in filling in the gaps!
> (As well as any other intresting extrems people want to add.)

>>
> Narrowest Gauge (in regular commercial usage):
> Mull Rail, Western Isles, 10.2"


The Fairbourne Railway on the Cambrian Coast is the same gauge.


>
> Most Westerly Station - Penzance?(If you limit
> to UK Mainland.)



I  believe that Morar on the West Highland line is further west than
Penzance

Andy Kirkham

There's a stretch of broad gauge track (7ft 1/4 in) in regular use at
the Didcot Railway Centre.

Andy Kirkham wrote:

> Farlie A wrote:
> 
>>Most Westerly Station - Penzance?(If you limit
>>to UK Mainland.)
> 
> I  believe that Morar on the West Highland line is further west than
> Penzance


Dunno about Morar v. Penzance, but Arisaig is further west than both.

eat

-- 
<><|"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."
....|   -- President Merkin Muffley
ScR|http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scot-rail/
Pix|http://photos.eatnet.org.uk/Latest <- Highland Spoons & Tractors

In message , at 
05:42:12 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Andy Kirkham  
remarked:

>I  believe that Morar on the West Highland line is further west than
>Penzance


And Arisaig is further west than Morar!

Morar 5.821W, Penzance 5.532W

In fact, all the stations including and beyond Lockailort are west of 
Penzance.
-- 
Roland Perry

Ewan wrote:

> Andy Kirkham wrote:
> > Farlie A wrote:
> >
> >>Most Westerly Station - Penzance?(If you limit
> >>to UK Mainland.)
> >
> > I  believe that Morar on the West Highland line is further west than
> > Penzance
>
> Dunno about Morar v. Penzance, but Arisaig is further west than both.
> 
> eat
> 

Whoops! That's what I meant.

Andy

Farlie A wrote:

> Found these in a file dated 2003 on my disc
>
> I'd be intrested in filling in the gaps!
> (As well as any other intresting extrems people want to add.)
>
> (Not sure if this thread is worth a sticky but ...)
>

> Highest Tunnel (at maximum height above sea level):

> Deepest tunnel (at deepest point (below sea level):
> Channel Tunnel
> Thames Tunnel, CTRL
> Severn Tunnel ~148ft

> Deepest tunnel (at deepest point (below ground level):
> LUL Northen Line - Hampstead Station(221ft)
> LUL Northen Line - (Bull and Bush Station) ?ft..
>


Seems that there are some intresting disscusions concerning 'deepness'

What's the depth of a certain 'closed' Pennnine tunnel in relation to
the
ruling ground level?

BTW No-One's answered concerning the Highest Tunnel yet..
Any in terms of facts here are some more to puzzle over..

Deepest station (exc LUL and other metros):
Lowest (surface) station - Downham Market as suggested?
Lowest station (inc LUL) - Contenders: Hampsted(LUL) Bank(DLR):
Lowest Track point(surface):
UK Rail altitude record (in other words highest point on the network):

Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
Highest Bridge (In clearance height over entity bridged):
Bridge Altitude record (ie bridge at greatest height in the UK):

Shortest Bridge:
Longest Bridge (as opposed to Viaduct):
Shortest (continuous) Viaduct:
Longest (continuous) Viaduct:
Most Piers for distance bridged:
Least Piers for distance bridged:
First Tunnel:
Most Recent Tunnel:
First Bridge\Viaduct:
Most recent Bridge:
Fatest track section:
Slowest Track Section (exc yards):

In article ,
   Andy Kirkham  wrote:

> > Narrowest Gauge (in regular commercial usage):
> > Mull Rail, Western Isles, 10.2"

> The Fairbourne Railway on the Cambrian Coast is the same gauge.


As is the Wells & Walsingham Railway.

-- 
David Wild using RISC OS on broadband

Farlie A wrote:


> UK Rail altitude record (in other words highest point on the network):


Highest on NR network is Drumochter Summit. Otherwise Cairngorm 
Funicular Railway which reaches c.1090m probably (think it's a touch 
higher than Snowdon).


> Bridge Altitude record (ie bridge at greatest height in the UK):


Well, there's one on the Highland Mainline at about 420~430m (again 
assuming you're talking about NR).





-- 
<><|"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."
....|   -- President Merkin Muffley
ScR|http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scot-rail/
Pix|http://photos.eatnet.org.uk/Latest <- Highland Spoons & Tractors

In message , at 
08:17:57 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Farlie A  
remarked:


>What's the depth of a certain 'closed' Pennnine tunnel in relation to 
>the ruling ground level?


Woodhead? Very approximately it looks like 600ft at either end of the 
tunnel and perhaps 2,000 at the highest point over it.


>BTW No-One's answered concerning the Highest Tunnel yet..
>Any in terms of facts here are some more to puzzle over..
>
>Deepest station (exc LUL and other metros):


How many underground stations are there, apart from on Metros? I can 
think of Birmingham New St, and there's one in Glasgow isn't there?


>Lowest (surface) station - Downham Market as suggested?


I've already said that Manea is much lower.


>Lowest station (inc LUL) - Contenders: Hampsted(LUL) Bank(DLR):


Neither are especially low, as the ground level is quite high. Jubilee 
at Westminster, and Cutty Sark have both featured in the discussion.


>Lowest Track point(surface):


I think people have said that's the bottom of the Severn Tunnel.


>UK Rail altitude record (in other words highest point on the network):


Snowdon summit? Or isn't that on the "network"?


>Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):


There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest 
minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small 
vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter 
"bridges"??


>Highest Bridge (In clearance height over entity bridged):


Forth Bridge? (Much higher than Tyne or Menai).


>Bridge Altitude record (ie bridge at greatest height in the UK):


Probably one somewhere near Snowdon summit. Might only be over a creek, 
though. (Hmm, in your "bridges" above, would you count ones over drains 
and creeks, or did you have a minimum requirement to pass a vehicle, 
person or whatever under it?)


>Shortest Bridge:


Over a 1 ft wide creek somewhere?


>Longest Bridge (as opposed to Viaduct):


Tay Bridge?


>Shortest (continuous) Viaduct:
>Longest (continuous) Viaduct:
>Most Piers for distance bridged:
>Least Piers for distance bridged:
>First Tunnel:
>Most Recent Tunnel:

CTRL2

>First Bridge\Viaduct:
>Most recent Bridge:


Again, somewhere on CTRL2.


>Fatest track section:

CTRL

>Slowest Track Section (exc yards):


-- 
Roland Perry

Farlie A wrote:


> Farlie A wrote:
>
> Seems that there are some intresting disscusions concerning 'deepness'
>
> What's the depth of a certain 'closed' Pennnine tunnel in relation to
> the
> ruling ground level?
>
> BTW No-One's answered concerning the Highest Tunnel yet..
> Any in terms of facts here are some more to puzzle over..
>
> Deepest station (exc LUL and other metros):
> Lowest (surface) station - Downham Market as suggested?
> Lowest station (inc LUL) - Contenders: Hampsted(LUL) Bank(DLR):
> Lowest Track point(surface):
> UK Rail altitude record (in other words highest point on the network):
>
> Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
> Highest Bridge (In clearance height over entity bridged):
> Bridge Altitude record (ie bridge at greatest height in the UK):
>
> Shortest Bridge:
> Longest Bridge (as opposed to Viaduct):
> Shortest (continuous) Viaduct:
> Longest (continuous) Viaduct:
> Most Piers for distance bridged:
> Least Piers for distance bridged:
> First Tunnel:
> Most Recent Tunnel:
> First Bridge\Viaduct:
> Most recent Bridge:
> Fatest track section:
> Slowest Track Section (exc yards):


One candidate for Highest tunnel would be Shotlock Hill, on the Settle
- Carlisle line (over 1000ft above sea level), as I don't recall there
being any tunnels on the Highland Main line other than Killiecrankie,
which is below 1000ft.

Farlie A wrote:


> What's the depth of a certain 'closed' Pennnine tunnel in relation to
> the
> ruling ground level?
>


Peak District railwaymen have told me that Cowburn is the
deepest tunnel below ground level.

Charlie

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
wrote:


>How many underground stations are there, apart from on Metros? I can 
>think of Birmingham New St, and there's one in Glasgow isn't there?


Liverpool, but it depends whether you'd call Merseyrail a metro or
not.

London Liverpool Street classes officially as one so far as smoking
etc is concerned.

Neil

-- 
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
wrote:


>In message , at 
>08:17:57 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Farlie A  
>remarked:
>
<snip>
>>Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
>
>There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest 
>minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small 
>vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter 
>"bridges"??
>

ISTR seeing a number of short (but undisputable as being) bridges over
the years where clearances over streams etc. are a few inches and
possibly in negative figures when enough rain falls. Perhaps we'll
assume the OP requires the underside to be navigable.
<snip>
-- 
                                                             _______
 +---------------------------------------------------+      |\\   //|
 | Charles Ellson: charles@e11son.demon.co.uk        |      | \\ // |
 +---------------------------------------------------+      |  > <  |
                                                            | // \\ |
                                              Alba gu brath |//___\\|

>>Narrowest Gauge (in regular commercial usage):
>>Mull Rail, Western Isles, 10.2"
>  
> The Fairbourne Railway on the Cambrian Coast is the same gauge.


There are railways smaller than this that run 'commercial
services' every weekend. The Brookside Railway in Cheshire,
for example

http://www.brookside-miniature-railway.co.uk/bgcrailway.htm

7.25 inch gauge, and highly recommended. Not only a train
ride, but also a model shop and the most amazing
collection of railway signs. Oh, and a garden centre!

Charlie

>>There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest
>>minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small
>>vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter
>>"bridges"??


There is the new Vazon Railway slide bridge at Keadby. Stainforth and Keadby 
Canal.
which looks to have about 18" betwen Bridge and water. see

http://tinyurl.com/amfha
with pictures at
http://tinyurl.com/bsmdx this includes a TPX 158!
http://tinyurl.com/a54qt
http://tinyurl.com/crcxn
http://tinyurl.com/dylof

KW

Charlie Hulme wrote:

> Farlie A wrote:
>
> > What's the depth of a certain 'closed' Pennnine tunnel in relation to
> > the
> > ruling ground level?
> >
>
> Peak District railwaymen have told me that Cowburn is the
> deepest tunnel below ground level.
> 
> Charlie


How deep?

I wasn't actually :-)

I meant in terms of ANY railway else I'd have said NR bridge altitude
record.

"Charles Ellson"  wrote in message 
news:rg2sg1t5r8aiki8ig6b8gt67tnfpqeo6uv@4ax.com...
| On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
| wrote:
|
| >In message , at
| >08:17:57 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Farlie A 
| >remarked:
| >
| <snip>
| >>Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
| >
| >There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest
| >minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small
| >vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter
| >"bridges"??
| >
| ISTR seeing a number of short (but undisputable as being) bridges over
| the years where clearances over streams etc. are a few inches and
| possibly in negative figures when enough rain falls. Perhaps we'll
| assume the OP requires the underside to be navigable.

Is not the railway level *below* the water level at Thorpe Culvert (on the 
Skegness line), even though it is the railway that is exposed to the sky and 
the water flows underneath?

There are a number of swing bridges with very little clearance over 
navigable waterways.  East Anglia has many of these, but there are some as 
far away as Scotland (each end of the Caledonian Canal, Banavie and 
Clachnaharry).
-- 
                - Yokel -
    oo                               oo
  OOO                           OOO
   OO            0                OO
    ) (              I                  ) (
    ) (              /\                 ) (

"Yokel" now posts via a spam-trap account.
Replace my alias with stevejudd to reply.

Charles Ellson wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
> wrote:
>
> >In message , at
> >08:17:57 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Farlie A 
> >remarked:
> >
> <snip>
> >>Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
> >
> >There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest
> >minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small
> >vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter
> >"bridges"??
> >


Are these bridges or 'tunnels'? ;-)


> ISTR seeing a number of short (but undisputable as being) bridges over
> the years where clearances over streams etc. are a few inches and
> possibly in negative figures when enough rain falls. Perhaps we'll
> assume the OP requires the underside to be navigable.
> <snip>
> --
>


I didn't actually,  but i was going to say the following.

' Throughout the network there are numerous culverts, small bridges
in respect of streams, drainage and livestock etc..

The smallest 'navigable' bridge or bridge under which a person may
travel is...'

A simmilar problem presuambly arises with tunnels...

There are also some bridges over rialways that are technicaly longer
than some tunnels.

OK Some more facts to find...

Tightest clearance on a bridge over a railway (wrt to railways
structural
gauge)
Widest bridge over a railway: (in terms of distance or tracks spanned)

First railway bridge (over or under):

Oldest Bridge:
Oldest Tunnel: 'It is noted that in respect of rail-like infrastrcture
the earliest tunnels are probably those of mine workings, where
rail-like infrastructure has existed since at least the early 18th
Century if not earlier. The oldest tunnel in respect of the modern
usage of the term railway is ...)

Bridge with hevaiest load bearing capacity (over which a railway
passes):
Bridge with heviest load bearing capacity (over which a railway
passes):
Bridge over a railway with the lightest load bearing (which carries
vehicular ie road traffic) (exc minor footbridges):
Heviaest bridge in terms of load bearing capacity (which carries
vehicular 
ie road traffic)

Neil Williams wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
> wrote:
>
> >How many underground stations are there, apart from on Metros? I can
> >think of Birmingham New St, and there's one in Glasgow isn't there?
>
> Liverpool, but it depends whether you'd call Merseyrail a metro or
> not.
>
> London Liverpool Street classes officially as one so far as smoking
> etc is concerned.
>
> Neil
>


What constitutes an 'underground' station in terms of HSE/RGS etc then?

"MIG"  wrote in message 
news:1124961567.285629.246290@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

>>> But I am not sure what the lowest lying surface station is.  Probably
>>> one near the Thames and not on a bridge, like Gunnersbury (or
>>> Hammersmith, but that's clearly in a cutting).  I suspect that the
>>> tracks at Hampstead might be higher above sea level.

>>The 100m contour runs near the station, so yes, by a considerable
>>margin.

> Ah yes, that's the map I haven't got.  Thanks for this and all the
> other replies.


You can find the relevant 1:50000 map at streetmap.co.uk, via 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G4E212EAB
-- 
David Biddulph

OK. So it seems this thread is going places :-)


So I'll 'open the floor' so to speak..

If anyone has a sensible railway record (ie largest, smallest,
first, most recent etc) to contribute feel free.

Of course there may be some esoteric items like the longest serving
signal or
first use of vacuam brakes but that nonethless should prove intresting.

BTW I would be very interested if someone tried to set up a webpage or
even a Wiki for UK rail feats.

The only other publication that dealt with rail facts and feats was
a commerical publication IIRC?

Alex

"Farlie A"  wrote

>
> Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
> Highest Bridge (In clearance height over entity bridged):


Although it's not a candidate for either of these, how do you measure the
Kingsferry Bridge at Swale - when in position for passage of trains, or the
much greater height between the river (actually an arm of the sea) and the
track when the bridge is raised for passage of  a ship?

Peter

"Farlie A"  wrote

>
> The only other publication that dealt with rail facts and feats was
> a commerical publication IIRC?
>

The Guinness Book of Rail Facts and Feats, by John Marshall. It does clear
up the 'highest bridge' questions:
Crumlin Viaduct was the highest (200 ft)
Highest now is Ballochmyle (between Kilmarnock and Auchinleck) (169 ft)
Forth Bridge tracks are 156 ft above high water.
How high is the CTRL Medway Bridge?

Peter

In message , at 
14:59:43 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Farlie A  
remarked:


>> >>Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
>> >
>> >There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest
>> >minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small
>> >vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter
>> >"bridges"??
>
>Are these bridges or 'tunnels'? ;-)


The ones over canals are bridges. The ones alongside level crossings are 
often constructed as if they were a bridge, but perhaps the highway 
authority has some definition of what constitutes a tunnel.


>The smallest 'navigable' bridge or bridge under which a person may
>travel is...'


Is that fixed bridges, or do swing bridges count?


>Tightest clearance on a bridge over a railway (wrt to railways 
>structural gauge)


Start looking at lines like Ffestinog or Romney Hythe and Dymchurch.


>Widest bridge over a railway: (in terms of distance or tracks spanned)


The new one over the mouth of Paddington might be worth looking at.

Alternatively the QE2 Bridge at Dartford, which spans CTRL2 (amongst 
other things...)


>Bridge with hevaiest load bearing capacity (over which a railway
>passes):
>Bridge with heviest load bearing capacity (over which a railway
>passes):
>Bridge over a railway with the lightest load bearing (which carries
>vehicular ie road traffic) (exc minor footbridges):
>Heviaest bridge in terms of load bearing capacity (which carries
>vehicular
>ie road traffic)


I think you have a big problem with that group, as the load bearing 
capacity of most bridges isn't published, and in many cases may not even 
be known. However, as it has five? lanes and is very substantially 
built, I'll try nominating the QE2 bridge again.
-- 
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:

> In message , at
> 14:59:43 on Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Farlie A 
> remarked:
>
> >> >>Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
> >> >
> >> >There are several railway bridges over canals that leave only the barest
> >> >minimum headroom to get a narrowboat under, and various foot/v.small
> >> >vehicle tunnels alongside level crossings, or aren't the latter
> >> >"bridges"??
> >
> >Are these bridges or 'tunnels'? ;-)
>
> The ones over canals are bridges. The ones alongside level crossings are
> often constructed as if they were a bridge, but perhaps the highway
> authority has some definition of what constitutes a tunnel.
>
> >The smallest 'navigable' bridge or bridge under which a person may
> >travel is...'
>
> Is that fixed bridges, or do swing bridges count?


Fixed bridges count, as do swing bridges when in the 'rail' positon.
(Maybe I need to consider them seperatly as part of the facts ;) )



>
> >Tightest clearance on a bridge over a railway (wrt to railways
> >structural gauge)
>
> Start looking at lines like Ffestinog or Romney Hythe and Dymchurch.
>


OK. I will, but in terms of current UK NR structures is there anywhere
that has tight clerances (i.e as close to the structural gauge as you
can get)



> >Widest bridge over a railway: (in terms of distance or tracks spanned)
>
> The new one over the mouth of Paddington might be worth looking at.
>
> Alternatively the QE2 Bridge at Dartford, which spans CTRL2 (amongst
> other things...)
>


> >Bridge with hevaiest load bearing capacity (over which a railway
> >passes):
> >Bridge with heviest load bearing capacity (over which a railway
> >passes):
> >Bridge over a railway with the lightest load bearing (which carries
> >vehicular ie road traffic) (exc minor footbridges):
> >Heviaest bridge in terms of load bearing capacity (which carries
> >vehicular
> >ie road traffic)
>
> I think you have a big problem with that group, as the load bearing
> capacity of most bridges isn't published, and in many cases may not even
> be known. However, as it has five? lanes and is very substantially
> built, I'll try nominating the QE2 bridge again.
> --



Isn't the load bearing capacity of bridges (over which rail passes)
to some extent determinable by something called route availabity,
(or failing that axle limits?)

Alex

In message , at 
01:30:28 on Fri, 26 Aug 2005, Farlie A  
remarked:

>> >Tightest clearance on a bridge over a railway (wrt to railways
>> >structural gauge)
>>
>> Start looking at lines like Ffestinog or Romney Hythe and Dymchurch.
>>
>
>OK. I will, but in terms of current UK NR structures is there anywhere
>that has tight clerances (i.e as close to the structural gauge as you
>can get)


There are plenty of instances where "new" trains can't run straight away 
because the clearances are too tight. I'm sure that one example which 
has been discussed here in the past is the GNER "White Rose" Eurostars 
and the clearances on a bridge in Newcastle.


>Isn't the load bearing capacity of bridges (over which rail passes)
>to some extent determinable by something called route availabity,
>(or failing that axle limits?)


I thought you were asking about the load capacity of road bridges. But 
even rail bridges are unlikely to have *all* been surveyed and given a 
weight rating.

High load capacity rail bridges are likely to be found at places like 
the approaches to terminus stations, where you might have a dozen tracks 
all capable of having a train on at once.
-- 
Roland Perry

In article , Neil Williams
 wrote:


> On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
> wrote:
> 
> >How many underground stations are there, apart from on Metros? I can 
> >think of Birmingham New St, and there's one in Glasgow isn't there?
> 
> Liverpool, but it depends whether you'd call Merseyrail a metro or
> not.
> 
> London Liverpool Street classes officially as one so far as smoking
> etc is concerned.


Glasgow has both Central and Queen Street Low Level stations, both in
tunnel.  I don't know Glasgow well enough to say if there are others
too.

Sam

Farlie A wrote:


> Charlie Hulme wrote:
>>Peak District railwaymen have told me that Cowburn is the
>>deepest tunnel below ground level.
>>
>>Charlie
> 
> 
> How deep?
> 


 From a quick look at an OS map, I'd say about 270 metres
from track level to the highest summit (520m) above. Woodhead
looks about 150 metres. Totley about 200m, although
the contours are hard to read.

Any others? Blea Moor?  maybe 200m, although the land above
reaches 500m, the portals are higher than those of Cowburn.
Standedge? Less than 200m.

Charlie

Sam Wilson wrote:
   :

> 
> Glasgow has both Central and Queen Street Low Level stations, both in
> tunnel.  I don't know Glasgow well enough to say if there are others
> too.


Queen Street LL is sort of in a cutting with the High Level platforms 
above... it's more reminiscent of say a Circle Line Tube station. It 
doesn't really "feel" underground if you know what I mean, plus the 
tracks are quite wide apart, separated by columns supporting the High 
Level station.

I suppose we are back to the old argument about when a bridge becomes a 
tunnel !

(Glasgow) Charing Cross (next station west of GCLL) is in at the end of 
a tunnel with a big office block (now a hotel) built over it, and a wide 
  road bridge/tunnel thingmy at the other end. There is still a few 
yards of sky visible at the western end, so it might count as a station 
both in a tunnel and not in a tunnel :-)

Central Low Level does feel tunnel-y; a bit more like the Liverpool low 
level and loop stations.

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 10:14:42 GMT, Charlie Hulme
 wrote:


>Farlie A wrote:
>
>> Charlie Hulme wrote:

>>>Peak District railwaymen have told me that Cowburn is the
>>>deepest tunnel below ground level.
>> 
>> How deep?
>
> From a quick look at an OS map, I'd say about 270 metres
>from track level to the highest summit (520m) above. Woodhead
>looks about 150 metres. Totley about 200m, although
>the contours are hard to read.
>
>Any others? Blea Moor?  maybe 200m, although the land above
>reaches 500m, the portals are higher than those of Cowburn.
>Standedge? Less than 200m.


What about the one which went from the Rhondda valley to Abergwynfi,
or thereabouts?  That looks to have a fair head of ground above it.
-- 
Terry Harper
Website Coordinator, The Omnibus Society
http://www.omnibussoc.org

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 23:19:05 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Masson"
 wrote:


>"Farlie A"  wrote
>>
>> Lowest Bridge (in clearance height over entity bridged):
>> Highest Bridge (In clearance height over entity bridged):
>
>Although it's not a candidate for either of these, how do you measure the
>Kingsferry Bridge at Swale - when in position for passage of trains, or the
>much greater height between the river (actually an arm of the sea) and the
>track when the bridge is raised for passage of  a ship?


I would have thought that some of the swing bridges would win the
lowest category. Selby, perhaps?
-- 
Terry Harper
Website Coordinator, The Omnibus Society
http://www.omnibussoc.org

"Farlie A"  wrote

>
> Longest Single Track Section:
> Glenfinnan - Mallaig - 20 miles??
> Aviemore - Inverness. 21miles
> Battersby - Glaisdale, Esk valley Line ~14miles
>

Glenfinnan - Mallaig is 25 miles, but isn't there still a loop at Arisaig?

Dalwhinnie - Culloden Moor is single track, but there are loops at
Kingussie, Kincraig, Aviemore, Carrbridge, Slochd, Tomatin and Moy.

Another candidate for the longest is Helmsdale - Forsinard (24 miles 24
chains).

Peter

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:20:24 +0000 (UTC), matt
 wrote:


>Sam Wilson wrote:
>   :
>> 
>> Glasgow has both Central and Queen Street Low Level stations, both in
>> tunnel.  I don't know Glasgow well enough to say if there are others
>> too.
>
>Queen Street LL is sort of in a cutting with the High Level platforms 
>above... it's more reminiscent of say a Circle Line Tube station.

[snip]

>(Glasgow) Charing Cross (next station west of GCLL) is in at the end of 
>a tunnel with a big office block (now a hotel) built over it, and a wide 
>  road bridge/tunnel thingmy at the other end.


There are also Anderston and Argyle Street stations.

John
-- 
John Ewing
Glaschu / Glasgow
Alba / Scotland

Farlie A wrote:


> Fatest track section:


CTRL (obviously), but specifically, 3313/14 reached 208mph on it's UK
record run somewhere round the Nashenden crossover.

Neil Williams wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:51:07 +0100, Roland Perry 
> wrote:
>
> >How many underground stations are there, apart from on Metros? I can
> >think of Birmingham New St, and there's one in Glasgow isn't there?
>
> Liverpool, but it depends whether you'd call Merseyrail a metro or
> not.
>
> London Liverpool Street classes officially as one so far as smoking
> etc is concerned.


Off the top of my head, add Moorgate, Old Street, Highbury & Islington,
Kings Cross Thameslink, City Thameslink, Farringdon (cheating a bit).
Does Edinburgh Waverley count for smoking purposes?

In article <denmh8$rl3$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>, matt
 wrote:


> Sam Wilson wrote:
>    :
> > 
> > Glasgow has both Central and Queen Street Low Level stations, both in
> > tunnel.  I don't know Glasgow well enough to say if there are others
> > too.
> 
> Queen Street LL is sort of in a cutting with the High Level platforms 
> above... it's more reminiscent of say a Circle Line Tube station. It 
> doesn't really "feel" underground if you know what I mean, plus the 
> tracks are quite wide apart, separated by columns supporting the High 
> Level station.
> 
> I suppose we are back to the old argument about when a bridge becomes a 
> tunnel !


I guess I was thinking of it as a station in tunnel with a cutting at
each end... :-)

Sam