Some "Mastermind (?)" Railway

[ashurstdave]

Here are some railway teasers for you -

1. Where can you go over the sea in an underground train?
2. Which British national rail station is the furthest west?
3. Where in the West Country can you depart in opposite directions on through trains to London?
4. If you travel one stop north of Waterloo, on a through national rail train service, which station would you alight at?
5. In a straight line, where is the nearest national rail station to Minehead?
6. Where was the highest railway tunnel in Great Britain? ( Clue - It was on a line now closed but the tunnel still exists).
7. Which station on the Liverpool Overhead Railway was actually underground?
8. Where is the lowest point on the British national rail network?
9. Where is the shortest passenger branch line in Britain?
10. Which station was linked to Stratford-upon-Avon by a horse worked standard gauge tramway in 1826? ( Clue - the station is still open to passenger traffic today ).

Just for fun - how many can you answer - there's a twist in most of them! I will post the answers in 10 days or so time.

[swt458]

oooooooh lol

1) i thought Eurostar but then very cleverly i decided Isle Of White!!!

[zoro]

All of them, but only 7 correctly, I think

[ashurstdave]

Here are the answers :-

1. Ryde (Isle of Wight) - Ex- Underground Rolling Stock operates over the sea between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head.

2. Arisaig. THis station is on the Mallaig line in Scotland and is further west georgraphically than Penzance!

3. Exeter St. Davids. Waterloo trains depart facing West and Paddington trains depart facing East, so therefore they leave for London in opposite directions.

4. Blundelsands and Crosby. Waterloo is a station on the Liverpool to Southport line and therefore, going North, that is the next station.

5. Rhoose. This is a station on recently re-opened Vale of Glamorgan line and this station as the crow flies is nearer to Minehead than Taunton!

6. Torpantau - the west portal to be exact. This tunnel was on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway and was 1313 above sea level, the line through the tunnel was on a gradient, quite unusual and the statistic made it the highest railway tunnel in the UK. It is of interest that the private Brecon Mountain Railway have an aspiration to reach Torpantau. There used to be a passenger station there when the B & M was open,

7. Dingle. This station was at the southerly end of the Liverpool Overhead Railway and was actually under ground!

8. Severn Tunnel. The Brunel Tunnel on the Bristol - South Wales Main Line remains the lowest point under the Bristol Channel on Network Rail. Those who guessed the Channel Tunnel, whilst the lowest point connecting England and France is not part of Network Rail - however, give yourselves half a point for being on the right lines!

9. Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town in the Midlands. Still open today and is the shortest national train ride of less than a mile. It is remarkable how the line has survived.

10. Moreton-in-Marsh. This market town was connected by a tramway to Stratford-uopn-Avon and by using an Ordnance Survey map, parts of the route are still detectable. Moreton-in-Marsh station is still open and is between Oxford and Evesham - very clean and presentable station with an excellent train and bus information board in the booking hall.


I hope you enjoyed the quiz and had fun in answering the questions.

[swt458]

some very clever ones there!